Of course they can; they're the U.S. government. No possible outcome of Phil's case would have changed this fact. If the Federal government wishes to make your life miserable they can always do so.
The more important point being missed of course that Phil has and no doubt will continue to make certain elements of the U.S government quite miserable indeed. Something that I suspect doesn't make Phil too miserable at all. -- +----------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ |Julian Assange | "if you think the United States has | |FAX: +61-3-9819-9066 | stood still, who built the largest | |EMAIL: proff@suburbia.net | shopping centre in the world?" - Nixon | +----------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+