(2007) Justice Department Audit Reveals FBI Misused Patriot Act

PBS ^ | Mar 9, 2007

[Ray76]

RAY SUAREZ: FBI Director Robert Mueller’s news conference followed this morning’s release of a Justice Department audit revealing the bureau’s abuse of the USA Patriot Act.

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI Director: I’m particularly concerned about the findings in the report that indicate that we did not have appropriate policies in place. And in other areas where we did have appropriate policies, we did not adhere to them in using this important tool.

RAY SUAREZ: The tool at issue is the national security letter. It’s been used for more than three decades by the FBI to obtain sensitive information about businesses and individuals.

Approved by Congress after the 9/11 attacks, the USA Patriot Act extended the bureau’s access to telephone, e-mail, library and financial records in suspected terrorism investigations without court approval. More than 150,000 national security letters have been issued over the last three years, compared with just 8,000 the year before 9/11.

[]

RAY SUAREZ: The inspector general’s 126-page audit found: the FBI underreported to Congress the number of national security letters issued over the past three years by some 20 percent; the bureau failed to accurately report misuse of its authority and failed to properly destroy any unauthorized information collected; and the FBI improperly obtained telephone records using a tactic called “exigent letters,” claiming an emergency in non-emergency situations.

[Fedora]

BTT. Comey likewise tried to misuse the San Bernardino shooting investigation to get into everyone’s smartphones. We need a full-scale Congresional committee to check the rampant warrantless surveillance that has usurped the Fourth Amendment.

[mad_as_he$$]

Another DUH! moment and by the way - NO $HIT! We warned you.