Quietly slipped into the reauthorization of the Patriot Act: first-time-ever authority for the Justice Department to engage in wiretapping and bugging of private premises for purposes of going after antitrust violators. The Patriot Act reauthorization was advertised as an emergency measure needed to combat international terrorism; very little was said about any supposed emergency need to enact miscellaneous prosecutorial wish lists at the expense of civil liberties. (Pamela A. MacLean, “Bugging the boardroom”, National Law Journal, Mar. 1; Skip Oliva, Voluntary Trade Council, Mar. 10 and Mar. 11; Reason “Hit and Run”, Mar. 10; Open Market (new Competitive Enterprise Institute blog), Mar. 10).
Antitrust enforcers get wiretap/bug powers
Quietly slipped into the reauthorization of the Patriot Act: first-time-ever authority for the Justice Department to engage in wiretapping and bugging of private premises for purposes of going after antitrust violators. The Patriot Act reauthorization was advertised as an emergency measure needed to combat international terrorism; very little was said about any supposed emergency need […]
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