The Infinite Brief

Many are troubled by Newstead’s history lobbying and legislating for more powerful electronic surveillance.

Bush administration lawyer John Yoo described Newstead as the “day-to-day manager of the Patriot Act in Congress” in his 2006 book.

As general counsel, Newstead will be in a unique position to either block or enable FISA requests — and her professional history suggests she may be more sympathetic to the government’s security mandate than users’ desire for privacy.