In fact, Bush pursued his policy despite a 1978 law – adopted in response to the Nixon-era abuses – that specifically requires judicial approval, and in contradiction to his public assurance that no such eavesdropping takes place without a court order. Now that his electronic surveillance program has been exposed, Bush’s Justice Department has launched an investigation into how the news became public, threatening the journalists who reported the information.
实际上， 1978年的一部法律为专门对付尼克松时代的侵权行为，特别要求（窃听）需要司法批准。布什置该法律于不顾而推行其政策，违反了他所作出的保证，即在没有法院令状的情况下不会进行此类窃听。现在，由于其电子窃听行为被曝光，布什的司法部开展调查，要发现这一新闻如何为公众所知晓，并威胁报道这一消息的记者。