WASHINGTON - April 16, 2009 - In an article detailing new violations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act by The New York Times, the paper reveals that the National Security Agency spied on a member of Congress and sought to wiretap the lawmaker without a warrant.

Reports the Times, "And in one previously undisclosed episode, the N.S.A. tried to wiretap a member of Congress without a warrant, an intelligence official with direct knowledge of the matter said.

"The agency believed that the congressman, whose identity could not be determined, was in contact - as part of a congressional delegation to the Middle East in 2005 or 2006 - with an extremist who had possible terrorist ties and was already under surveillance, the official said. The agency then sought to eavesdrop on the congressman’s conversations, the official said.

"The official said the plan was ultimately blocked because of concerns from some intelligence officials about using the N.S.A., without court oversight, to spy on a member of Congress."

The article also says the agency spied on more Amerikans because it couldn't distinguish between Amerikan and non-Amerikan calls. Noted the Times, "it uses its access to Amerikan telecommunications companies’ fiber-optic lines and its own spy satellites to intercept millions of calls and e-mail messages."