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Could an Alleged 'Soft Coup' of Trump Administration Be a Big Invasion of Your Privacy?

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The American Center for Law and Justice and Judicial Watch, two legal watchdogs, say a "soft coup" is underway to undermine President Donald Trump and his administration.

What is a "soft coup?"

"A 'soft coup' is a coordinated effort to delegitimize or undermine a lawfully elected official," Chris Farrell, director of investigations for Judicial Watch, said during his program, "On Watch."

ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow calls the alleged soft coup "a shadow government -- to sabotage President Trump."

So if it's happening, who is behind it? And how are they trying to undermine Trump? That depends on whom you ask.

Sekulow says President Barack Obama and his administration are to blame.

"President Obama, in his final days in office, paved the way for a bureaucratic soft coup," he wrote.

"Obama's Administration changed the rules, vastly expanding access to classified information to countless federal bureaucrats in over a dozen federal agencies," he continued.
 
"Now, it has led to dangerous classified leaks, criminal violations of the Espionage Act, and a bureaucratic attempt to undermine President Trump's Administration," Sekulow said.

His accusations involve an Obama administration move reported by The New York Times last month.

The Times reported the Obama administration in its last days "expanded the power" of the National Security Agency to share intercepted information before applying any security or privacy protection for people.

It went on to say that the government is cutting down on the chances the N.S.A. will miss a piece of intelligence that another agency needs, but making it more likely that officials will come across private information involving "innocent people."

An attorney representing then-director of national intelligence James Clapper Jr. defended the move.

"It is simply widening the aperture for a larger number of analysts, who will be bound by the existing rules," said Robert S. Litt, the general counsel to Clapper, The Times reported.

Meanwhile, Judicial Watch, has a different take on a "soft coup."

"It's the middle of February and the soft coup against the Trump administration continues," Farrell said during "On Watch."

In the program, he wonders if the media has a role:

"In 2017, propaganda is a powerful tool for shaping public opinion," he continued. "Politicized news media can be complicit in the scheme of the soft coup by engaging in false and misleading reporting, or acting as the propaganda arm of the political opposition."

"Suppose the news media advanced a false narrative to sensationalize and controversialize a government official. What about unsourced whispering campaigns?" Farrell asked.

The Obama administration move prompted Sekulow and the ACLJ to take legal action, delivering Freedom of Information Act requests to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Security, and the National Security Agency to learn what was behind the timing of the decision.

"What is also not clear, and what the ACLJ seeks to determine through its FOIA request, is why, after having the opportunity to expand the policy during its 8 years in power, the Obama Administration waited to change the policy just days before a new administration was set to begin," the ACLJ wrote in an article on its website.

The organization has an unusual ally in the American Civil Liberties Union, when it comes to disapproving of the Obama administration's decision.

According to The Times, a lawyer for the ACLU said the move weakened rules meant to guard Americans' privacy.

"Rather than dramatically expanding government access to so much personal data, we need much stronger rules to protect the privacy of Americans," Patrick Toomey, an ACLU lawyer, said. "Seventeen different government agencies shouldn't be rooting through Americans' emails with family members, friends and colleagues, all without ever obtaining a warrant."

The ACLJ has even launched a petition drive, "Stop the Shadow Government; Protect Our National Security." So far, nearly 98,000 people have signed it.

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About The Author

Mark
Martin

Mark Martin currently serves as a reporter and anchor at CBN News, reporting on all kinds of issues, from military matters to alternative fuels. Mark has reported internationally in the Middle East. He traveled to Bahrain and covered stories on the aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mark also anchors CBN News Midday on the CBN Newschannel and fills in on the anchor desk for CBN News' Newswatch and The 700 Club. Prior to CBN News, Mark worked at KFSM-TV, the CBS affiliate in Fort Smith, Arkansas. There he served as a weekend morning producer, before being promoted to general