CIA: Bugging Catholic Confessionals
| Tracking # |
F-2017-01358 |
| Submitted | March 10, 2017 |
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Communications
From: Jens Porup
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
Statistics on the number of times per year the CIA bugs Catholic Church confessionals.
Please interpret "bug" to mean both physical listening devices and hacking cell phones to eavesdrop on any conversations that take place inside of a confessional booth in a Catholic Church anywhere in the world.
Please include a break down of number of incidents per year, per geographic region, and any legal memos or other notes justifying the practice.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Jens Porup
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on March 10, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Central Intelligence Agency
The request has been rejected, with the agency stating that it can neither confirm nor deny the existence of the requested documents.
From: J.M. Porup
In March, 2017, FBI Director James Comey publicly stated that "There is no such thing as absolute privacy in America; there is no place outside of judicial reach...Even our communications with our spouses, with our clergy members, with our attorneys are not absolutely private in America."
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/08/politics/james-comey-privacy-cybersecurity/index.html
This statement constitutes official disclosure that the US government spies on priests, including inside Catholic confessionals.
Improper Glomar.
Appealing.
From: Central Intelligence Agency
A letter stating that the request appeal has been received and is being processed.
From: Central Intelligence Agency
A letter stating that the request appeal has been rejected.
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