Rand Paul Is Suing Obama Over The NSA
Paul will announce the suit Tuesday with Matt Kibbe, the president of the conservative grassroots group FreedomWorks. The lead counsel is Ken Cuccinelli, the former Virginia Attorney General and Republican candidate for governor. Along with Obama, they are suing National Intelligence Director James Clapper, FBI Director James Comey, and NSA Director Keith Alexander.
"I am filing a lawsuit against President Barack Obama because he has publicly refused to stop a clear and continuing violation of the 4th Amendment," Paul said in a statement.
"The Bill of Rights protects all citizens from general warrants. I expect this case to go all the way to the Supreme Court and I predict the American people will win."
Cuccinelli added: "I am excited to be lead counsel for Rand Paul and FreedomWorks to get the Courts to affirm the rights protected by the 4th Amendment to the Constitution. We have assembled a legal team and we expect to be opposed by the vast resources of the federal government, yet I am optimistic that we will prevail, because we are seeking to protect a cornerstone of the Constitution."
Paul has become one of Obama's most frequent critics on "civil liberties" in general. Lately, that energy has been focused on the NSA's surveillance programs in the wake of the leaks from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
Paul said last month that he was "disappointed" in Obama's proposed reforms to the agency.
"I think what I heard is that if you like your privacy, you can keep it," Paul zinged, a reference to Obama's now-infamous promise that under his signature health-care law, "if you like your plan, you can keep it."
Paul, Kibbe, and Cuccinelli are holding a press conference on Wednesday after the lawsuit is officially filed.