Fox News host Tucker Carlson recently shocked the country when he claimed that President Joe Biden’s National Security Agency spied on his electronic communications and then leaked material to the media. Now, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is demanding that an official investigation be launched into Carlson’s claims.
Paul reportedly sent a letter addressed to NSA Director Gen. Paul M. Nakasone requesting an investigation into “alleged spying and unmasking” of Carlson, “as well as any leaks of his private emails from the NSA to other reporters.”
“Mr. Carlson is a journalist, who currently hosts the popular news program Tucker Carlson Tonight, and as such he is to be afforded the freedom of the press protections guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution,” wrote Paul. “As you are undoubtedly aware, Mr. Carlson recently alleged on his television show that the NSA not only read his private emails relating to his attempt to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin, but also that the NSA unmasked his identity and leaked his private emails, which identified him by name, to others in the press.
“I am open-minded enough to believe, if given convincing evidence, that the NSA may be telling the truth, but when a long train of abuses conducted by the NSA evinces a consistent design to evade the law and violate the constitutionally-protected liberties of the people, the NSA must do more than tweet a carefully worded denial to be trusted,” he added.
“As the head of the NSA, you can help restore credibility to your agency by being completely honest with the American people and explaining in detail whether the NSA conducted surveillance on Tucker Carlson in his role as a journalist, whether you or anyone else within the federal government approved his alleged unmasking, and whether Mr. Carlson’s private emails were shared with any other reporters or news organizations,” Paul continued.
Not stopping there, Paul went on to ask Nakasone whether it was true that Carlson was an NSA target or whether the NSA had incidentally collected his communications pertaining to the attempt to interview Putin. He also wants the NSA to explain whether or not any of Carlson’s communications were leaked to the media.
The NSA has denied the claims made by Carlson. It remains to be seen whether or not an investigation will be launched.
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