Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, who represents Bothell in the 1st Congressional District of Washington, issued the following statement today on reports of DOJ’s collection of Associated Press telephone records:

“I am deeply concerned about the reports of the secret seizures of confidential phone records from the Associated Press by the Department of Justice. I worry that this appears to be an intrusion on the freedom of the press protected by the Constitution. These are very serious actions taken by DOJ that could have broader First Amendment implications and we must make sure that government strikes the right balance between ensuring the free flow of information through the press and the fair enforcement of our laws. The manner in which DOJ seized these records further highlights the need for broader reforms to strengthen the privacy protections of our citizens such as my proposed ECPA legislation to prevent warrantless access to private emails or other electronic communications.

“As the House Judiciary Committee moves to look into this, I want to hear a full explanation from the government their justifications for these very troubling actions.”

DelBene sits on the House Judiciary Committee and serves on the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet as well as the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law.