Hill staffer heads to Internet freedom group

A top staffer to Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) has left Capitol Hill for the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT).

The advocacy group announced on Monday that Harley Geiger has joined as a senior counsel and deputy director for its freedom, security and surveillance project. He previously worked as a senior policy counsel with the group and will help its focus on civil liberties issues amid surveillance from the National Security Agency.

“Harley is a dedicated civil libertarian and policy thought leader who knows how to advance an agenda in creative ways. His time on the Hill coupled with his previous experience at CDT will make him an effective force in the critical arena of security and surveillance,” Greg Nojeim, head of the CDT’s surveillance project, said in a statement.

{mosads}Geiger formerly served as senior legislative counsel for Lofgren, who has expressed concerns about Internet freedom, privacy and civil liberties issues.  

Before that, he worked at the Federal Trade Commission and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, another civil liberties organization.

“Surveillance, privacy, and free expression are among the most pressing technology policy issues of our time, and I believe CDT’s legal and technical expertise, experience building diverse coalitions, and powerful relationships make CDT an authoritative source of effective solutions,” Geiger said in a statement.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, and I can’t wait to do it.”