New judges appointed to secret court

WASHINGTON, May 23 (UPI) -- Chief Justice John Roberts has appointed two new judges to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

The FAS project on government secrecy says that Judge Mary McLaughlin of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Judge James Zagel of the Northern District of Illinois were appointed to the court responsible for sanctioning domestic electronic surveillance.

McLaughlin, a President Clinton appointee, and Zagel, a President Reagan appointee, will each serve a seven-year term.

The appointments, confirmed for the FAS by Sheldon Snook of the Washington District Court administrative office, come at a time when a proposal is pending in Congress that would refer to the FIS Court all existing alleged illegal warrantless surveillance lawsuits.

McLaughlin and Zagel were appointed to the secret court to replace Judge James Carr and Judge Nathaniel Gorton, whose terms expired May 18.