Bush authorizes NSA to wiretap Americans without FISC warrants in secret "Stellar Wind" program

Shortly after the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush signed a secret presidential authorization directing the NSA to intercept phone calls and emails of people inside the United States without first obtaining FISC warrants, bypassing the legal framework FISA had created. The program, internally called "Stellar Wind," collected content and metadata on millions of Americans. DOJ and NSA officials including Deputy AG James Comey threatened to resign in 2004 over its legality. The program ran for years before being disclosed by The New York Times in December 2005.