I would tend to think that the government setting up illegal wiretaps on private citizens would be worse than doing the same for citizens in public offices likely holding TS-SCI clearances, and possibly even asking for those people to sign away their rights to privacy with the DoJ or pentagon in this administration.

OTOH, if you have placed loyalists in the NSA willing to do the dirty work under the prospect of a pardon, well you now have a weaponized NSA -- and illegal wiretaps are the least of the problem.