It is time to trust the American people’s judgment about where to strike the balance between what is, after all, their security and their freedom

On January 22, 2013, President Obama nominated David Medine to be Chairman and Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 30, 2018 (new position). Medine was confirmed by the Senate on May 7, 2013.

asked Comey to square his personal beliefs on the torture practice with his approval of 2005 memos authorizing the practice during his tenure as U.S. deputy attorney general.


"Do you agree that waterboarding is torture and is illegal?" Leahy asked bluntly.

"Yes," Comey replied.

But the president is reportedly poised to sign off on the nomination of the former number two official in the Bush Justice Department, who twice signed off on torture memos okaying waterboarding, wall slams, and other forms of torture.

Comey gave a second thumbs-up to waterboarding in signing off on the May 2005 rewrite of Bybee II. He reportedly wrote an email to a colleague at the time, in which he said he "concurred" with the new torture memo. At the same time, he strenuously opposed the approval of the second memo combining torture tactics. Waterboarding was okay, as long as it was done the "right" way.