Slotkin Questions DoD IG Nominee on Legality of Targeting Americans for Political Views

Concerns Over Domestic Terrorism Definitions

• 📌 Senator Elissa Slotkin expresses concern over a broad definition of domestic terrorist organizations, which includes descriptors like "anti-Christian" and differing views on family, religion, and morality.
• ⚠️ Reports suggest the Department of Defense is involved in an inter-agency working group, including the CIA, DOJ, FBI, and IRS, to target the president's adversaries.

Legality of Surveillance on Citizens

• ⚖️ Slotkin questions the DoD Inspector General nominee, Platte Moring, on whether it would be a violation of US law for intelligence agencies like the NSA or DIA to target American citizens for their political views.
• 🎤 Moring initially deflects, stating the General Counsel would be better suited to answer, but acknowledges the IG role involves overseeing department policy adherence.
• 🏛️ Slotkin presses further, asking if wiretapping citizens due to their political views, such as attending a specific rally, would be legal for the DoD intelligence community.

Inspector General's Role and Values

• 🔍 Moring reiterates that the question is outside the Inspector General's direct remit but acknowledges the fundamental importance of not turning intelligence agencies against American citizens based on political views.
• 🗣️ Slotkin urges Moring to publicly state that such actions are against US law and values, emphasizing the IG's role as a "last line of defense."
• 🚫 Moring states he is guided by facts and law, not personal opinions, and cannot answer hypothetically.

Precedent of Unconstitutional Warrants

• 📜 Slotkin references the "Arctic Frost" operation under the Biden administration, where nine members of Congress were allegedly targeted with unconstitutional warrants for their geolocation data.
• 🔒 This operation, according to Slotkin, involved illegal surveillance based on Supreme Court precedent (Carpenter case) regarding privacy interests in geolocation data.