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Convicted Qwest Chief: I Blame NSA -Says troubles followed his refusal to cooperate with spy game
Bob Unruh / WND
Joe Nachio, the former chief of Denver-based Qwest Communications who was convicted on more than a dozen counts of insider trading and sent to prison for nearly five years, says the National Security Agency first blackballed his company, then federal authorities refused to allow him to explain his side when he was on trial.
All because he refused to go along with what he considered illegal surveillance programs run by the NSA.
In an interview with Denver’s CBS affiliate, Channel 4, Nachio said his troubles started in early 2001 when he was at a meeting with the NSA at the now-beleaguered federal agency’s headquarters, and he refused to go along with what he considered illegal surveillance.
“What they wanted is still classified. I can’t disclose the specifics,” he said. “In my judgment … and Qwest lawyers … it was not a legitimate request without being accompanied by a FISA warrant … or by authority from the president,” he said.
“Remember, I was chairman of the National Security Telecom Advisory committee,” he said.
He said when the request came in, “I thought it was highly peculiar.”
And regarding the legal justification?
“None was presented then or was presented later,” he said.
So he turned the federal agency down.
Shortly later, he said, he was informed that a $150 million government contract that he thought would go to his company went to another company.
And more followed, he said.
Read more at WND:
http://www.wnd.com/2014/05/convicted-qwest-chief-i-blame-nsa/
