TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – Verizon Communications Inc. faces its first lawsuit that claims the phone carrier violated privacy laws for giving phone records to the National Security Agency for a secret surveillance program.

The lawsuit filed Friday asks the court to stop Verizon from turning over any more records to the NSA without a warrant or consent of the subscriber.

“This is the largest and most vast intrusion of civil liberties we’ve ever seen in the United States,” said New Jersey attorney Bruce Afran, who sued with attorney Carl Mayer in federal district court in Manhattan, where Verizon is headquartered.

USA Today reported on Thursday that the NSA has been building a database of millions of Americans’ everyday telephone calls since shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Verizon, AT&T Corp. and BellSouth Corp. provided data, the newspaper reported.

Verizon said in a statement that because the NSA program is highly classified, it wouldn’t confirm or deny whether the company participated in the program. It also declined to comment about the lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks $1,000 for each violation of the Telecommunications Act, or $5 billion if the case is certified as class-action.

Afran said that he and Mayer will also ask for documents dealing with the origination of the program and President Bush’s role in it.

Afran and Mayer have filed numerous lawsuits against New Jersey officials over such things as political appointments and finances.

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