Despite previous denials, an internal investigation by the C.I.A. revealed that it had in fact spied on Senate Staffers who were preparing a report on the C.I.A.’s detention and interrogation program. The political fall-out has just begun, with Senators from both parties calling for consequences, and accountability. Accountability boards will likely be formed, and the potential consequences to those involved, as well as the political consequences, could be serious, but there are other issues to consider as well, including how scandals such as these impact trust in our government. Snowden’s revelations continue to reverberate, and impact trust in government, and these revelations give us a view into what the potential consequences of these latest issues related to the C.I.A. might be. The Lares Institute has surveyed U.S. residents about their overall trust in the government, as well as the impact of Snowen’s revelations. One of the first interesting demographic issues is that trust in government is linked to age of the respondent. The older a person is, the less on a relative basis, they trust the government. 
Given the frequent political fall-out, and the demographic issues in voter turn-out, this is something that is likely of political concern to many elected officials, as census research tends to indicate that turnout with younger voters is not increasing, or perhaps declining. Perhaps more importantly, the impact of these type of allegations has a direct impact on trust in the government. Two different groups were surveyed about their trust in government, one before Snowden’s revelations, and one group after, and the difference is significant. Trust in the government dropped 33%–from 29.8% to 19%, if the responses are compared pre- and post-Snowden. 
While there will likely be trust issues between the Senate and the C.I.A., the trust issues will likely not be limited to just a lack of trust between those two entities. As these issues continue to be investigated, and more is revealed, the government runs the risk of having a further erosion in trust regarding privacy, that likely would not be limited to the Executive Branch, or specific agencies. While the conduct must be investigated and addressed as appropriate, other steps that could help rebuild trust in the government would likely be helpful and appropriate, as the government tries to rebuild trust among itself, and the country as a whole. Senator Diane Feinstein issued a statement regarding the spying admissions, which can be found here, but Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Darrell Issa went further in a conversation with Brietbart news, calling the actions by the C.I.A. “treason.” The issue will, without a doubt, continue to receive significant Congressional and media attention, and will likely continue to erode public trust in the government.