14 DAY TRIAL // As if this could be more of a joke, one member of the NSA review panel is taking some days off now that the US government has shut down, although he wasn’t obliged to follow the rules applied to most other government employees.
The panel, which is formed by members that have (conveniently) worked for the Obama administration before, was supposed to meet with the Congress Intelligence committees’ leaders. However, since much of the intelligence community is forced to stay at home, one important member chose to do the same, Politico reports.
“I simply thought that it was inappropriate for our group to continue working while the vast majority of the men and women of the intelligence community are forced to remain off the job. While the work we’re doing is important, it is no more important than – and quite frankly a lot less important – than a lot of the work being left undone by the government shutdown, both in the intelligence community and outside the intelligence community,” said Michael Morell, former CIA director and member of the review panel.
The meeting went on without him as Morell kept stating that the Congress should, in fact, be focusing on more important matters, such as ending the tantrum shutdown.
Since the panel members aren't paid, they can continue meeting like usual, without abiding to restrictions applied to other employees of the US government
The review panel was named by US President Barack Obama to conduct an investigation in regards to the NSA surveillance practices. Immediately, it started creating some waves as the names of the members were revealed.
Despite the claim that the panel will be independent, all members have some sort of connection to the Obama administration. Furthermore, the report they’re bound to give within 60 days of beginning work will not see the light of day before it is given the seal of approval by the same Obama administration, which obviously makes everyone question the already-crumbling credibility of the group and investigation.