Wyden Amicus Brief in OLC Memo Case

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  • 8/17/2019 Wyden Amicus Brief in OLC Memo Case

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    U

    NITED

    STA

    TES

    DI

    STRICT

     

    COURT

    S

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    UTHERN

     

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    ICTOF

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    AMER

    ICAN IVI

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    nd

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    MERICAN

    IVIL

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    OLIC

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    BRIEFF

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    RON

    WY

     EN AS

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     CURIAE

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    S

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    ATTERSON 

    BELKNAP 

    WEBB TYLER

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    22

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    i l :

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    tli@p

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    t t o r n e y

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    tor

    Ro

    n

    Wyden

    Case 1:15-cv-09002-PKC Document 22 Filed 03/30/16 Page 1 of 10

  • 8/17/2019 Wyden Amicus Brief in OLC Memo Case

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    TA

    i3Li;

     

    OF

    CON

    TENT

    S

    T

    A

    BLE

    OF

     

    AUT

    HORI

    TIES

     

    NT

    ERES

    T

    O

    F TH

    E AM

    ICU

    SCUR

    IAE

     

    B

    CKG

    ROU

    ND

     

    S

    U

    MM

    RY

    OF  R

    GUM

    ENT

    ~

    ARGUM

    ENT

     

    Rev

    iewin

    h e   l a s s

    i f i e d

    Att

    achme

    nt

    s  

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    ssary

     

    o

    Preve n

    t h e

    C

    ourt

    f

    rom

    Proc

    eedin

    g

    w

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    an

    Inc

    omple

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    I n a

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    h e  F a c t s  

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    LUSI

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    n

    Case 1:15-cv-09002-PKC Document 22 Filed 03/30/16 Page 2 of 10

  • 8/17/2019 Wyden Amicus Brief in OLC Memo Case

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    T BU

     

    A

    UTHORIT

    IES

    Pa e

     s

    C

    a s e s

     m.

    i v i l

    L i b

    e r t i e s U

    nion  .

    Dept

     

    f

    e f . ,

    389 . Supp. 2d

    547

     

    S.D.N.

    Y. 200

    5)

    . . . . .

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    . . 3 5

     m

    ,

    i v i l

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    Union

    . Dept

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    . Supp. 3d

    377 S.D

    .N.Y.

    20

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    .

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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    m

    .

    i v

    i l

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    Un

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    .

    Dept

    f u s

    t i c e

    681

     F

    . 3 d 61

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    r .

    2012

    )

    . . . . . . .

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    3) 

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    . . 3 4

     

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    5 D.C. i r . 1996

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    Case 1:15-cv-09002-PKC Document 22 Filed 03/30/16 Page 3 of 10

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    I

    NTE

    RES

    TO

    F

    T

    HE

    M

    ICI

    IS C

    URI

    AE

    A

    micu

    s C

    uria

    e Ron

     Wyd

    en 

    s a

    U n i t

    e d

    S t

    a t e s

    S

    e n a t

    o r and

    s e n i o

    r m e m b

    e r of

    h e S e

    n a t e

    Se l e c t

    C om mitte e on

    n t e l l i g e n c e .  

    S e n a t o r  

    Wyden 

    u b m i t s t h i s  

    b r i e f

    t o d i r e c t  

    t h e C o u r t   s

    at t e n t

    i o n

    to

    ward

    s

    c

    r u c i a

    l

    e v i d e

    n c e t h a t

    t

    s

    h o u l

    d r e

    v i e w

     

    i

    n

    t h

    i s

    c a s e .

     

    BAC

    KG

    ROU

    ND

    At

    t

    h e

    r e q u e

    s t

    o

    f an

    u

    nna m

    e d E x

    e c u t i

    v e Bran

    ch a

    genc

    y,

    h e O

    f f i c

    e  of

    ega

    l

    C

    ouns

    el

     OLC

     ) 

    f

     

    h e De pa

    r tme

    nt 

    of u s t

    i c e  (

    D OJ

    ) r a f

    t e d

    a 19

    - p a

    g e

    c l

    a s s i f

    i e d

    l e g a l

     m e m o

    r a n d

    u m

     O

    LC pini

    on

    r   O

    pinio

    n )

    n t e

    r p r e t

    i n g

    com

    mon

     

    om

    merc

    ial

    e r v

    i c e  

    a g r e

    e m e n

    t s . Th e

     OL

    C

    Op

    i n i o

    n w a s

     a u t

    h o r e d  

    by

    t h e n

    -

    Deputy A s s i s t a n t

    A t t o r n e y

    G e n e r a l

    John

    Yoo

    and d a t e d

    May

    0,

    2003

    .2 

    S e n a

    t o r Wy

    den

     

    s

     f a m i

    l i a r

     

    w i t h

     

    t

    h e c o n t

    e n t  and

     

    h i s

    t o r y  

    of

    h e O

    LC

    p i n i

    o n .

    On

    n

    u m

    e r ou

    o c

    c a s i o

    n s , he

    wa

    rned

     

    t h e

     DOJ

     

    h a

    t

    t h e  

    Op

    inio

    n

    i

    s

    i n

    c o n s i

    s t e n t

     

    w i t

    h

    p

    u b l i c

    u

    n d e r

    s t a n

    d i n g of

     

    h e

     

    l a w

     and

    c a l l

    e d

    f o

    r

    d e

    c l a s s

    i f i c a

    t i o n

    of 

    h

    e  

    O

    pini

    on

    s o

    p a

    r t i e s

     t o

    t h

    e s e

    co

    mmo

    n omm

    erci

    al s e

    r v i c

    e agr

    eeme

    nts  

    can d

    e t e r m

    i n e wh

    ethe

    r t o  

    r e v

    i s e

    o r  mod

    ify

    h e i r

    a

    g r e e

    m e n t

    s . E . g . ,

     L e t t e

    r  fro

    m U.S

    S

    e n a t

    o r

    Ro

    n Wy

    den

     

    o

    U

    .S.

    t t

      y

    G e n

    e r a l

     

    E r i

    c

    H.

    o l

    d e r r

    eb.

    3,

    015

    ), v a i l a

    b l e

    a t  

    h

    t t p s

    : / / s 3

    . a m a

    z o n a

    w s . c o

    m / s 3

    . d o c u

    m e n t

    c l o u d

    . o r g

    / d o c u

    m e n t

    s /

    1

     

    5 4 5 4

    / l e t

    t e r - t

    o - d o j

     p d f

    .

    O

    n

    Nove

    m be

    r  

    1 7 ,

     

    2 01

    5 ,

    h e  Ame

    r ica

    n C

    i v i l

    L i b e

    r t i e s

     

    U

    ni on

     

    (

    ACL

    U )

     i l e d  t

    h i s

    l a w s

    u i t

    u

    nder

     

    t

    h e

    F r e

    e do m

     

    o

    f n

    f o r m

    a t i o n

     Act 

    F

    OIA

    )

    o

     

    r e l e

    a s e

    t h e

    OLC

     

    p

    i n i o

    n .  

    Th e

     DOJ

     i l e d

     a

    m

    o t i o n

     

    f

    o r s u m

    m a r y

     ju

    dg m e

    nt 

    on M

    a r c h

     

    7,

    2016

    . I n

     s u

    p p o r t

     of

    h a t

    moti

    on,

    h e  D

    OJ 

    u b m i t

    t e d

     

    A l l

    p a r t i

    e s

    p r o v

    i d e d

    w r i

    t t e n  

    co

    ns ent

      o  t h e

    f i l i n

    g

    o

    h i s a m

    icus 

    u r

    i a e

    b

    r i e f .

    N

    o

    o u

    n s e l f

    o r  

    a

     

    p a r t y

     

    a

    u t h o r

    e d  

    t

    h i s

    b

    r i e f

     i n

    w h

    ole or

     

    n p a r t

      a nd

     

    no c o u

    n s e l

    f o r

    a p a r t y

    m a d e

     

    a  

    monet

    ary

    c

    o n t r i

    b u t i o n

     i n t e n

    d e d t o

     fund

     

    t

    h e p r

    e p a r a t

    i o n

    or subm

    issio

    n o

    f h

    i s

    b r i

    e f .

    I n a d d i t i

    o n ,

    no

     

    p e r

    s o n s or

     e n t i t

    i e s  o

    t h e r  t h a

    n t h e

    amic

    us or

    h i s

     

    c

    o u n s e

    l m

    a d e

    a mon

    eta ry

    c

    o n

    t r i b u

    t i o n

    t o  t h e

    p r e p a

    r a t i o n

     or su

    bm issi

    on

    of h e

    b r i

    e f .

    Th e

     

    DOJ

    's Ma

    r c h

    7

    ,

    016

     

    m e m o

    r a n d

    u m of

     a w i n d i c

    a t e d

    t h a

    t t h e

    Opi

    nion w

    a s

    d a t e

    d

    M

    a r c h  

    30,

     

    00

    3. 

    On

     

    Ma r

    ch

    2

    8

    , 0 1

    6,

    Th

    e

    D

    OJ

    a l l e d

    t h

    e  

    AC

    LU 

    o e x p

    l a i n

    t h a t t h e

     Opini

    on w a s

    c t

    u a l l y  d a t e d

     

    Ma

    y 0,

     

    2003

    , n

    d

    a d

    v i s e d

    t h a t

     

    t

    w i l l

    f i l e

     a

      o r r e c t

    i o n w i

    t h t h e

    C o u r

    t .

    Case 1:15-cv-09002-PKC Document 22 Filed 03/30/16 Page 4 of 10

  • 8/17/2019 Wyden Amicus Brief in OLC Memo Case

    5/10

    an

     

    u n c l a s

    s i f i e d d e c l a r a

    t i o n  

    from

    OL

    C

    p e c i a l

    Counse

    l Pa

    ul

    Colbo

    rn a

    nd a l

    a s s i f i e d

    d e c l

    a r a t i o n

    f

    o

    r

    h

    e

    C o

    u r t s  

    ex

    a r t

    e ,  i

    n

    camer

    r

    e v i e w . S e

    n a t o r

    Wyd

    en e q

    u e s t e d

    a copy

    of

    h e c l

    a s s i f i e d

    d

    e c l a

    r a t i o n ,

    but

    h e

    DOJ

    e f u s e

    d ,

    and p r o v i d

    e d

    no

    u s

    t i f i c a t i o n f o r

    t h i s

    r e f u s a l . S e n a

    t o r

    Wyden

    a

    l s o

    rev

    iewed t h e

     

    memo

    randum of

     

    a

    w

    accompa

    nying t h e

    DOJ'

    s

    m

    otion o r

    s

    ummary udgment

    a

    nd

    d e n t i f i e

    d

    a

    key

    s s e r t i o

    n  

    w

    hich s i n a c c u r a

    t e   c o n

    t a i n e d

    t h e r e

    i n . On

     

    a

    rch 24,

    016,

    Se n a t o r Wyd

    en

    ro te a

    e t t e r t o

     

    A t t o r n e y

     

    Ge

    neral Lynch

    o e x p r

    e s s

    concern

    over

    h i s

    i n

    a c c u r a t e

    a

    s s e r t i o n

    and a t t

    a c h e d t o  t h a t

    l e t t e r

    a

     

    l a s s i f i e d  

    docume

    nt

    i s

    c u s s i n g  

    t h

    e i n a c c u

    r a c y

    i n g r

    e a t e r

    d

    e t a i l .

    L e t t e r  

    f r

    om .S.

    e n a t o r  

    Ron

    Wyden 

    o

    U.S. 

    t t ' y

    General 

    L o r e t t a

    Lynch (March

    24,

    2

    0

    16)

    E

    x h i b i t

    A March

    4

    e t t

    e r ) .

    S

    U

    MM RY

     

    OF

    RGUM

    ENT

    T

    he

     

    C

    ourt shou

    ld 

    co nduct

    a

    n i n camera 

    re view

     of

    h e

    c l a s s i f i

    e d attac

    hment o

    t h e

     

    March

    2

    4

    e t t e

    r i n

     

    o r

    d e r

    t o

    a d d

    r e s s t h e

    a p p a r e n t

    incomplet

    eness

    and

     i n

    a c c u r a c y of h e

    DOJ'

    s

    r

    e p r

    e s e n t a t i o

    n s t o t h e

    C o u r t . While

    l a s s

    i f i e d f i l i n g

    s

    a

    r e somet

    imes

    n e c e s s a

    r y i n t h e

    uni

    que

    c

    o n t e x t

    of

    F

    OI  i t i g

    a t i o n , t h

    e C

    ourt shoul

    do e v e r y

    t h i n g w i t h i n

      t s power

    o  

    p r e s e r

    v e

    t h e

    a

    d v e r s a r i a l

     

    s

    ystem

    a t

    t h e

     

    h

    e a r t  

    of

    o

    ur

    l e g a l  

    t r a d i t i o

    n

    w

    henever  t make

    s

    u s e

    of

    uch

    e v i

    d e n c e .

    R

    e

    l i a n c e on

    c l a

    s s i f i e d f i l i

    n g s

    i n

    t h i s  c

    a s e

    i s

     

    p a r t i c u l

    a r l y p e r i l o u s

     

    because

     

    t h

    e DO

    J's

    March

     

    7,

    20 16 mem

    orandum o

    f aw c o n t a i

    n s

    a

    key

     

    s

    s e r t i o n which

     i s i n a c c u r a

    t e .

    According

    ly,

    h e

    Co u r t

    should

     review

    S

    e n a t o r

    Wyde

    n's 

    l a s s i f i e d

     

    a

    ttachment

     

    a

    s

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    Case 1:15-cv-09002-PKC Document 22 Filed 03/30/16 Page 5 of 10

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     [A]

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    Case 1:15-cv-09002-PKC Document 22 Filed 03/30/16 Page 6 of 10

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    7/10

    S

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    Case 1:15-cv-09002-PKC Document 22 Filed 03/30/16 Page 7 of 10

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    n a r r a t

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    Case 1:15-cv-09002-PKC Document 22 Filed 03/30/16 Page 10 of 10