CISPA Amendment Allows DHS to Intercept Tax Returns
An amendment introduced to the controversial CISPA bill by perennial big government advocate Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee would empower the Department of Homeland Security to intercept online IRS tax returns and any other Internet traffic deemed to transit networks owned by the federal government or operated on its behalf.
“Jackson Lee’s amendment (PDF) is broad enough to sweep in government contractors and university networks such as Internet2 and CENIC, said a telecommunications attorney who did not want to be identified because of client sensitivity. It also appears to cover open Wi-Fi networks run by federal agencies and networks in government-provided housing,” reports CNet’s Declan McCullagh.
Not only would the amendment give Big Sis the power to monitor all government networks, it could also, according to McCullagh and Ryan Radia, associate director of technology studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, “allow Homeland Security to monitor the communications of the federal courts and Congress, and intercept tax returns sent to the IRS.”
Harold
ACGR's "News with Attitude" 
CISPA Is Fascism—Disguised In Cyber Security Legislation
CISPA the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act if passed will allow——the military and NSA warrant-less spying on Americans’ confidential electronic Communications and transmitted private information; circumvent the fourth amendment by permitting any self-protected cyber entity to share with the Feds any obtained information that might relate to a cyber threat. Considering federal government’s close business relationship with several telephone and Internet companies it should be assumed the feds will through CISPA gain access legally or otherwise to Americans’ electronic communications. The current House Passed Cyber Security Bill overrides the Fourth Amendment. Any information gleaned from warrant-less spying is admissible in Criminal, Civil and Administrative courts against U.S. Citizens and businesses. CISPA opens the door for U.S. Government spy agencies such as NSA; the FBI, government contractors and private entities (to take out of context) any innocent—hastily written email, fax or phone call to allege a crime or violation was committed to cause a person’s arrest, assess fines and or civilly forfeit a business or property. There are more than 350 laws and violations that can subject property to government asset forfeiture. Government civil asset forfeiture requires only a civil preponderance of evidence for police to forfeit property, little more than hearsay.
The U.S. Justice Department can use CISPA spying to circumvent the Fourth Amendment, (no warrant searches) of Web Server Records; a Citizen’s Internet Activity, personal transmitted emails; fax and phone calls to issue subpoenas in hopes of finding evidence or to prosecute Citizens for any alleged crime or violation. If CISPA is passed it is problematic federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and private government contractors will want access to prior Bush II NSA and other government illegally obtained electronic records not limited to Americans’ Internet activity; private emails, fax and phone calls to secure evidence to arrest Americans, to civilly forfeit their homes, businesses and other assets under Title 18USC and other laws. Of obvious concern, what happens to fair justice in America if police become dependent on “Asset Forfeiture” to help pay their salaries and budget operating costs?
The passed “Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000” (effectively eliminated) the “five year statue of limitations” for Government Civil Asset Forfeiture: the statute now runs five years (from the date) police allege they “learned” an asset became subject to forfeiture. If CISPA is passed allowing (no warrant) electronic government surveillance of Americans, it should be expected CISPA will be used by government not just to thwart cyber threats but to prosecute Americans for any alleged crime; expect government/police will relentlessly sift through Citizen and businesses’ (government retained Internet data), emails and phone communications to discover possible crimes or civil violations. A corrupt despot U.S. Government Administration may too easily use no-warrant-seized emails, Internet data and phone call information) to blackmail political opposition, U.S. Citizens, corporations and others in the same manner Hitler used Nazi passed no-warrant police state search and seizure laws to selectively target Citizens for arrest, to extort support for the Nazi fascist government, including strong-arming parliament to pass Hitler’s 1933 Discriminatory Decrees that suspended the Constitutional Freedoms of German Citizens.
A Nazi Government threat of “Property Seizure” Asset Forfeiture of an individual or corporation’s assets generally was sufficient to ensure Nazi support. History shows how that turned out…