Changes

The Obama Justice Department then argued that the U.S. Government is completely immune from litigation for illegal spying — that the Government can never be sued for surveillance that violates federal privacy statutes. Birch Bricker writing in the ''Auburn Journal'' then points out, "This is a radical assertion that is utterly unprecedented. No one — not the [[White House]], not the Justice Department, not any member of Congress, and not the [[Bush Administration]] — has ever interpreted the law this way....The Obama Administration goes two steps further than Bush did, and claims that the [[US PATRIOT Act]] also renders the U.S. immune from suit under the two remaining key federal surveillance laws: the Wiretap Act and the Stored Communications Act. Essentially, the Obama Administration has claimed that the government cannot be held accountable for illegal surveillance under any federal statutes." <ref>[http://my.auburnjournal.com/detail/111477.html?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=Patriot+Act&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=2&sub_type=&town_id= It's Actually Possible... The Patriot Act Gets Worse], ''Auburn Journal'', 4/12/09.</ref>

The Obama Justice Department then argued that the U.S. Government is completely immune from litigation for illegal spying — that the Government can never be sued for surveillance that violates federal privacy statutes. Birch Bricker writing in the ''Auburn Journal'' then points out, "This is a radical assertion that is utterly unprecedented. No one — not the [[White House]], not the Justice Department, not any member of Congress, and not the [[Bush Administration]] — has ever interpreted the law this way....The Obama Administration goes two steps further than Bush did, and claims that the [[US PATRIOT Act]] also renders the U.S. immune from suit under the two remaining key federal surveillance laws: the Wiretap Act and the Stored Communications Act. Essentially, the Obama Administration has claimed that the government cannot be held accountable for illegal surveillance under any federal statutes." <ref>[http://my.auburnjournal.com/detail/111477.html?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=Patriot+Act&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=2&sub_type=&town_id= It's Actually Possible... The Patriot Act Gets Worse], ''Auburn Journal'', 4/12/09.</ref>

 

===Discrimination against dissident groups===

===Discrimination against dissidents===

:''Main article: [[IRS scandal]]''

:''Main article: [[IRS scandal]]''

During the Obama Administration, the [[Internal Revenue Service]] discriminated against conservative organizations by making them wait for years just to gain [[Nonprofit organization|tax-exempt status]]. At the same time, other groups received the same status in a very short period of time, such as a [[satanic]] group which received nonprofit status in only ten days.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/03/20/irs-granted-satanic-cult-tax-exempt-status-in-10-days-report-says.html IRS granted Satanic cult tax-exempt status in 10 days, report says]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 25, 2017.</ref><ref>Ernst, Douglas (March 20, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/20/obama-irs-gave-satan-club-creator-fast-tax-exempt-/ Obama’s IRS gave ‘Satan Club’ creator fast tax-exempt status]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved March 25, 2017.</ref> In 2017, the [[Trump Administration]] ended the scandal by settling with the affected organizations and apologizing,<ref>Multiple references:

During the Obama Administration, the [[Internal Revenue Service]] discriminated against conservative organizations by making them wait for years just to gain [[Nonprofit organization|tax-exempt status]]. At the same time, other groups received the same status in a very short period of time, such as a [[satanic]] group which received nonprofit status in only ten days.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/03/20/irs-granted-satanic-cult-tax-exempt-status-in-10-days-report-says.html IRS granted Satanic cult tax-exempt status in 10 days, report says]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 25, 2017.</ref><ref>Ernst, Douglas (March 20, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/20/obama-irs-gave-satan-club-creator-fast-tax-exempt-/ Obama’s IRS gave ‘Satan Club’ creator fast tax-exempt status]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved March 25, 2017.</ref> In 2017, the [[Trump Administration]] ended the scandal by settling with the affected organizations and apologizing,<ref>Multiple references: