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On "America's News HQ" this afternoon, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) revealed that another senator confided in him that he was surveilled by the Obama administration.

Earlier this week, Paul said reporters have told him they have evidence he was a target of Obama administration spying.

This is the first time that Paul mentioned another senator is also concerned about the Obama administration's surveillance.

He said if this proves to be true, it's a much bigger story than any allegations about collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the presidential election.

"It's about your own government spying on the opposition party," Paul said. "That would be enormous if it's true."

Paul told Fox Business Networks Charles Payne on Wednesday that he's asked the White House and the House and Senate intelligence committees to investigate.

He said if the intelligence community is indeed being used for politics, it's a "very, very serious crime."

Paul added that the possible illegal use of intelligence community resources for political purposes raises chilling questions.

They have so much power to collect," Paul said. "I mean, they have the power to collect information, invade your privacy but also to destroy you."

Watch more above, and see the full Fox Business interview below.

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Paul: Another Senator Told Me He Was Surveilled by Obama Admin ... - Fox News Insider

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I know one other senator whos already confided to me that he was surveilled by the Obama administration, including his phone calls, he told Fox News on Wednesday.

So when this all comes out, if there are political figures from the opposition party, its a story bigger than any of the allegations with regard to Russian collusion, he said.

Earlier this month, Paul announced that sources have told him that he has been surveilled by the Obama administration, and that he has requested information from the White House and the congressional intelligence committees on whether he has ever been surveilled, unmasked, or searched for in intelligence reports.

Its about your own government spying on the opposition party, that would be enormous if true, he said. I dont know the truth. Weve asked the intel committees, House and Senate, and Ive also asked the White House, because there is this whole discussion of Susan Rice unmasking people, he said.

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was fired in February, after a phone call he had with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak was leaked to the Washington Post.

Listening in on an Americans phone calls is illegal without a warrant, but it can happen legally during surveillance of a foreign target. If Americans are caught up in surveillance of a foreign target, their identities are supposed to be masked, or concealed.

However, U.S. officials can request to have their names unmasked if it is necessary to understanding the context of the communications, with the approval of the agency conducting the surveillance.

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper revealed that last year, 1,934 Americans names were unmasked.

Last month it was reported that Susan Rice had unmasked Trump campaign officials which she has not denied, but only claimed that it was not illegal.

There was no reason for her to unmask people. Hers was not a position of investigation. Hers was a political position. And for her to get involved with unmasking Trump officials is alarming. If it happened to other people, its even more alarming, he said.

But were going to try to get to the bottom of this. And its a very secret world. You have to realize that its a world so secret most members of Congress are never allowed.

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Rand Paul: Another Senator Was Surveilled by the Obama Administration - Breitbart News

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by Micah J. Fleck

According to Rare:

Sen. Rand Paul has been one of the leading voices for criminal justice reform throughout his entire senate career, particularly of eliminating what he sees as draconian mandatory minimum sentencing laws. When Attorney General Jeff Sessions made it publicon Friday that he woulddirect federal prosecutors to seek the harshest sentences for non-violent drug offenders, the announcement drew a quick rebuke from Sen. Paul.

Paul added, Instead, we should treat our nations drug epidemic as a health crisis and less as a lock em up and throw away the key problem.

Sen. Paul wrote in a USA Today op-ed in 2013, Mandatory minimums most harm those lacking in the means to defend themselves. These laws disproportionately target the poor and minorities.

Getting rid of mandatory minimums simply means allowing judges to use their discretion in sentencing, rather than having to follow the current, draconian federal parameters that are totally detached from the very human situation at hand, Paul added.

Is this Senator Pauls new claim to fame? He has been at this issue for some time now, and it always wins bipartisan support. Not to mention it is objectively noble across the board. Word of advice to Senator Paul: if you run for president again Run on this, not on your weird, divisive black market baby parts mantra.

Action for LibertyBipartisan Supporteconomics of libertyinjusticeLibertarian-ishmarijuanaminoritiesrand paulRepublicansenatorwar on drugs

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Rand Paul: Sessions's New Drug Policy is "Injustice" to Minorities - The Libertarian Republic

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is criticizing Attorney General Jeff Sessions for directing federal prosecutors to charge defendants with the most serious crimes they can pursue.

The new guidelines are a departure from an Obama-era policy that eased prosecutions of people with non-violent drug offenses.

In 2013, then-Attorney General Eric Holder directed prosecutors to avoid charging people with crimes that carry mandatory minimum sentences, which require judges to impose lengthier prison terms.

In a statement, Paul said the reprisal of the tough on crime policy isnt a good idea.

Mandatory minimum sentences have unfairly and disproportionately incarcerated too many minorities for too long, Paul said. Attorney General Sessions new policy will accentuate that injustice. Instead, we should treat our nations drug epidemic as a health crisis and less as a lock em up and throw away the key problem.

Paul has pushed for reforms to the criminal justice system, including reduction of mandatory minimum sentences on drug crimes, expungement of felony records and restoration of voting rights, though the proposals havent garnered enough support to get a floor vote.

However, Paul voted in favor of Sessions confirmation earlier this year. Sessions has repeatedly criticized the Obama administration for being soft on crime and accused the former presidents policies of leading to violent crimes.

Sessions policy amounts to a return to strategies conceived under former Attorney General John Ashcroft, who directed federal prosecutors to charge people with the most serious crimes possible.

Under the Obama-era policy, defendants who didnt belong to large drug trafficking organizations qualified to be charged with crimes that didnt carry long mandatory minimum sentences.

This week, Sessions issued a memoto Department of Justice staff ordering federal prosecutors to charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense.

This policy affirms our responsibility to enforce the law, is moral and just, and produces consistency, Sessions wrote. This policy fully utilizes the tools Congress has given us.

Prosecutors who wish to not pursue the most serious charges possible would have to get approval from a U.S. attorney or assistant attorney general.

Kerry Harvey, who was the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky until earlier this year, said implementation of the policy will depend on each U.S. attorneys office.

But on the face of it you would expect that the sentences, particularly in drug trafficking cases, would be longer, Harvey said.

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Rand Paul Pans Sessions' 'Tough On Crime' Prosecution Policy - WKU Public Radio

Sen. Rand Paul said Thursday that another senator confided that he too was surveilled by the Obama administration.

I know one other senator has already confided in me that he was surveilled by the Obama administration, Mr. Paul, Kentucky Republican, said on Fox News.

Mr. Paul said two sources also have information that shows he was surveilled during the 2016 presidential campaign as well.

There are rumors about other people who ran for president as well, he said. Im concerned not only for myself but for Americans in general.

Mr. Paul also said he agrees with President Trumps decision to fire former FBI Director James B. Comey, and that there is more agreement on this issue than it may seem.

I think weve probably never had someone fired where both sides really agreed with the firing more than you can imagine, Mr. Paul, Kentucky Republican, said on CBS News.

He said the timing that many are calling suspicious actually makes sense considering the delays in the Trump administration confirmations.

We have the slowest approval of a Cabinet in the history in the country, Mr. Paul explained. When they did get in place, they did a review.

Mr. Paul said Mr. Comeys firing had nothing to do with the Russia investigation, but rather the agencys shortcomings under the FBI directors leadership, such as the Orlando shooting at a gay nightclub last year.

I think the FBI dropped the ball, Mr. Paul said. There were many warning signs.

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Rand Paul: There are 'rumors' other presidential candidates under surveillance by the Obama admin. - Washington Times