Udall says he was aware of broad monitoring

Sen. Mark Udall says he was aware the federal government was broadly monitoring Americans’ telephone and email communications and has “tried everything short of leaking classified information” to try to bring attention to the issue.

Udall told The Denver Post that he’s been shocked about the surveillance programs he’s learned about as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The first-term Democrat has written letters to cabinet members, threatened to hold up confirmations and talked to President Barack Obama about his unease. Last year, Udall tried unsuccessfully to get the National Security Agency director to estimate how many Americans have had their communications monitored.

Udall wouldn’t say whether he knew about the scope of the surveillance at the time.