Attorney General Confirmation Hearing Includes Cyber, ECPA, FISA
Questions on telecom and tech policy were raised at the confirmation hearing of Loretta Lynch, nominee to be U.S. attorney general, Wednesday. Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., pressed Lynch about the parts…
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of surveillance law set to expire June 1. Leahy called the next A.G. an “essential” part of his quest to overhaul surveillance law, as in his bill from the last Congress known as the USA Freedom Act. Intelligence Committee ranking member Feinstein asked Lynch to talk about the importance of the expiring provisions. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, cited the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and said he intends to reintroduce the Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad (Leads) Act. Lynch committed to working with Hatch on this “important” legislation and called electronic privacy “central” in an era of changing technology. Lynch also touted her cybersecurity goals, in an opening statement. “If confirmed, I intend to expand and enhance our capabilities in order to effectively prevent ever-evolving attacks in cyberspace, expose wrongdoers, and bring perpetrators to justice,” said Lynch, now the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “In my current position, I am proud to lead an office that has significant experience prosecuting complex, international cybercrime, including high-tech intrusions at key financial and public sector institutions. If I am confirmed, I will continue to use the combined skills and experience of our law enforcement partners, the Department’s Criminal and National Security Divisions, and the United States Attorney community to defeat and to hold accountable those who would imperil the safety and security of our citizens through cybercrime.”