GOP rips FISA court for tapping ex-Biden ‘disinformation’ lawyer to advise on surveillance

By Fox News · Fox News

Republican lawmakers called it "insane" that the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court appointed to a key advisory panel a lawyer with past ties to the Biden administration's controversial Disinformation Governance Board. Judges on the FISC appointed Jennifer Daskal this month to serve as an amicus curiae, meaning Daskal is now among a small group of lawyers designated to advise the court, which approves warrants for federal authorities to surveil targets for foreign intelligence purposes. The GOP lawmakers said Daskal's history with the disinformation board raises worries about her ability to discern whether warrants are appropriate. "The same person who helped to build a board to censor American speech now advises judges on how to protect American liberties," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan , R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "That's ridiculous — and exactly why Congress must continue our oversight." HOUSE PASSES FISA RENEWAL WITHOUT ADDED WARRANT MANDATE FOR US DATA Sen. Eric Schmitt , R-Mo., echoed Jordan's concerns, saying Daskal's appointment was "insane" and calling for reforms to the FISC. Schmitt shared a video of himself on X questioning Daskal during a hearing about what he called the Biden administration's "censorship enterprise," referencing Daskal's role in aiming to dispel what the Biden administration viewed as inaccurate information about COVID-19 masks and vaccines and information about election security. FISC proceedings are classified and "ex parte," meaning a judge reviews the federal government's warrant application and the target of the warrant has no awareness of the proceedings. A judge reviewing the application can, however, turn to an amicus curiae to present counterpoints to the government's application, meaning Daskal is among a handful of lawyers who could be tapped to argue for or against allowing the government to wiretap a person's phones or otherwise surveil them. Under the Foreign Intelligence…