President Bush Not First To Use Warrantless Electronic Searches

Prior adminstrations plus the court that overseas national security cases agree with the Bush adminstrations position that the President may legally approve searches without warrants in pursuit of foreign intelligence according to a Washington Times article by Charles Hurt published on December 22, 2005.

Clinton Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick in testimony before the House Permanant Select Committee on Intelligence in 1994 said " the Department of Justice believes - and case law supports - that the President has inherent authority to conduct warrantless physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes and that the President may as he has done, delegate this authority to the attorney general. This authority includes electronic surveillance including wiretaps. See the Story