Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee hints at wielding foreign surveillance program against alleged Pentagon leaker
Texas Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, though acknowledging some privacy advocates’ concerns regarding Section 702, appeared far more reluctant to advocate for reforms than her colleagues on the committee. Jackson Lee cited, without details, multiple cases of thwarted terrorist attacks attributed to intelligence gleaned from Section 702 actions. Jackson Lee, who was once a fierce opponent of the war in Iraq, cited Bush-era terrorist rhetoric as justification for maintaining the foreign surveillance program.
In an odd exchange, Jackson Lee implied 702 could potentially be used to collect intelligence against alleged Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira. The Texas representative said she was aware of some “foreign contacts” who Teixeira may have communicated with. She then asked how 702 could be “engaged” in that situation.
“It wouldn’t be willy-nilly,” Jackson Lee said. The witnesses did not directly answer that hypothetical.
