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Coalition Wins Challenge to Watch-List Policy
The American Civil Liberties Union and 12 other national non-profit organizations today said they have successfully challenged Office of Personnel Management's Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) requirements that all participating charities check their employees and expenditures against several government watch lists for "terrorist activities" and that organizations certify that they do not contribute funds to organizations on those lists.

Bipartisan Call for Modest Reforms Rejected by Congressional Negotiators, "Freedom to Read" Amendment Would Have Fixed Some Patriot Act Problems
WASHINGTON - Negotiators reconciling differences between the House and Senate bills to fund the Justice Department today dropped the "Freedom to Read" amendment, which was passed by a bipartisan majority in the House. The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed its disappointment that conferees dropped the provision authored by Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), which would have denied funding for the FBI to access library and bookstore records under section 215 of the Patriot Act. The Sanders amendment had been adopted on a vote of 238-187 this summer.

Right-Left Coalition Calls for Senate Version of Patriot Act Reforms, Recent FBI Disclosures Reaffirm Need for Protections Against Abuse
WASHINGTON - A recent disclosure that FBI agents violated numerous "authorities granted or expanded" by sections of the Patriot Act prompted a right-left coalition to renew calls for Patriot Act reforms today. The American Civil Liberties Union joined conservative allies to support Senate reforms that would begin to bring the law in line with the Constitution by restoring needed checks and balances.

Report Shows FBI Violated Internal Surveillance Guidelines: ACLU Says Disclosure Highlights Need for Patriot Act Reforms
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed strong concerns about the disclosure that the Department of Justice violated its own internal guidelines when it conducted secret intelligence surveillance on people in the United States, and said that the revelation was only further proof that Patriot Act reforms are needed. Congress is currently considering renewing or expanding several provisions of that law.

Lawmakers Call for Senate Version of Patriot Act Reform, ACLU Commends Bipartisan Support for Modest Corrections
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today commended lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, and in both chambers of Congress, for calling for modest reforms to the Patriot Act. In bipartisan "Dear Conferee" letters addressed to members of Congress ironing out the differences between the House and Senate Patriot Act reauthorization bills, 163 members of the House and 25 members of the Senate called for the adoption of the Senate version.

Controversial Justice Department Nominee Withdraws From Consideration; ACLU Says Torture and Abuse Questions Remain Unanswered
WASHINGTON -Timothy E. Flanigan, the controversial nominee to be deputy attorney general, withdrew his name from consideration today, just days after the Senate adopted the McCain anti-torture amendment to the Defense Department spending bill. Flanigan was one of the architects of policies that led to the detainee abuses, and the American Civil Liberties Union said that his decision should not distract Congress from fully investigating those interrogation policies.

Business Organizations Back Senate Patriot Act Reforms Protecting Consumer Privacy
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union welcomed a letter sent by leading business organizations to the Senate Tuesday calling for reforms to sweeping Patriot Act powers. Concerned with consumer privacy, and the burden that government records searches place on businesses, the organizations support proposed reforms in the Senate version of Patriot Act reauthorization legislation. Signatories include the United States Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Association of Realtors, the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Financial Services Roundtable and Business Civil Liberties, Inc.

ACLU Supports Anti-Torture Amendment by McCain, Republicans, President's Veto Would Block Restoration of Rule of Law
WASHINGTON - In anticipation of tonight's Senate approval of an anti-torture amendment to the Defense Department spending bill by Senator John McCain (R-AZ), the American Civil Liberties Union applauded McCain's push for reform and urged the administration to drop its veto threat. The legislation has strong bipartisan support, but the president has said he would veto the entire defense bill if it is included.

Justice Department Report Reveals FBI Wiretap Mistakes, ACLU Says Disclosure Shows Further Need for Patriot Act Reforms
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today said that a disclosure that the FBI sometimes wiretaps the wrong number in terrorism investigations only underscores the need to place safeguards in the Patriot Act against abuse. Congressional negotiators are currently working to reconcile differing bills to reauthorize the law.

ACLU Applauds Congress for Reigning in Secure Flight Program; Funding Measure Would Halt Launch, Bar Use of Commercial Databases
WASHINGTON - Conferees working on the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security maintained a ban on the implementation of the Secure Flight passenger-screening program until it is approved by a non-partisan agency, and barred the program from accessing records maintained by commercial data brokers. The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the move, calling it a victory for the privacy of all air passengers and yet another setback for the Transportation Security Administration's controversial program.

ACLU Calls For Strengthening of DHS Privacy Office, Calls on Department Not to Weaken Position in Wake of O'Connor Kelly's Departure
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union urged the Department of Homeland Security not to weaken the position of Chief Privacy Officer in the wake of the announcement by Nuala O'Connor Kelly today that she is leaving the position, and called for Congress to strengthen the DHS privacy office by giving it greater independence and powers of review.

Librarians, Lawmakers and Conservatives Join ACLU in Call to Lift Gag Order, Say "John Doe" Must Be Allowed to Participate in Patriot Act Debate
WASHINGTON -The American Civil Liberties Union, the American Library Association, the Free Congress Foundation and members of Congress gathered today to urge the Justice Department to lift a gag order silencing Americans who have received demands for personal records under the Patriot Act. "John Doe," an organization that is an ALA member and a client of the ACLU, is challenging a provision of the anti-terrorism law, parts of which are up for reauthorization.

Key Player in Torture Scandal Nominated to No. 2 Post at Justice Department; ACLU Expresses Deep Concern With Embattled Appointee
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed deep concern that Timothy Flanigan, who served as deputy to then White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales, is being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee to be deputy attorney general. The committee is scheduled to vote on his confirmation Thursday morning.

ACLU Welcomes Move to Drop Commercial Data from Secure Flight Program, Announcement Comes as Critical Report by Advisory Panel is Expected
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed a decision by the Transportation Security Administration not to include private data brokers' reviews of commercial databases in its initial launch of the controversial Secure Flight passenger-screening program. That announcement comes as the Secure Flight working group, an internal advisory panel at the Department of Homeland Security, is expected to release a report critical of the Secure Flight program and of the agency.

Homeland Security Officials Wrongly Arrested Peaceful Protesters in Georgia, Charges ACLU
ATLANTA, GA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia today filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two vegan protesters who were subjected to false imprisonment, false arrest and harassment by officials of the Homeland Security Division of DeKalb County and the DeKalb County Police Department.

New Report Shows Secure Flight Still Undefined and Ineffective, ACLU Says Passenger Screening Program Not Ready for Launch
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today noted that a report issued by the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General highlights continued problems with the controversial Secure Flight passenger-screening program. The report examines the inability of the Terrorist Screening Center, which consolidates and checks multiple-agency watchlists, to coordinate its efforts with the Transportation Security Administration: by the government's own accounts, without this coordination the program cannot be effective.

The ACLU and Robert Greenwald to Tell the Stories Behind the Headlines in New 10-Part Series: The ACLU Freedom Files
NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union and award-winning producer/director Robert Greenwald's Brave New Films today announced an unprecedented new series entitled The ACLU Freedom Files.

Legal Papers Unsealed Today in ACLU Quest for Government's Abu Ghraib Torture Images
NEW YORK -- In legal papers unsealed today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged a federal court to order the release of photographs and videos that depict the abuse and torture of prisoners in U.S. custody at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The ACLU also asked the court to reject the government's attempt to file some of its legal arguments in secret.

Chertoff Calls for Airline Procedures That Would Further Violate Privacy; ACLU Says Less Intrusive, More Effective Security Procedures Needed
WASHINGTON - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has called for airline passengers to provide more personal information to the government to gain privacy, according to today's edition of USA Today. The American Civil Liberties Union denounced the move and pointed to the consistently poor reviews of the Transportation Security Administration's Secure Flight passenger screening system by the non-partisan Government Accountability Office.

Sibel Edmonds v. Department of Justice
The American Civil Liberties Union has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court's dismissal of the case of Sibel Edmonds, a former FBI translator who was fired in retaliation for reporting security breaches and possible espionage within the Bureau.