NSA

The Wall Street Journal reported on August 20, 2013 as follows:

“For the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, officials say, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and NSA arranged with Qwest Communications International Inc. to use intercept equipment for a period of less than six months around the time of the event.  It monitored the content of all email and text communications in the Salt Lake City area.”

See:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324108204579022874091732470

That article disclosed unprecedented wholesale, illegal spying on the contents of communications in the U.S. by our government.  That was shocking enough, but what was perhaps a more dangerous omen was the complacency with which the disclosures were met in our community, from political “leaders,” to much of the news media, to the public in general. See:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/56765351-90/nsa-fbi-lake-olympics.html.csp

http://www.sltrib.com/56769945

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/56774366-90/olympics-anderson-salt-lake.html.csp

An NSA insider recently disclosed that the NSA and FBI saw the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games as a “golden opportunity” to experiment and conduct wholesale surveillance on every person within certain geographical areas, without probable cause and without a warrant.  That surveillance was in violation of the Constitution and federal statutes.

According to the NSA insider, the goal of the NSA and the FBI in conducting surveillance during the Olympic Games in Utah was to capture the contents of every incoming and outgoing text message and email of every person in the Salt Lake City area, as well as areas around other Olympic venues.  The source also said the NSA obtained metadata, which disclosed the times and lengths of phone calls and the telephone numbers on each end of every conversation.  In addition, telephone conversations of “targeted” individuals were recorded.

Each instance of that surveillance was blantantly illegal – a federal felony and a violation of numerous state and federal statutes, as well as the Utah and United States Constitutions.

If, during the period of approximately Oct. 1, 2001 to February 28, 2002, you sent or received emails or text messages or engaged in telephone calls while you or the other person to the communication was in Salt Lake City or an area near another Olympic venue, your communications were likely illegally and unconstitutionally surveilled, intercepted, and analyzed by the FBI and/or NSA.  If that is the case, then you are likely entitled to the recovery of money damages.

The statute of limitations for claims relating to the surveillance is two years.  Because of the publication of the Wall Street Journal article on August 20, 2013, the deadline for filing claims may well be August 20, 2015. Rocky Anderson, of counsel with Winder & Counsel, with the enormous help of Walter Mason, is preparing to file (1) claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), and statutory claims utilizing the FTCA procedure (pursuant to which the minimum recoverable damages for willful violations of certain federal statutes is $10,000); and (2) a class action complaint against individuals responsible for the unlawful surveillance.

If you desire to have Rocky file the FTCA claims (and federal statutory claims utilizing the FTCA process) on your behalf, please sign and deliver to Rocky Anderson (460 South 400 East; Salt Lake City, Utah 84111) (a) the Retainer Agreement, (b) the completed and signed “Claim for Damage, Injury, or Death” (Form 95) (National Security Agency), (c) the completed and signed “Claim for Damage, Injury, or Death” (Form 95) (Federal Bureau of Investigation), (d) the completed and signed “Claim for Damage, Injury, or Death” (Form 95) (Executive Office of the President), and (e) the completed and signed “Claim for Damage, Injury, or Death” (Form 95) (Department of Justice).

All five documents must be received no later than Monday, August 17, 2015 at 10:00am.  To be safe, please deliver the documents by Friday, August 14.  Documents received later than August 17 will not be used and you likely will lose your right to file a claim (unless you make other arrangements to file a claim with appropriate agencies by August 20).

No assurance of recovery can be made, but vigorous efforts will be made to obtain accountability and justice for the illegal surveillance of your communications.