>

Which is one of the reasons we are in this mess.
Most people have made mistakes in their past, so despite growing and becoming a better person they cannot enter politics for fear of something they did 20 years ago being exposed to friends, family, and the world.
A sociopath, on the other hand, doesn't really care. They will just call it fake news, make excuses, or totally ignore it. They don't care if a ton of people think they are a piece of shit.
It also opens up our politicians for blackmail from...say.... Putin.
If we were more forgiving and less judgemental as a society we could elect a lot of good, qualified people.
Sounds like they need to work on their intelligence organizations. >

If by authorities, they mean police...no.  
People would lose their minds if NSA was working with the police here in the U.S. >

You have way too much faith in people

What does this rule change mean for you? In short, domestic law enforcement officials now have access to huge troves of American communications, obtained without warrants, that they can use to put people in cages. FBI agents don’t need to have any “national security” related reason to plug your name, email address, phone number, or other “selector” into the NSA’s gargantuan data trove. They can simply poke around in your private information in the course of totally routine investigations. And if they find something that suggests, say, involvement in illegal drug activity, they can send that information to local or state police. That means information the NSA collects for purposes of so-called “national security” will be used by police to lock up ordinary Americans for routine crimes. >

That’s not correct, I’m sorry.  They 100% do need to justify it as title 10, if they are using NSA’s tools.  NSA does not and cannot touch title 25 shit.
Yes, FBI uses metadata.  That metadata typically comes from the cellular providers.  Additionally, commercial telemetry data can just be bought from any company that collects it.  And it can be bought by anyone, if they can afford it.
I understand that the realm law enforcement is delving into here feels like something NSA would do.  But it’s not even remotely the same as having NSA use their tools and do their analysis to aid law enforcement. >

You'd think that if someone flees a country after breaking the law, that they'd lay low. You'd think. >

Exactly.    I guess he figured those crimes small enough and long ago enough that they didn't matter, but still, didn't he consider one of his many lies might unravel, and then the whole mess just collapse in on him? >

He knows he can and will get out of this. The GOP will see to it. >

Sorta doubtful, there's enough baggage that will impact 2024 Congressional races that nobody wants him around, at least not after the vote for Speaker today. >

Warning to other liars, crooks and thieves: politics exposes your past. Keep away if this can be a problem for you.