AP CEO Says DOJ Monitored “Thousands And Thousands” Of AP Phone Calls

NEW YORK — Associated Press president and chief executive Gary Pruitt told staff at a Wednesday town hall meeting that the phone records obtained by the government included “thousands and thousands” of calls in and out of the news organization, according to a staffer who attended. 

The AP revealed on May 13 that the Justice Department had seized records for 20 separate phone lines over a two-month period as part of a leak investigation, but has not mentioned how many calls may have been affected. 

Pruitt said Wednesday that the Obama administration acted as “judge, jury and executioner” in secretly obtaining the news organization’s records, a criticism he also leveled in a recent appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”