Chaffetz, Cummings to Review Unredacted Jones Memos

Watch Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) discuss today’s announcement during a House Oversight hearing on Geolocation.

Background:

In January 2012, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in the case of U.S. v. Jones that the government’s installation of a GPS device on a vehicle constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment. In the wake of this decision, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released updated guidance to federal prosecutors and investigators, known as the “Jones Memos.” For years, a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers have asked for access to these memos and, until today, their request was denied.

Here’s a timeline of those events:

March 2013 – Chaffetz/Senator Ron Wyden introduce the GPS Act in the House and Senate
December 2013 – Chaffetz/Wyden ask for access to Jones memos
July 2015 – Chaffetz/Cummings request access to Jones memos
October 2015 – A bipartisan, bicameral group of 11 Members ask for access to memos
January 2016 – During an Oversight hearing, Chaffetz/Cummings ask DOJ again for a access to memos.