FBI Abuses Patriot Act Powers
Posted on Mar 9, 2007
An internal Justice Department investigation has documented multiple abuses by the FBI in obtaining the private records of U.S. residents. Even with the broad powers of the Patriot Act in place, the bureau is still required to certify that the phone, e-mail and financial documents it seeks are at least related to investigations of terrorism or intelligence activities.
In a sample of 293 “national security letters,” 22 violated regulations.
The FBI issued 19,000 such letters and made 47,000 requests in 2005. If the same error rate held true, it would mean roughly 1,426 of the letters written in that year contained violations.
Washington Post:
The letters enable an FBI field office to compel the release of private information without the authority of a grand jury or judge. The USA Patriot Act, enacted after the 2001 attacks, eliminated the requirement that the FBI show “specific and articulable” reasons to believe that the records it demands belong to a foreign intelligence agent or terrorist.
That law, and Bush administration guidelines for its use, transformed national security letters by permitting clandestine scrutiny of U.S. residents and visitors who are not alleged to be terrorists or spies.
Now the bureau needs only to certify that the records are “sought for” or “relevant to” an investigation “to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities.”
According to three officials with access to the report, [Justice Department Inspector General Glenn] Fine said the possible violations he discovered did not “manifest deliberate attempts to circumvent statutory limitations or departmental policies.”
But Fine found that FBI agents used national security letters without citing an authorized investigation, claimed “exigent” circumstances that did not exist in demanding information , and did not have adequate documentation to justify the issuance of letters.
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By Verne Arnold, March 10, 2007 at 7:37 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Since the end of WWII America’s greatest threat has always been the “Enemy Within”. No out side power will bring us down...we will bring ourselves down.
Whatever one may think of President Eisenhower; he did warn of this in the early 50’s. His words have been prophetic.
As Pogo said; “We have identified the enemy and they is us.”
Report thisBy JOEY, March 10, 2007 at 4:04 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
The damage Bush is inflicting upon this country is permanent and continuing. The Alberto Gonzales appointment is a bigger joke than Bush’s Harriet Meyers to the supreme court. Where is the OUTRAGE where are the legal organizations, the colleges, the ACLU the prominent legal personalties that receive millions in fees.
Report thisBy Rodney, March 10, 2007 at 1:15 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
We no longer have a constitution. It’s been replaced by the patroic act
Report thisBy moni, March 9, 2007 at 8:59 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Jim Mccoy, proof of a “Police State” . . . Yes I just experienced it a half hour ago. I witnessed three police cars arrive to hand-cuff a youth (one solitary, brown-skinned kid) in a metropolitan area where he had just put graffitti (with a black magic marker) on a bus-stop bench. It was “over-kill” and it was embarrassing to watch. It seems they are learning their methods from Singapore (50 lashes for chewing gum violations)!
Yes, I exclaimed that this was an exaggeration . . . to which one of the cops replied “He commited a crime.”
Report thisBy joey, March 9, 2007 at 8:26 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
The damage Bush is inflicting upon this country is permanent and continuing. The Alberto Gonzales appointment is a bigger joke than Bush’s nanny to the supreme court. Where is the OUTRAGE where are the legal organizations, the colleges, the ACLU the prominent legal personalties that receive millions in fees. Bob Bennett , David Boies, Floyd Abrams. They are going to miss this country when it’s gone.
Report thisBy Quy Tran, March 9, 2007 at 11:51 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
The FBI not only abuses Patriot Act but severely violated human rights.
This was coming from Gonzales’s stupidity and narrow-mind !
Report thisBy Angela, March 9, 2007 at 11:03 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Yes. It is wrong. Yes, The US Patriot Act is a very real threat and danger to the American public and the rights and liberties we all profess to anjoy. And yes, we should all take a look at the parties responsible for enacting this level of Government access. It’s very easy to say “Bush Administration” and believe me, I think he is one of the worst terrorists America has experienced. But, the fact is that the Original Bill passed the senate with a vote of 98 to 1. It passed the House with 357 to 66. Every single one of our representatives has to answer for passing this bill.
Report thisAnd, not only did they pass it through with practically no dispute, but it was Extended… TWICE! When does accountability and honesty become a real priority for us?
By Michael McLaughlin, March 9, 2007 at 10:10 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
The administration’s obvious agenda is to
1. Create a government exclusively for financing war as an instrument of US policy. This much was clear over 5 years ago.
2. Sell off government land and mineral rights to corporate interests.
3. Build (if you hadn’t noticed by 2001) the executive department exclusively from members of large corporations.
4. Favor certain corporations to build permanent military bases in Iraq, Afghanistan, and wherever else the oligarchy invades. Bechtel, Lockheed-Martin, Halliburton, Chevron - the executive appointees are almost entirely from these interests.
Isn’t this essentially fascism? Constant cries of “Commander-in-Chief” and such rabble-rousing should bring back “Duce, Duce!” (Duke!) “Seig Heil!”
Report thisWhy is over half of America blind to this?
By mite, March 9, 2007 at 9:55 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Read:
America’s Secret Establishment by Antony Sutton
it pretty well explains it folks.
search for it its free.
Report thisBy Verne Arnold, March 9, 2007 at 8:20 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
I sure hope nobody is surprised by this. We knew it would happen. Good bye Constitution and the bill of rights!
Report thisI mourn the America I grew up loving and trusting. Do not trust any government; thats my lesson and I have learned it well. We are truly in the end times as America goes the way of the Roman Empire and all other once great civilizations.
By Bert, March 9, 2007 at 7:58 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Nooooo, THIS administration didn’t overstep their authority in ANY way, no, they’d never THINK of abusing it, not for a MINUTE! They have the UTMOST respect for the american public, and the world at large, they would NEVER, EVER consider
something like this. How PREPOSTEROUS to allege that people with a runaway publicly unaccountable budget might stoop to such lows as selling out the country, selling blatant bald-faced lies as justifications for war, or otherwise presenting the public with deliberate and calculated short shrift.
Write to your city council today in favor of whatever strikes your fancy, there...we’ve listened to their crap for 6 years, now it’s our turn…
Report thisBy jim mccoy, March 9, 2007 at 4:22 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
This proof that we are already in a “Police State” and it appears it will get worse.
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