By Steve Bell
Kansas City, MO – Missouri Public Service Commissioners Steve Gaw and Robert Clayton say state privacy laws that fall under the jurisdiction of the Commission prohibit phone companies from giving anyone private customer information. When the two Democrats read allegations that AT&T had turned over records to national security agencies, they sent letters asking the company to explain what, if anything it had divulged.
Clayton:
Part of the problem is that AT&T is suggesting that they have complied with the law and we're just gonna have to trust them on that. And I just don't feel comfortable with that.
The two commissioners launched their own investigation, sending AT&T subpoenas for records involved. AT&T says federal law prohibits it from even answering whether it received any requests from the government.
New Jersey also tried to subpoena AT&T records, but the Justice Department wouldn't allow it.