BORDC and ETS Pictures present a video on DVD:

FBI Unbound: How National Security Letters Violate Our Privacy

Approximate running time: 26 minutes

Featuring: Lisa Graves, Bruce Fein, and George Christian

Additional Resources:

Watch video: On YouTube

To order a DVD: Place an online order or send a check for $11 to BORDC, 8 Bridge Street, Suite A, Northampton, MA 01060, and write "FBI Unbound DVD" in the memo line.

FBI Unbound: How National Security Letters Violate Our Privacy by Bill of Rights Defense Committee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

“I think any time you have a situation without oversight, it leads to a minimum errors, if not outright abuses.”

- George Christian, an NSL recipient who refused to comply
He is the Executive Director of Library Connection.

“On the issue of National Security Letters, the inspector general did show conclusively, the powers were misused and abused by the FBI.”

- Lisa Graves, former Justice Department official
She is now the Deputy Director of the Center for National Security Studies.

“The chief end of the state is to make men and women free, to speak, to pursue their ambitions, and the burden of proof is on the government to demonstrate why that freedom has to be encroached.”

- Bruce Fein, former Justice Department official
He is the Executive Director of American Freedom Agenda.

“We want our federal law enforcement to be focused on genuine threats to our security and not squandered prying into the lives of innocent Americans.”

- Lisa Graves

Lisa Graves

From 1995 to 2001, Lisa held several positions at the United States Department of Justice, including Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Acting Assistant Attorney General, for the Office of Policy Development/Office of Legal Policy. She has also held positions within the judicial and legislative branches. She is currently the Deputy Director of the Center for National Security Studies.

On March 28, 2007, she testified before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Unchecked National Security Letter Powers and Our Civil Liberties (PDF).

Listen to Lisa Graves' teleconference workshop presentation on National Security Letters and the Threats They Pose to Our Liberties.

Bruce Fein

Bruce Fein served in the U.S. Department of Justice during President Ronald Reagan's administration, holding the positions of assistant director of the Office of Legal Policy, legal adviser to the assistant attorney general for antitrust, and the associate deputy attorney general. He is currently the Executive Director of American Freedom Agenda.

Listen to Bruce Fein's teleconference workshop presentation on Legalized Warrantless Surveillance.

George Christian

George Christian is the Executive Director of Library Connection, one of only two businesses that have challenged a National Security Letter, and one of only four people who can legally talk about that experience.

In 2005, Christian refused to cooperate with a National Security Letter that he and his colleagues considered to be a "fishing expedition" that violated the privacy of library patrons. Three of Christian's colleagues--Barbara Bailey, Peter Chase, and Janet Nocek--joined Christian in challenging the gag order accompanying the NSL issued to Library Connection, with the legal assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union.

On April 11, 2007, Christian gave testimony to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights Responding to the Inspector General's Findings of Improper Use of National Security Letters by the FBI.