{"id":20489,"date":"2026-03-28T18:16:49","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T18:16:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/?p=20489"},"modified":"2026-03-28T18:16:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T18:16:49","slug":"doj-surveillance-scandal-exposed-200-subpoenas-400-targets-congressional-hearing-breakdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/doj-surveillance-scandal-exposed-200-subpoenas-400-targets-congressional-hearing-breakdown\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ Surveillance Scandal Exposed: 200 Subpoenas, 400 Targets | Congressional Hearing Breakdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>DOJ Surveillance Scandal: What This Congressional Hearing Really Exposed<\/h1>\n<p>I watched this hearing twice.<\/p>\n<p>Not because I enjoy political theater. Most of it is scripted noise designed to keep you arguing about which color tie is worse.<\/p>\n<p>But this one? This one slipped.<\/p>\n<p>And when something slips inside a system like this, when the mask of &#8220;standard procedure&#8221; cracks just enough to show the gears grinding underneath, you pay attention. Because what came out wasn\u2019t just about subpoenas. It was about how power actually moves behind the curtain. It\u2019s about the infrastructure of control being built right under our noses while we\u2019re distracted by the latest culture war skirmish.<\/p>\n<p>[TOC: Add Rank Math \u201cTable of Contents\u201d block here]<\/p>\n<h3>Watch the Hearing<\/h3>\n<p>Before we dive into the meat of this, you need to see the primary source. Don't take my word for it. Watch the witnesses squirm when the numbers start getting read into the record.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HM7fDJ07YRw?si=4PCTe742nanUfJkf\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>The Headline Everyone Should Be Talking About<\/h3>\n<p>Let\u2019s strip this down to the cold, hard data.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly <strong>200 subpoenas<\/strong>.<br \/>\nOver <strong>400 individuals and organizations<\/strong> targeted.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re not just talking about random people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We are talking about sitting U.S. Senators and members of the House. Think about that for a second. This wasn\u2019t some narrow, surgical investigation into a specific crime. Even the witnesses at the hearing had to admit, under pressure, that this was something else.<\/p>\n<p>This was a wide net. A digital dragnet.<\/p>\n<p>And here\u2019s where it gets really uncomfortable for anyone who still believes in the &#8220;blind justice&#8221; fairy tale: some of those targets had zero connection to the events of January 6. I\u2019m not saying &#8220;tenuous connection.&#8221; I\u2019m saying <strong>zero<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>When the government starts pulling the records of people who weren't even in the same zip code as a crime, you aren't looking at law enforcement anymore. You're looking at an intelligence operation directed at domestic political rivals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And libertarians need to zoom out here.<\/strong> This isn\u2019t just \u201cDOJ being the DOJ.\u201d This is what happens when you combine:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A legal system built around <strong>compliance-by-paper<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Telecom and platform companies that store <strong>everything forever<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>A political class that treats privacy like an inconvenience<\/li>\n<li>A bureaucracy that gets rewarded for <strong>scope creep<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That mix creates a machine that doesn\u2019t need warrants the way you think it does. It just needs process. It needs forms. It needs a judge to rubber-stamp a request nobody will ever read on the evening news.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This is the modern surveillance state:<\/strong> not one boot kicking down one door, but a thousand subpoenas quietly vacuuming up an entire social graph.<\/p>\n<h4>The \u201c400 Targets\u201d Number Isn\u2019t Random\u2014It\u2019s a Network Map<\/h4>\n<p>People hear \u201c400 targets\u201d and imagine 400 suspects. That\u2019s not how this works.<\/p>\n<p>In practice, a \u201ctarget list\u201d like that often includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The main subject(s)<\/li>\n<li>Staffers and aides<\/li>\n<li>Lawyers<\/li>\n<li>Journalists and sources<\/li>\n<li>Donors and vendors<\/li>\n<li>Family members<\/li>\n<li>Anyone who texted, emailed, or called at the \u201cwrong\u201d time<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s why these investigations metastasize. The moment you can grab phone metadata, emails, cloud accounts, payment records, and location pings, you can <strong>rebuild someone\u2019s life<\/strong> without ever meeting them.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t need to prove guilt first. You just need to pull enough threads until something \u201cinteresting\u201d appears\u2014something embarrassing, something prosecutable, or something useful for leverage.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why the phrase \u201cfishing expedition\u201d isn\u2019t just a complaint. It\u2019s a description of the method.<\/p>\n<h4>Subpoenas vs. Warrants: The Loophole Most People Miss<\/h4>\n<p>A warrant is supposed to be hard. Probable cause. Particularity. A judge. The Fourth Amendment model.<\/p>\n<p>A subpoena can be easier to get, easier to scale, and easier to hide\u2014especially when paired with gag orders and secrecy rules. Subpoenas also put pressure on third parties (telecoms, email providers, banks) who don\u2019t want to fight the government. Most people never even find out.<\/p>\n<p>So even if you\u2019re the kind of person who says, \u201cWell, if they had a warrant, it\u2019s fine,\u201d you should be asking a nastier question:<\/p>\n<p><strong>How much surveillance is happening through subpoenas that never face real adversarial review?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Because once the government normalizes \u201cbulk subpoena\u201d behavior, your privacy isn\u2019t protected by the Constitution anymore. It\u2019s protected by corporate courage and bureaucratic restraint\u2014two things that don\u2019t exactly have a great track record.<\/p>\n<h4>This Is a Free-Market Problem Too<\/h4>\n<p>I\u2019m pro-market, but I\u2019m not blind. There\u2019s a brutal reality in play:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Companies profit by collecting data.<\/li>\n<li>Governments profit by accessing data.<\/li>\n<li>You lose by being <strong>legible<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s why the \u201cjust use the free app\u201d economy has a hidden price tag: your life becomes queryable.<\/p>\n<p>And when that query power gets pointed at politics\u2014especially dissent, opposition, or \u201cwrongthink\u201d\u2014you\u2019re not dealing with normal justice anymore. You\u2019re dealing with a <strong>compliance regime<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The scary part is you can build that regime without changing a single law. You just reinterpret \u201cinvestigation\u201d broadly, pile up subpoenas, and let inertia do the rest.<\/p>\n<h4>What the Hearing Exposed (Even If They Didn\u2019t Mean To)<\/h4>\n<p>This is the part that hit me hardest watching the testimony:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>They weren\u2019t ashamed of the scale.<\/li>\n<li>They acted like the scale was normal.<\/li>\n<li>They leaned on procedure as if procedure equals legitimacy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s how power talks when it\u2019s comfortable. Not with an evil laugh. With a shrug.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s why this story matters more than whatever partisan spin you\u2019re seeing online. <strong>Because the capability is the scandal.<\/strong> Once the state can surveil hundreds of people through \u201croutine process,\u201d the only thing left is deciding who counts as a threat.<\/p>\n<p>Today it\u2019s \u201cJanuary 6 networks.\u201d<br \/>\nTomorrow it\u2019s \u201cmisinformation networks.\u201d<br \/>\nThe next day it\u2019s \u201cextremism-adjacent\u201d donors.<\/p>\n<p>Same machine. Different label.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.marblism.com\/NG3oP202vXq.webp\" alt=\"Red digital dragnet of code scanning the US Capitol dome during a DOJ surveillance scandal.\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><br \/>\n<em>ALT: Red digital dragnet scanning the US Capitol during a DOJ surveillance scandal | Style: Watermarked disruptive imagery with glitch textures and bold red contrast<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>This Is Where It Stops Being About Politics<\/h3>\n<p>Most people are going to process this through their partisan team lenses. If you\u2019re on the &#8220;Blue Team,&#8221; you\u2019ll probably find a way to justify it as &#8220;protecting democracy.&#8221; If you\u2019re on the &#8220;Red Team,&#8221; you\u2019ll scream about the &#8220;Deep State.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the trap. That\u2019s exactly how they want you to react.<\/p>\n<p>Because the real question isn\u2019t <em>who<\/em> got targeted this time. The real question is whether the system now has the ability and the willingness to target at that scale. Once that door opens, it doesn\u2019t close. It doesn\u2019t matter who is sitting in the Oval Office or who holds the gavel in the Senate.<\/p>\n<p>Power like this just changes hands. If you\u2019re okay with it being used against your enemies today, don't complain when the same machinery is turned on you tomorrow. This is about the weaponization of the DOJ surveillance scandal as a permanent feature of American governance.<\/p>\n<h4>\u201cIf You\u2019ve Got Nothing to Hide\u2026\u201d Is a Trap Phrase<\/h4>\n<p>Every time this kind of story breaks, somebody says the line like it\u2019s wisdom: <em>\u201cIf you\u2019ve got nothing to hide, you\u2019ve got nothing to fear.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not an argument. That\u2019s an obedience test.<\/p>\n<p>Privacy isn\u2019t about hiding crime. Privacy is about:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Not letting the state <strong>pre-crime<\/strong> your life<\/li>\n<li>Not letting bureaucrats pick through your relationships<\/li>\n<li>Not turning politics into a game where the government can \u201caudit\u201d your enemies<\/li>\n<li>Maintaining a zone where you can think, speak, organize, and associate without being cataloged<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The founders didn\u2019t write protections for \u201cinnocent people.\u201d They wrote protections for <strong>everyone<\/strong>, because government doesn\u2019t stay well-behaved. It expands. It rationalizes. It finds excuses.<\/p>\n<h4>The Libertarian Issue: Centralized Power + Data = Political Weapon<\/h4>\n<p>I don\u2019t care what your party is. I care about physics.<\/p>\n<p>Centralized power behaves like centralized power. If you give the federal government:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the legal ability to demand private records,<\/li>\n<li>the technical ability to process it at scale,<\/li>\n<li>and the cultural permission to do it \u201cfor safety,\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>then it will be used. Not might be. <strong>Will be.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And the worst part? The system doesn\u2019t even need \u201cbad guys.\u201d It just needs incentives:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Prosecutors want wins.<\/li>\n<li>Agencies want relevance.<\/li>\n<li>Politicians want control.<\/li>\n<li>Contractors want money.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s the recipe.<\/p>\n<p>So yeah\u2014this stops being about politics fast. Because politics changes every election. But the surveillance infrastructure stays in place like a landmine under everyone\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n<h4>The Free-Market Answer Isn\u2019t \u201cTrust the Government More\u201d<\/h4>\n<p>When the state overreaches, the solution isn\u2019t to beg for \u201cbetter people\u201d in charge.<\/p>\n<p>The solution is to <strong>limit the machine<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Narrow subpoena scope<\/li>\n<li>Increase transparency after investigations end<\/li>\n<li>Remove or sunset gag orders<\/li>\n<li>Strengthen penalties for \u201cscope creep\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Reinforce separation of powers so Congress isn\u2019t treated like just another group of suspects<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You don\u2019t fix a predatory system by asking it to be nicer. You fix it by building hard limits it can\u2019t negotiate around.<\/p>\n<h3>Subpoenaing Congress: That\u2019s Not Normal<\/h3>\n<p>Here\u2019s something buried in the hearing that should\u2019ve blown up the headlines, but the mainstream media treated it like a footnote.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ subpoenaed the private phone records of sitting members of Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Let me say that again: The executive branch (the guys with the guns and the handcuffs) went after the legislative branch\u2019s private communications. In a constitutional republic, that triggers something called the <strong>Speech and Debate Clause<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>That clause isn't some dusty legal technicality. It exists for a very specific reason: to protect lawmakers from exactly this kind of pressure and intimidation from the executive branch. It\u2019s a firewall. And the DOJ didn't just knock on the door; they tried to kick it in.<\/p>\n<p>Even AT&T reportedly refused to comply at one point because of those constitutional concerns. Think about how bad it has to be for a multi-billion dollar telecom giant, who usually hands over data like it\u2019s candy, to say, &#8220;Whoa, this looks like a constitutional violation.&#8221; That\u2019s not a minor procedural hiccup. That\u2019s a massive red flag.<\/p>\n<h4>Why the Speech and Debate Clause Exists (In Plain English)<\/h4>\n<p>This clause exists because the founders knew something most modern Americans forgot:<\/p>\n<p><strong>If the executive branch can spy on legislators, it can control legislators.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And if it can control legislators, it can control lawmaking. That\u2019s not \u201cchecks and balances.\u201d That\u2019s a hostage situation with nicer suits.<\/p>\n<p>The Speech and Debate Clause is supposed to keep Congress from being intimidated for doing its job\u2014investigating the executive branch, debating policy, and communicating with constituents. If DOJ can pull members\u2019 phone records whenever it wants, what\u2019s the message?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlay nice, or we\u2019ll go digging.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even if they never say it out loud, the threat does the work.<\/p>\n<h4>\u201cSeparation of Powers\u201d Isn\u2019t a Vibe\u2014It\u2019s a Safety Feature<\/h4>\n<p>This is why I keep calling this <em>infrastructure<\/em>. A lot of people treat constitutional limits like old poetry. But separation of powers is not decoration. It\u2019s an anti-tyranny design.<\/p>\n<p>Once you normalize the executive branch collecting communications from lawmakers, you\u2019ve basically installed a hidden surveillance camera in the room where laws get written.<\/p>\n<p>And for the people yelling \u201cnothing will happen,\u201d here\u2019s the question:<\/p>\n<p><strong>What happens when the next administration decides your favorite senator is \u201cconnected\u201d to the wrong group?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The precedent is the weapon. The party label is just the wrapping paper.<\/p>\n<h3>The \u201cFishing Expedition\u201d Problem<\/h3>\n<p>One of the witnesses called it what it looked like: a <strong>fishing expedition<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>That phrase matters. In legal terms, you\u2019re supposed to have &#8220;probable cause&#8221; or at least a specific reason to believe a crime was committed before you start digging through someone\u2019s life. If you already have evidence, you don't cast a net this wide. You go get the target.<\/p>\n<p>But if you don't have the evidence? You start pulling data. Names. Contacts. Locations. Personal networks. You map people. You find out who talks to whom, who funds whom, and who is friends with whom.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s where this shifts from a criminal investigation into a surveillance state. It\u2019s about building a database of dissent. Whether it's <a href=\"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/ai-is-already-replacing-jobs-a-real-look-at-the-future-of-work-and-freedom\">AI replacing jobs<\/a> or DOJ subpoenas, the goal is the same: total visibility into the lives of the &#8220;uncontrolled.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h4>Metadata Is the Real Weapon (Not Just Your \u201cContent\u201d)<\/h4>\n<p>A lot of folks still think privacy means \u201cthey can\u2019t read my messages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cool. But you can ruin somebody\u2019s life without reading a single sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Phone and internet metadata can show:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>who you talk to,<\/li>\n<li>how often,<\/li>\n<li>when,<\/li>\n<li>from where,<\/li>\n<li>and how your patterns change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s enough to build a story\u2014sometimes a false one. It\u2019s enough to pressure people, to intimidate them, to make them radioactive. And when it\u2019s done under secrecy, you can\u2019t even defend yourself in public because you don\u2019t know it happened.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why the \u201cbulk subpoena\u201d model is so dangerous. It treats everyone\u2019s relationships like evidence and assumes innocence is something you prove after you\u2019ve been cataloged.<\/p>\n<h4>How \u201cFishing\u201d Becomes Policy<\/h4>\n<p>Here\u2019s the bureaucratic logic chain:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Start with a big public event (high emotion, high media attention).<\/li>\n<li>Define the goal broadly (\u201cprotect democracy,\u201d \u201cstop extremism,\u201d \u201cdefend institutions\u201d).<\/li>\n<li>Expand the list of \u201crelevant\u201d people until it includes whole ecosystems.<\/li>\n<li>Claim secrecy is necessary so \u201cbad actors\u201d don\u2019t \u201cevade justice.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Normalize it.<\/li>\n<li>Repeat it on the next target set.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>That\u2019s how an exception becomes a standard operating procedure.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.marblism.com\/o7xIk3Ku0o6.webp\" alt=\"Surveillance corkboard mapping political networks and DOJ subpoena targets with cables.\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><br \/>\n<em>ALT: A detective's corkboard with strings connecting photos of politicians and citizens | Style: Watermarked disruptive imagery, grainy zine-style photocopy effect<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Donor Lists, Communications, and Association<\/h3>\n<p>Here\u2019s the part most people gloss over because they think &#8220;I don't donate to politicians, so I'm safe.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Subpoenaing donor lists and internal organizational records touches the very heart of the First Amendment and the freedom of association. The Supreme Court has been clear on this since the 1950s, the same principle that protected groups like the NAACP from being harassed by racist state governments.<\/p>\n<p>So now ask yourself: What happens when the government can map exactly who supports what? What happens when they can trace networks of influence, funding, and communication with the click of a button?<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not law enforcement. That\u2019s leverage. If you have someone's entire digital footprint, you don't need to charge them with a crime to ruin them. You just need the threat of disclosure.<\/p>\n<h4>The Chilling Effect Is the Point<\/h4>\n<p>When the state gets access to donor lists, even \u201claw-abiding\u201d people start thinking:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cDo I want my name in a federal database?\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cDo I want to be on a list if the political wind changes?\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cDo I want my employer seeing headlines that imply I\u2019m a \u2018target\u2019?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s how you kill political participation without banning it. You don\u2019t need to outlaw association. You just make association <strong>costly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s why this issue isn\u2019t left vs. right. It\u2019s citizens vs. a government that wants your activism to come with a fear tax.<\/p>\n<h4>Free Speech Doesn\u2019t Work Without Private Organizing<\/h4>\n<p>This is basic, ugly reality: people organize before they speak publicly. They test ideas in private. They vent. They argue. They build alliances. They figure out messaging. They decide if they can trust each other.<\/p>\n<p>If the state can pierce that layer with subpoenas whenever it wants, then speech becomes performative and safe. The only people who speak freely are the people aligned with power.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not a living republic. That\u2019s a managed narrative.<\/p>\n<h3>The Crimes That Weren\u2019t There<\/h3>\n<p>This might be the most telling part of the entire hearing. When the DOJ representatives were asked what actual crimes were uncovered through these 200 subpoenas and 400 targets&#8230; the answer was basically <strong>none<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Think about that.<br \/>\nHundreds of targets.<br \/>\nMassive data collection.<br \/>\nYears of investigation.<br \/>\nAnd no clear underlying crime.<\/p>\n<p>If there\u2019s no crime, why the data? Why the subpoenas? Why the surveillance? It suggests the objective wasn't to find a &#8220;what,&#8221; but to find out &#8220;who&#8221; and &#8220;how.&#8221; It\u2019s about mapping the opposition.<\/p>\n<h4>\u201cNo Crimes Found\u201d Doesn\u2019t Mean \u201cNo Damage Done\u201d<\/h4>\n<p>Even if nobody gets charged, surveillance still punishes people:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Legal bills<\/li>\n<li>Time and stress<\/li>\n<li>Lost jobs<\/li>\n<li>Lost opportunities<\/li>\n<li>Social stigma<\/li>\n<li>Broken trust inside organizations (\u201cwho flipped?\u201d \u201cwho\u2019s being watched?\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And that\u2019s the quiet genius of a broad dragnet. You don\u2019t need convictions to create deterrence. You just need people to believe involvement comes with risk.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why libertarians should treat this like an attack on the culture of dissent. The state doesn\u2019t just want to win cases. It wants to make resistance feel expensive.<\/p>\n<h4>The Bureaucratic Incentive: \u201cCollect Now, Justify Later\u201d<\/h4>\n<p>If you\u2019re inside a giant agency, the safest move is to over-collect:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you collect too little, you might miss something and get blamed.<\/li>\n<li>If you collect too much, it becomes \u201cthoroughness.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This is why Fourth Amendment protections can\u2019t depend on \u201cgood judgment.\u201d The incentives don\u2019t reward restraint. They reward cover-your-ass data hoarding.<\/p>\n<h3>Watergate&#8230; But Scalable<\/h3>\n<p>One comparison came up during the hearing that most media outlets will avoid like the plague: Watergate.<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s the twist. Watergate was a physical break-in. It was clunky, risky, and involved five guys in a hotel room with some duct tape.<\/p>\n<p>This? This is digital. It\u2019s scalable. It\u2019s invisible.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of one office, you\u2019re looking at hundreds of people. Instead of physical files, you\u2019re pulling entire communication networks. You don't need a locksmith when you have a subpoena and a server. This is Watergate 2.0, but on a level Nixon couldn't have even dreamed of. It\u2019s the ultimate expression of <a href=\"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/the-culture-clash-reloaded-skinhead-reggae-gnostic-awakening-and-the-war-on-fatherhood\">government overreach in the digital age<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4>Watergate Had Limits. This Doesn\u2019t.<\/h4>\n<p>Old-school political spying had friction:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You needed humans to do it.<\/li>\n<li>You needed time.<\/li>\n<li>You needed risk.<\/li>\n<li>You needed someone to physically enter a space.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Modern spying is mostly paperwork plus database queries.<\/p>\n<p>Once the system is built, the marginal cost of targeting the next person approaches zero. That\u2019s why the number \u201c200 subpoenas\u201d matters so much\u2014it\u2019s not just scandal, it\u2019s proof of <em>capacity<\/em>. It\u2019s proof the machine can scale.<\/p>\n<p>And a scalable surveillance machine doesn\u2019t stay pointed at \u201cbad people.\u201d It gets pointed at whoever makes the ruling class nervous.<\/p>\n<h3>Non-Disclosure Orders and Silence<\/h3>\n<p>Another piece that matters: Non-disclosure orders.<\/p>\n<p>This means the people being targeted didn\u2019t even know they were being investigated. They didn\u2019t know their records were being pulled. They didn\u2019t know the government was looking over their digital shoulder.<\/p>\n<p>According to testimony, many of them might have <em>never<\/em> known if political control hadn\u2019t shifted and a new committee started asking questions. Let that sink in. We have a system where surveillance can happen quietly, at massive scale, with zero immediate accountability. That\u2019s the definition of a &#8220;star chamber.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h4>Gag Orders Turn \u201cDue Process\u201d Into a One-Player Game<\/h4>\n<p>The state\u2019s ideal setup is simple:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You don\u2019t know you\u2019re being investigated.<\/li>\n<li>You can\u2019t challenge it.<\/li>\n<li>The company handing over your data can\u2019t tell you.<\/li>\n<li>The court record is sealed or buried.<\/li>\n<li>Years pass.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s not \u201cjustice.\u201d That\u2019s administrative power wearing a legal costume.<\/p>\n<p>And even if there are valid cases where secrecy makes sense (like real threats, real violence, real urgent national security issues), the whole point of libertarian skepticism is that <strong>exceptions get abused<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>If secrecy becomes default, then oversight becomes a fairy tale you tell yourself so you can sleep.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"max-width: 100%; height: auto;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.marblism.com\/XdTDxII25yx.webp\" alt=\"A citizen being scanned by a government surveillance barcode beam representing a star chamber.\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><br \/>\n<em>ALT: A citizen silhouette scanned by a government barcode beam in a DOJ surveillance star chamber | Style: Bold black and white high-contrast punk rock aesthetic<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Incentives: The Part Nobody Talks About<\/h3>\n<p>As a developer and a founder, I look at systems. And systems are driven by incentives.<\/p>\n<p>What does the current DOJ system reward? If you\u2019re inside a bureaucracy and you expand your reach, you gain influence. You gain budget justification. You gain relevance.<\/p>\n<p>There is zero internal incentive to shrink power. None. No bureaucrat ever said, &#8220;You know what? I think we have too much power and not enough work to do. Let's cut our budget.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So when you see something like 200 subpoenas and 400 targets, don\u2019t think &#8220;mistake.&#8221; Think <strong>structure<\/strong>. This is the system performing exactly as it was designed to, to grow, to consume more data, and to protect itself.<\/p>\n<h4>The \u201cCompliance Stack\u201d: Courts, Carriers, and Contractors<\/h4>\n<p>There\u2019s another angle that doesn\u2019t get enough daylight: the <em>industry<\/em> around surveillance.<\/p>\n<p>Big investigations create:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Outside counsel work<\/li>\n<li>Compliance departments<\/li>\n<li>Government contracts<\/li>\n<li>Data tooling purchases<\/li>\n<li>Expert witness fees<\/li>\n<li>Endless \u201coversight\u201d theater<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are entire career ladders attached to \u201cbigger cases\u201d and \u201cbigger scope.\u201d The result is a compliance stack where everyone downstream benefits from expansion, and the only party that consistently loses is the citizen whose life becomes a file folder.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why I don\u2019t buy the \u201cit was just a few overzealous people\u201d excuse. Overreach is not an anomaly in a centralized system. It\u2019s the default setting.<\/p>\n<h3>This Is Not About One Administration<\/h3>\n<p>This is the mistake people keep making. They attach this scandal to one name, one party, or one specific moment in time.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s too small.<\/p>\n<p>The machinery of the surveillance state doesn\u2019t disappear when leadership changes. It gets inherited. It gets refined. It gets reused. Today it\u2019s being used against one group. Tomorrow it\u2019s another. That is how centralized power works. It is a weapon that is always loaded, just waiting for the next person to pull the trigger.<\/p>\n<h3>The Real Risk: Normalization<\/h3>\n<p>Here\u2019s the part that keeps me up at night. It\u2019s not the event itself, it\u2019s the normalization of it.<\/p>\n<p>If this becomes &#8220;just another investigation,&#8221; then the boundaries are already gone. If we accept that the government can subpoena the records of hundreds of people without clear evidence of a crime, then we have already conceded the ground.<\/p>\n<p>And once people accept it&#8230; it scales. Quietly.<\/p>\n<h3>Quick Side Note: Why This Feels Bigger Than It Looks<\/h3>\n<p>Most people see headlines. They don\u2019t see systems. But this hearing exposed something deeper. The ability to:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Map political networks.<\/li>\n<li>Access private communications without notice.<\/li>\n<li>Target elected officials to create leverage.<\/li>\n<li>Operate under total secrecy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>That\u2019s not just a &#8220;scandal.&#8221; That\u2019s <strong>infrastructure<\/strong>. And infrastructure doesn\u2019t get built for a one-time use. It\u2019s built to be used over and over again.<\/p>\n<h3>So What Now?<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019m not here to tell you what to think. I\u2019m a punk-rock libertarian; I want you to think for yourself.<\/p>\n<p>But I will tell you what I\u2019m watching. I\u2019m watching how this gets framed by the legacy media. I\u2019m watching what parts of the testimony get ignored by the &#8220;fact-checkers.&#8221; And I\u2019m watching whether anyone, on either side of the aisle, actually pushes back on the <strong>structure<\/strong> of the DOJ itself.<\/p>\n<p>Because that\u2019s the real issue. Not the headline. The system behind it.<\/p>\n<h4>Practical Pushback (Stuff Normal People Can Actually Do)<\/h4>\n<p>I\u2019m not going to pretend you can \u201copt out\u201d of the surveillance state by buying a cool hoodie and tweeting harder. But you can reduce your exposure and support structural limits.<\/p>\n<p>Here are real moves:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Support transparency reforms<\/strong><br \/>\nPush for rules that require notification after investigations close, limits on gag orders, and public reporting on subpoena volume. Sunlight doesn\u2019t fix everything, but secrecy is how this stuff grows.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Treat your data like cash<\/strong><br \/>\nIf an app is \u201cfree,\u201d you\u2019re paying with your behavior and your network map. Choose services that minimize data collection and don\u2019t build their entire business model on surveillance capitalism.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use end-to-end encrypted messaging for sensitive organizing<\/strong><br \/>\nNot because you\u2019re doing anything wrong, but because you don\u2019t want your associations to become \u201cleads.\u201d Privacy is a seatbelt, not a confession.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decentralize your communications<\/strong><br \/>\nThe less your entire social world runs through a few chokepoints, the harder it is to vacuum up your life in one request.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stop cheering when surveillance hits \u201cthe other side\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\nThis is the big one. If you celebrate it now, you\u2019re building the precedent that will be used later.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>None of this replaces legal limits, but it buys you margin. And in a world where the state wants total visibility, margin matters.<\/p>\n<h3>Final Thought<\/h3>\n<p>Power doesn\u2019t announce itself when it expands. It doesn't come with a press release saying, &#8220;Hey, we're taking your rights today.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>It just moves. Quietly.<\/p>\n<p>Until one day, you realize the boundaries you assumed were there&#8230; aren\u2019t. And by then, it\u2019s already normal.<\/p>\n<p>Stay skeptical. Stay disruptive.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Internal Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/the-culture-clash-reloaded-skinhead-reggae-gnostic-awakening-and-the-war-on-fatherhood\">Understanding Government Overreach in the Digital Age<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/ai-is-already-replacing-jobs-a-real-look-at-the-future-of-work-and-freedom\">How Surveillance Systems Expand Over Time<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Sources & References:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HM7fDJ07YRw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Congressional Hearing Video &#8211; DOJ Subpoenas and Surveillance<span class=\"wpil-link-icon\" title=\"Link goes to external site.\" style=\"margin: 0 0 0 5px;\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" style=\"height:16px; width:16px; fill:#000000; stroke:#000000; display:inline-block;\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:svg=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><g id=\"wpil-svg-outbound-1-icon-path\" transform=\"matrix(0.046875,0,0,0.046875,0.0234375,0.02343964)\">\r\n                            <path d=\"M 473.563,227.063 407.5,161 262.75,305.75 c -25,25 -49.563,41 -74.5,16 -25,-25 -9,-49.5 16,-74.5 L 349,102.5 283.937,37.406 c -14.188,-14.188 -2,-37.906 19,-37.906 h 170.625 c 20.938,0 37.938,16.969 37.938,37.906 v 170.688 c 0,20.937 -23.687,33.187 -37.937,18.969 z M 63.5,447.5 h 320 V 259.313 l 64,64 V 447.5 c 0,35.375 -28.625,64 -64,64 h -320 c -35.375,0 -64,-28.625 -64,-64 v -320 c 0,-35.344 28.625,-64 64,-64 h 124.188 l 64,64 H 63.5 Z\" \/>\r\n                        <\/g><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oyez.org\/cases\/1957\/91\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NAACP v. Alabama Case Summary &#8211; Freedom of Association<span class=\"wpil-link-icon\" title=\"Link goes to external site.\" style=\"margin: 0 0 0 5px;\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" style=\"height:16px; width:16px; fill:#000000; stroke:#000000; display:inline-block;\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:svg=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><use href=\"#wpil-svg-outbound-1-icon-path\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/constitution.congress.gov\/browse\/essay\/artI-S6-C1-3-1\/ALDE_00013300\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Constitution: Speech and Debate Clause Overview<span class=\"wpil-link-icon\" title=\"Link goes to external site.\" style=\"margin: 0 0 0 5px;\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" style=\"height:16px; width:16px; fill:#000000; stroke:#000000; display:inline-block;\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:svg=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><use href=\"#wpil-svg-outbound-1-icon-path\"><\/use><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n    <ul class=\"prli-social-buttons\">\n              <li>\n            <a class=\"pl-social-facebook-button\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdisruptarian.com%2Fblog%2Fhck9&#038;t=DOJ+Surveillance+Scandal+Exposed%3A+200+Subpoenas%2C+400+Targets+%7C+Congressional+Hearing+Breakdown\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"javascript:window.open(this.href, '', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;\">\n              <i class=\"pl-icon-facebook\"> <\/i>\n            <\/a>\n          <\/li>\n                  <li>\n            <a class=\"pl-social-twitter-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=DOJ+Surveillance+Scandal+Exposed%3A+200+Subpoenas%2C+400+Targets+%7C+Congressional+Hearing++https%3A%2F%2Fdisruptarian.com%2Fblog%2Fhck9\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"javascript:window.open(this.href, '', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;\">\n              <i class=\"pl-icon-twitter\"> <\/i>\n            <\/a>\n          <\/li>\n                  <li>\n            <a class=\"pl-social-gplus-button\" href=\"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdisruptarian.com%2Fblog%2Fhck9\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"javascript:window.open(this.href, '', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;\">\n              <i class=\"pl-icon-gplus\"> <\/i>\n            <\/a>\n          <\/li>\n                  <li>\n            <a class=\"pl-social-pinterest-button\" href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdisruptarian.com%2Fblog%2Fhck9&#038;description=DOJ+Surveillance+Scandal+Exposed%3A+200+Subpoenas%2C+400+Targets+%7C+Congressional+Hearing+Breakdown\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"javascript:window.open(this.href, '', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;\">\n              <i class=\"pl-icon-pinterest\"> <\/i>\n            <\/a>\n          <\/li>\n                  <li>\n            <a class=\"pl-social-linkedin-button\" href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fdisruptarian.com%2Fblog%2Fhck9&#038;title=DOJ+Surveillance+Scandal+Exposed%3A+200+Subpoenas%2C+400+Targets+%7C+Congressional+Hearing+Breakdown\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"javascript:window.open(this.href, '', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;\">\n              <i class=\"pl-icon-linkedin\"> <\/i>\n            <\/a>\n          <\/li>\n                  <li>\n            <a class=\"pl-social-reddit-button\" href=\"http:\/\/reddit.com\/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdisruptarian.com%2Fblog%2Fhck9&#038;title=DOJ+Surveillance+Scandal+Exposed%3A+200+Subpoenas%2C+400+Targets+%7C+Congressional+Hearing+Breakdown\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"javascript:window.open(this.href, '', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;\">\n              <i class=\"pl-icon-reddit\"> <\/i>\n            <\/a>\n          <\/li>\n                  <li>\n            <a class=\"pl-social-stumbleupon-button\" href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdisruptarian.com%2Fblog%2Fhck9&#038;title=DOJ+Surveillance+Scandal+Exposed%3A+200+Subpoenas%2C+400+Targets+%7C+Congressional+Hearing+Breakdown\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"javascript:window.open(this.href, '', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;\">\n              <i class=\"pl-icon-stumbleupon\"> <\/i>\n            <\/a>\n          <\/li>\n                  <li>\n            <a class=\"pl-social-digg-button\" href=\"http:\/\/digg.com\/submit?phase=2&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fdisruptarian.com%2Fblog%2Fhck9&#038;title=DOJ+Surveillance+Scandal+Exposed%3A+200+Subpoenas%2C+400+Targets+%7C+Congressional+Hearing+Breakdown\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"javascript:window.open(this.href, '', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;\">\n              <i class=\"pl-icon-digg\"> <\/i>\n            <\/a>\n          <\/li>\n                  <li>\n            <a class=\"pl-social-email-button\" href=\"mailto:?subject=DOJ+Surveillance+Scandal+Exposed%3A+200+Subpoenas%2C+400+Targets+%7C+Congressional+Hearing+Breakdown&#038;body=DOJ+Surveillance+Scandal+Exposed%3A+200+Subpoenas%2C+400+Targets+%7C+Congressional+Hearing+Breakdown%20https%3A%2F%2Fdisruptarian.com%2Fblog%2Fhck9\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"javascript:window.open(this.href, '', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;\">\n              <i class=\"pl-icon-email\"> <\/i>\n            <\/a>\n          <\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n    <style>\r\n.lwrp.link-whisper-related-posts{\r\n            \r\n            margin-top: 40px;\nmargin-bottom: 30px;\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-title{\r\n            \r\n            \r\n        }.lwrp .lwrp-description{\r\n            \r\n            \r\n\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-container{\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-multi-container{\r\n            display: flex;\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-double{\r\n            width: 48%;\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-triple{\r\n            width: 32%;\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-row-container{\r\n            display: flex;\r\n            justify-content: space-between;\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-row-container .lwrp-list-item{\r\n            width: calc(25% - 20px);\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-item:not(.lwrp-no-posts-message-item){\r\n            \r\n            \r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-item img{\r\n            max-width: 100%;\r\n            height: auto;\r\n            object-fit: cover;\r\n            aspect-ratio: 1 \/ 1;\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-item.lwrp-empty-list-item{\r\n            background: initial !important;\r\n        }\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-item .lwrp-list-link .lwrp-list-link-title-text,\r\n        .lwrp .lwrp-list-item .lwrp-list-no-posts-message{\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n        }@media screen and (max-width: 480px) {\r\n            .lwrp.link-whisper-related-posts{\r\n                \r\n                \r\n            }\r\n            .lwrp .lwrp-title{\r\n                \r\n                \r\n            }.lwrp .lwrp-description{\r\n                \r\n                \r\n            }\r\n            .lwrp .lwrp-list-multi-container{\r\n                flex-direction: column;\r\n            }\r\n            .lwrp .lwrp-list-multi-container ul.lwrp-list{\r\n                margin-top: 0px;\r\n                margin-bottom: 0px;\r\n                padding-top: 0px;\r\n                padding-bottom: 0px;\r\n            }\r\n            .lwrp .lwrp-list-double,\r\n            .lwrp .lwrp-list-triple{\r\n                width: 100%;\r\n            }\r\n            .lwrp .lwrp-list-row-container{\r\n                justify-content: initial;\r\n                flex-direction: column;\r\n            }\r\n            .lwrp .lwrp-list-row-container .lwrp-list-item{\r\n                width: 100%;\r\n            }\r\n            .lwrp .lwrp-list-item:not(.lwrp-no-posts-message-item){\r\n                \r\n                \r\n            }\r\n            .lwrp .lwrp-list-item .lwrp-list-link .lwrp-list-link-title-text,\r\n            .lwrp .lwrp-list-item .lwrp-list-no-posts-message{\r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            };\r\n        }<\/style>\r\n<div id=\"link-whisper-related-posts-widget\" class=\"link-whisper-related-posts lwrp\">\r\n            <h3 class=\"lwrp-title\">Related Posts<\/h3>    \r\n        <div class=\"lwrp-list-container\">\r\n                                            <div class=\"lwrp-list-multi-container\">\r\n                    <ul class=\"lwrp-list lwrp-list-double lwrp-list-left\">\r\n                        <li class=\"lwrp-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/trump-presents-his-case-to-global-leaders-at-economic-forum\/\" class=\"lwrp-list-link\"><span class=\"lwrp-list-link-title-text\">Trump Presents His Case to Global Leaders at Economic Forum<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"lwrp-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/spotting-a-liar-trust-your-gut\/\" class=\"lwrp-list-link\"><span class=\"lwrp-list-link-title-text\">Spotting a liar&#8230;  Do you trust your gut<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"lwrp-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/exploring-the-depths-of-rasta-gnosis-a-comprehensive-analysis-of-its-lyrics-and-musical-influences\/\" class=\"lwrp-list-link\"><span class=\"lwrp-list-link-title-text\">Exploring the Depths of Rasta Gnosis: A Comprehensive Analysis of its Lyrics and Musical Influences<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"lwrp-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/live-trump-strikes-a-major-blow-to-bureaucracy-from-the-top\/\" class=\"lwrp-list-link\"><span class=\"lwrp-list-link-title-text\">LIVE: Trump Strikes a Major Blow to Bureaucracy from the Top<\/span><\/a><\/li>                    <\/ul>\r\n                    <ul class=\"lwrp-list lwrp-list-double lwrp-list-right\">\r\n                        <li class=\"lwrp-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/analyzing-the-strategic-results-of-key-meetings-between-trump-and-world-leaders\/\" class=\"lwrp-list-link\"><span class=\"lwrp-list-link-title-text\">Analyzing the Strategic Results of Key Meetings Between Trump and World Leaders<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"lwrp-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/dj-disruptarians-sea-shanties-of-broken-tides-sets-sail-with-wheres-the-map\/\" class=\"lwrp-list-link\"><span class=\"lwrp-list-link-title-text\">DJ Disruptarian\u2019s \u2018Sea Shanties of Broken Tides\u2019 Sets Sail with \u2018Where\u2019s The Map\u2019<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"lwrp-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/from-words-to-action-examining-the-major-policy-shifts-of-trumps-presidency\/\" class=\"lwrp-list-link\"><span class=\"lwrp-list-link-title-text\">From Words to Action: Examining the Major Policy Shifts of Trump\u2019s Presidency<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"lwrp-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/harmony-and-discord-examining-the-philosophical-foundations-of-music\/\" class=\"lwrp-list-link\"><span class=\"lwrp-list-link-title-text\">Harmony and Discord: Examining the Philosophical Foundations of Music<\/span><\/a><\/li>                    <\/ul>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n                        <\/div>\r\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A congressional hearing just pulled the curtain back on something bigger than people realize. Nearly 200 subpoenas. Over 400 targets. Sitting senators included. This isn\u2019t just politics. This is power, surveillance, and a system that may have gone too far.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20488,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscp_schedule_draft_date":"","_wpscp_schedule_republish_date":"","_wpscppro_advance_schedule":false,"_wpscppro_advance_schedule_date":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":null,"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[9453],"tags":[15506,15502,15507,15511,15513,15498,15504,15510,14649,15505,15499,15501,15512,15500,15509,15503,15508],"class_list":["post-20489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast","tag-civil-liberties-violation","tag-constitutional-violations-us","tag-doj-abuse-of-power","tag-doj-wiretapping-allegations","tag-fbi-independence-crisis","tag-fbi-investigation-abuse","tag-fbi-political-bias","tag-federal-investigation-scandal","tag-first-amendment-violations","tag-government-overreach-usa","tag-government-surveillance-us","tag-january-6-subpoenas","tag-political-surveillance-us","tag-political-targeting-doj","tag-senate-subpoena-controversy","tag-speech-and-debate-clause","tag-watergate-comparison-modern"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20489"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20489\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20491,"href":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20489\/revisions\/20491"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disruptarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}