Posted on 03/09/2007 12:40:43 PM PST by steve-b
The FBI improperly and, in some cases, illegally used the USA Patriot Act to secretly obtain personal information about people in the United States, a Justice Department audit concluded Friday.
And for three years the FBI underreported to Congress how often it forced businesses to turn over the customer data, the audit found.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who oversees the FBI, described the problems cited in the report as unacceptable and left open the possibility of criminal charges. He ordered further investigation....
FBI Director Robert Mueller said he was to blame for not putting more safeguards into place....
The audit by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine found that FBI agents sometimes demanded personal data on individuals without proper authorization. The 126-page audit also found the FBI improperly obtained telephone records in non-emergency circumstances....
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Meuller is already taking the fall for it....
Mueller takes full responsibilty... but he will forego the consequences.
All ready for a huge chorus of "I told you so"?
And will the FBI agents in question be prosecuted?
Oh wait, this is the "Justice" department.
I give a lot of credit to Mr. Fine for exposing this egregious abuse of power. Shame on the FBI for allowing this to go on.
I heard that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who oversees the FBI, discovered that they improperly and, in some cases, illegally failed to turn of the lights when leaving a room empty.
I wonder if he's any kin?........
I told you people!
Imagine this being used under a hillary administration. Then anyone can see why keeping government power in check is a good thing.
And rightfully so. Where were the controls to ensure this doesn't happen? No internal audits? No record reviews?
"Those who will surrender liberty for security....."
At any moment we'll get a huge blast from Patridiot Act apologists.
He learned well from Janet Reno, I see....
I am reminded of one of the jokes from Hammer and Tickle:
Two of the Party's high apparatchiks in Prague was looking for a suitable position to which to appoint one of Stalin's favorites in the country. Finally, one of them said, "I have it! Secretary of the Navy!"
"Navy? Czechoslovakia has no coastline."
"So, why should that prevent us from having a Secretary of the Navy? After all, we have a Minister of Justice...."
This was the leading reason NOT to to pass the act in the first place. Anyone who wishes to give the government more power hasn't studied much history or the Founding Principles.
Unfortunately the Constitution is quickly being recycled into toilet paper.
Just the tip of the iceberg I'd wager.
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security." B. Franklin
It seems like a few of the PA apologists are finally starting to wake up. Too little too late.
Government can't be trusted with this much power. The sooner we sunset the "patriot" act, the better.
I'll be surprised if a single head rolls for this.
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