DOJ seeks to block warrantless wiretap ruling

The Bush administration may have passed into history, but its legal briefs linger on. Earlier this month, a federal court held that an Islamic charity could proceed with a lawsuit alleging it was subject to warrantless surveillance by the NSA—and ordered that the government turn over classified documents for review by the judge. On the eve of the presidential inauguration, however, the Justice Department filed a motion urging the court to stay that ruling pending an appeal, citing the risk of irreparable harm to national security.