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June 18, 2009

Holder Refuses to Say Bush’s Warrantless Wiretapping Program Was Illegal
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Attorney General Eric Holder testified on Capitol Hill Wednesday and
refused to declare President Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program to
be illegal. Holder was repeatedly questioned by Democratic Senator Russ
Feingold of Wisconsin.

Sen. Russ Feingold: “Now that you’re the attorney general, is there any
doubt in your mind that the warrantless wiretapping program was
illegal?”

Eric Holder: “Well, I think that the warrantless wiretapping program, as
it existed at that point, was certainly unwise, in that it was put
together without the approval of Congress.”

Sen. Feingold: “But I asked you, Mr. Attorney General, not whether it
was unwise, but whether you consider it to have been illegal.”

Holder: “The policy was an unwise one, and I think that the concerns
that I expressed then have really been remedied by the fact that
Congress has now authorized the program.”

Sen. Feingold: “But did you think it was illegal?”

Holder: “Well, I thought that, as a I said, it was inconsistent with the
FISA statute and unwise as a matter of policy.”