Honolulu, HI—Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers delivered a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper requesting answers on reports that Yahoo searched users’ private emails at the request of the federal government. The full letter is available here.

“As legislators, it is our responsibility to have accurate information about the intelligence activities conducted by the federal government,” the lawmakers wrote. “There is significant confusion regarding the existence and nature of Yahoo’s software program described by recent reports and the legal questions implicated by the accuracy of specific details. We request information and a briefing as soon as possible for all members of Congress to resolve the issues raised by these reports.”

In July, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard helped launch the bipartisan Fourth Amendment Caucus, composed of lawmakers committed to protecting the privacy and security of Americans in the digital age. She has introduced the Strengthening Privacy, Oversight, and Transparency (SPOT) Act (H.R.2305) in both the 114th and 113th Congress to strengthen the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) and expand its authority to balance the government’s national security and counterterrorism activities with the need to protect the privacy rights of law-abiding Americans.

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