The CEO who said "No" to the NSA
"It's illegal, it's unconstitutional"


Published on Oct 2, 2013
"Just one major telecommunications company refused to participate in a legally dubious NSA surveillance program in 2001. A few years later, its CEO was indicted by federal prosecutors. He was convicted, served four and a half years of his sentence and was released this month. Prosecutors claim Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio was guilty of insider trading, and that his prosecution had nothing to do with his refusal to allow spying on his customers without the permission of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. But to this day, Nacchio insists that his prosecution was retaliation for refusing to break the law on the NSA's behalf.

After his release from custody Sept. 20, Nacchio told the Wall Street Journal that he feels "vindicated" by the content of the leaks that show that the agency was collecting American's phone records...".* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

*Read more here from Andrea Peterson / The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/t...

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The government jailed him in retaliation
In February of 2001, six months before 9/11, the NSA illegally sought (and received) the private data of the customers of phone companies all over the country in a warrantless search program.

One CEO, Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio, said "No!"

The NSA cancelled its contracts with the company and then in retaliation for his refusal to give in to intimidation filed an entirely bogus insider trading case against him.

Here's the timeline:

1. Nacchio sells some of his Qwest stock
2. NSA failing in its extortion attempt, cancels Qwest contracts
3. Qwest stock price goes down
4. Government files insider trading charges against Nacchio

The judge in the insider trading case refused to have these simple facts entered into evidence and this decent, honorable man spent four and a half years in prison.


There was one true hero in the NSA spying
on the public case.

A CEO who said "no" when the NSA they
tried to shake him down for private
customer data,

Here's how they retaliated against him.
How did this story not make headlines?

Video:

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/26339.html

- Brasscheck

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