Look Everybody We're East Berlin, Pre-Wall Topple!

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Statement by the FBI:
...
In any case where the records of a private person are sought, they may only be obtained through established legal process.

What's "established legal process" mean?

I like how they made no mention of a warrant or other judicial review here. Since Bush now says that he don't need no stinkin' badges, that's probably what they mean by "established legal process." Anything they do is legal, because they are the ones doing it. So the FBI could be telling the truth here and so could ABC.

I'll admit the whole set of ABC News stories was sloppy reporting. We don't know if the Feds are looking at the leakers or looking at the press. But the first story clearly said it was the press.