Intel chief ‘absolutely’ forgot about NSA data sweep program, attorney says

The National Security Agency's massive data collection program has prompted lawsuits, internal reviews and a fierce congressional debate over whether to scrap it.

But Director of National Intelligence James Clapper apparently forgot the program even existed during a key hearing two years ago.

Robert Litt, the DNI's general counsel, revealed the major memory lapse during a panel discussion Friday hosted by the Advisory Committee on Transparency. He was offering an explanation as to why, in a now-infamous exchange several months before Ed Snowden-leaked materials surfaced on the NSA program, Clapper told a Senate committee that the government does not "wittingly" sweep up information on millions of Americans.

He wasn't lying, Litt said. Rather, "It was perfectly clear that he had absolutely forgotten the existence of the 215 program."

You can't make this up folks. The head of US 'intelligence' apparently 'forgot' about massive NSA spying through program 215. Either this is the most incompetent man on the planet or he is a huge liar. Either way this guy should be help criminally negligent for his 'memory loss'. I am still stunned...absolutely stunned that this man thinks we will buy his excuse. In fairness, Regan used the 'I don't recall' defense in the 80's, but at least in that case the man (Regan) had Alzheimers.

Do you guys buy this story?

www.foxnews.com...

a reply to: Metallicus

" Forgot" is just another CODE NAME for Access Denied . The U.S. Government is UNBOUND.............

James Clapper SHOULD Be in Prison for Lying Under Oath , but that's Only If the LAW Is Recognized and Upheld which it is Not .

a reply to: Metallicus

This Richard Cranium of an Intel chief ain't very intelligent if he forgot he was spying on people........it's the fundamental basis of bloody intelligence gathering.

Forgive me Lord......but Jesus H Christ are you kidding me with this ship???

I need a drink.

a reply to: Sublimecraft

Haha. It's akin to forgetting you have/had parents now or at one time. But then again, if his parents didn't have children, odds are he didn't either, so forgetting under those circumstances is easy. Here, have another drink.

Maybe they did forget it existed. A program costing many million bucks a year of taxpayer money. Used for nothing.

Maybe since we have an admission here we should run with the admission to get this wasteful expensive program removed from existence.

Let's see what they say about this if it is brought up. This program is probably just making some contractors rich.

a reply to: Metallicus

Nope, definitely no witting going on, plausible forgetibility is likely to be quite contagious.

a reply to: Zanti Misfit

It would be funny if it wasn't so sad. His only job is to SPY on people and he forgot he was doing that...right.

SMH

Any of this external bickering does not matter. The new NSA Data Center in Utah will be able to collect and store every piece of data for every single person for the next 100 years . This includes all calls , medical records , every financial transaction , etc. that you will ever make. Why do they keep saying this is illegal and we are going to stop ? Smokescreen .

Utah Data Center

I don't think he forgot jack.

Smells like some cya to me.

Sorry, forgot why I posted.

Oh come on, at least come up with a respectable excuse. That's like a convicted serial killer pleading innocence by saying he forgot it was illegal to murder people.

a reply to: Metallicus

I have come to expect these lame and obvious fictions from a public servant. It's sad but it happens often enough that I no longer bat an eye when I hear of it. What I still can't wrap my head around is why these people are allowed to keep their jobs after making such statements. At worst they are lying. At best they are incompetent. Either way these public servants should no longer have employment after they make these kind of absurd statements.

Corruption makes the government go 'round.

It's a crying shame that these people such as him and his buddies are running this scheme show. As usual he won't be held accountable. At least we know now, for what it's worth.

If its not blatenly obvious by now..............your not gonna get it!

originally posted by: Zanti Misfit


" Forgot" is just another CODE NAME for Access Denied .

Nailed it with the line.

Or maybe the Intel chief truly has Alzheimer's. This would give the NSA an epic plausible denial-ability clause with said chief.

Wow that Clapper just can't remember anything can he?
Just last year he said the same thing about some other program
"We're not spying on American citizens" or some such crap.
I could just slap people like him.

Wouldn't it be funny if everyone just "forgot" to pay their taxes all of a sudden?
My guess is this guy will see far less repercussions.

I forgot to pay my taxes last year......."I hear you knocking and your coming in" to anyone reading this thread just try that excuse in a court of law.....

Regards, Iwinder

I forgot is code speak for we don't want to tell you the truth, and provided the person sticks to their story is pretty much impossible to disprove. On the other hand, we should be able to take their claim of "I don't know" to mean, the program must not be very important, in which case they should have no problem with us defunding it and removing it's legal exemptions.