4 ms·

If I’m ever murdered, I hope the FBI isn’t forced to hand over the contents of my private laptop to random strangers who file FOIA requests. This whole thing is

If I’m ever murdered, I hope the FBI isn’t forced to hand over the contents of my private laptop to random strangers who file FOIA requests. This whole thing is despicable and you should be ashamed.

kolanos 4y ago
It was his DNC laptop and governments have some discretion in FOIA requests.
- ceejayoz 4y ago
  The DNC is not a governmental organization. Would you like your business laptop subject to FOIA just because the FBI investigated a crime against you?
  - fallingknife 4y ago
    I would be 100% ok with it. I have never put anything on a business laptop that would be embarrassing. My company might care, but why would I?
    - ceejayoz 4y ago
      What if it's your startup? What if the FBI seized a personal laptop of yours? Should that be subject to FOIA requests by anyone who wants it? The Fourth Amendment rights against government seizure of your property should also extend to giving that property to random yahoos who can fill a form out.
  - pksebben 4y ago
    at the risk of tying my horse to the epoch times (which I am not trying to do), I think it should be pointed out that the DNC and RNC being in a separate category of scrutiny from government agencies is utter horseshit. If we lived in a world where a third party had a fighting chance, fine, but these institutions are literally deciding who we get to vote for.
    - ceejayoz 4y ago
      If you wanna make a "the RNC and DNC are subject to FOIA" rule, fine. This isn't how you accomplish it. It wasn't an investigation of the DNC; it was an investigation of Rich's murder, of which there's zero evidence of DNC involvement. A standard of "if you're the victim of a crime, your personal info is fair game to anyone who wants it" would be a very, very dangerous precedent to set.
kolanos 4y ago
What if you were murdered under suspicious circumstances and the powers that be were covering it up? (Not saying that is what is happening here, just a hypothetical.)
- ceejayoz 4y ago
  "We're murderers, but we draw the line at violating the FOIA" seems like an unlikely scenario.

kolanos 4y ago

It was his DNC laptop and governments have some discretion in FOIA requests.

ceejayoz 4y ago
The DNC is not a governmental organization. Would you like your business laptop subject to FOIA just because the FBI investigated a crime against you?
- fallingknife 4y ago
  I would be 100% ok with it. I have never put anything on a business laptop that would be embarrassing. My company might care, but why would I?
  - ceejayoz 4y ago
    What if it's your startup? What if the FBI seized a personal laptop of yours? Should that be subject to FOIA requests by anyone who wants it? The Fourth Amendment rights against government seizure of your property should also extend to giving that property to random yahoos who can fill a form out.
- pksebben 4y ago
  at the risk of tying my horse to the epoch times (which I am not trying to do), I think it should be pointed out that the DNC and RNC being in a separate category of scrutiny from government agencies is utter horseshit. If we lived in a world where a third party had a fighting chance, fine, but these institutions are literally deciding who we get to vote for.
  - ceejayoz 4y ago
    If you wanna make a "the RNC and DNC are subject to FOIA" rule, fine. This isn't how you accomplish it. It wasn't an investigation of the DNC; it was an investigation of Rich's murder, of which there's zero evidence of DNC involvement. A standard of "if you're the victim of a crime, your personal info is fair game to anyone who wants it" would be a very, very dangerous precedent to set.

kolanos 4y ago

What if you were murdered under suspicious circumstances and the powers that be were covering it up? (Not saying that is what is happening here, just a hypothetical.)

ceejayoz 4y ago
"We're murderers, but we draw the line at violating the FOIA" seems like an unlikely scenario.