American Civil Liberties Union

On May 24, 2006, 22 Verizon customers in Maine filed a complaint with the state's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) asking it to investigate allegations of the phone company handing over customers' records to the National Security Agency. The PUC complied, initiating an investigation by requiring a Verizon official to swear under oath to the truth of previous statements issued by Verizon regarding the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance and data collection program. The Department of Justice intervened on behalf of Verizon, suing the PUC to block this order. On January 30, 2007, the Maine PUC fought back, initiating contempt proceedings against Verizon Maine for failure to comply with the August 9 court order.

For more than three months, the people of Maine had been asking questions and getting no answers. Verizon customers want to know, and have every right to know, if the federal government is collecting their private phone records without their knowledge or permission. Sometimes, it feels like no one in the federal government is sticking up for the rights of the private citizen.

Four-hundred Mainers have added their names to the call for answers, and the Maine Civil Liberties Union has intervened on behalf of the original 22 complainants. Together, we aren't ready to quit. If anything, the frustration we feel when folks in power refuse to stand up for the rights of the rest of us will only fuel the fire. We will not be bullied into surrendering our freedoms and our rights. Every day, people across Maine who have never spoken up before are adding their voices to the call to stop the abuse of authority. We will continue asking questions, demanding answers, and speaking truth to power.

LEGAL DOCUMENTS
> Letter to the Public Utilities Commission (05/24/2006)
> Verizon Response
> MCLU Comments on Verizon Answer
> MCLU response to DOJ letter (urging PUC not to investigate)
> Motion to Intervene

PRESS RELEASES