Andrew McCarthy

Andrew McCarthy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute, National Reviewcontributing editor as of 2024, former Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and bestselling author.

The Southern District of New York (Manhattan) has the largest United States Department of Justice personnel in the country, larger that DC headquarters. The presence of the United Nations leads many cases of surveillance and espionage activity. New York is also known for its organized crime elements. McCarthy joined the Manhattan SDNY as a prosecutor in 1986.

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

Former U.S. Attorney and National Review journalist covering national security Andrew McCarthy writes

FISA authorities are not criminal-law authorities. It is not just that FISA is not designed to ferret out evidence of crime; it is not permitted to be used for that purpose. FISA’s objective is the collection of foreign intelligence, the gathering of information about the actions and intentions of foreign powers that may threaten American interests.

Dinesh D'Souza indictment

Andrew McCarthy noted about the Obama Justice Department indictment of Dinesh D'Souza:

"Yet there were patent mitigating circumstances, starting with the fact that few people actually get prosecuted at all for this offense. Even in the case of gargantuan violations, such as the Obama 2008 campaign’s own millions of dollars in illicit contributions, the Justice Department allows cases to be settled with an administrative fine. Furthermore, in the few cases that are pursued criminally, there is unvaryingly a corruption angle — the donor is dodging the limits in the expectation of a quid pro quo.

"In D’Souza’s case, there was nothing of the kind: He was trying to be supportive of a friend who had no chance to win."

President Trump gave D'Souza a full pardon on May 31, 2018, citing D'Souza's unfair treatment by the U. S. Government.