Tea Party Sen. Rand Paul has filed a class-action lawsuit against the National Security Agency and President Barack Obama over the overwhelming collection of personal information on millions of unsuspecting Americans.
The 2016 GOP presidential contender filed suit Wednesday in Washington, D.C., district court as a private citizen, not a senator, with the anticipation it will reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sen. Paul said, “I am filing a lawsuit against President Barack Obama because he has publicly refused to stop a clear and continuing violation of the Fourth Amendment. “The Bill of Rights protects all citizens from general warrants,”“The Bill of Rights protects all citizens from general warrants,” a statement from his Political Action Committee told The Hill.
What makes the suit unprecedented is his inclusion of the president.
Others named in the suit include, James Clapper, director of national intelligence; Gen. Keith Alexander, head of the NSA; and FBI chief James Comey.
Sen. Paul has been a frequent critic of the NSA by conducting a drive to sign up 10 million participants in the class-action lawsuit through his campaign website and his political action committee.
The news comes almost simultaneously to the remarks Dr. Ben Carson, another possible Republican candidate for president in 2016, who called many in the Obama administration, “Gestapo.”