Gilmore v. Ashcroft, Part 2

Remember John Gilmore? The guy suing to government for requiring IDs before board planes, trains, and buses is in court and the case just gets better and better. The latest news is that the Justice Department is petitioning the court to hear its rebuttal in secret, and alone (i.e. without the plaintiff’s lawayers even). But don’t worry, a redacted version of their arguments will be made available to the public.

The irony is so thick in this I feel slightly nauseated. One of the main charges made against the government is that any directive to show ID is in fact a secret, and so even its existence is classified. Gilmore’s lawyer called the request an effort to produce “secret court proceedings about secret laws.” And of course he’s exactly right. It’s getting crazy.

See my previous rants about secrecy in the current administration.