Opinion ID: 318245
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: in camera examination

Text: 48 The distinguished district court judge reviewed in camera the records of the wiretaps at issue here before holding the surveillances to be legal. If the surveillances had been found illegal, Alderman, of course, would have required disclosure of these records to Ivanov prior to an adversary hearing on the issue of taint. However, since the question confronting the district court as to the second set of interceptions was the legality of the taps, not the existence of tainted evidence, it was within his discretion to grant or to deny Ivanov's request for disclosure and a hearing. The exercise of this discretion is to be guided by an evaluation of the complexity of the factors to be considered by the court and by the likelihood that adversary presentation would substantially promote a more accurate decision. 56 49 As stated, Ivanov does not challenge the finding of the district court that the 'surveillances were conducted and maintained solely for the purpose of gathering foreign intelligence information.' Nor does he contend that he was the object of surveillance because of domestic political activity or because of conduct unrelated to his own espionage concerns. Under these facts, we fail to see how disclosure of the records of the wiretaps and an evidentiary hearing would serve to shed further light on either the legal question involved in this appeal-- whether the President has authority to conduct warrantless surveillances in the foreign affairs field-- or its factual underpinnings-- whether the surveillances at issue were, in fact, conducted pursuant to the President's foreign affairs authority. 50 Moreover, the nature of information contained in these records with respect to the relations of this nation with foreign powers counsels court-ordered disclosure only in the most compelling situations. Thus, we hold that the district court's failure to order disclosure of the records of the second set of interceptions or to hold a hearing regarding them did not constitute an abuse of discretion. 51