Investigate Customs and Border Protection for illicit investigations of journalists
Parker Higgins
December 14, 2021
New reporting into a government operation codenamed "Operation Whistle Pig" describes a shocking level of invasion into the personal and private lives of journalists. In blockbuster reporting, Yahoo News describes the actions of the Counter Network Division, a secretive unit of U.S. Customs and Border Protection that works with law enforcement and the intelligence community.
The reporting focuses on the story of Ali Watkins, a journalist whose phone and email records were seized by the government under the Trump administration, but outlines invasive CBP investigations — which involved rifling through confidential government databases — into as many as 20 journalists. Those investigations led to referrals for criminal prosecution of at least three CBP employees, but no charges were ultimately filed. Yahoo News reportedly obtained a copy of the Department of Homeland Security inspector general report describing this misconduct and the referrals.
Three main takeaways from this story:
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Congress should conduct a thorough investigation into Operation Whistle Pig and the DHS and CBP role in leak investigations generally. Journalists should be able to do their job without the fear of shadowy government employees searching through their private financial or travel records.