ACLU Slams FBI's Data-Gathering Practices
A former FBI agent Michael German, who now works for the American Civil Liberties Union, slammed the intelligence agency on Wednesday for ignoring laws and internal guidelines pertaining to the use of national security letters -- administrative subpoenas that allow agents to grab phone, computer and bank records in suspected terrorism cases without warrants.
FBI Director Robert Mueller told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that the Justice Department will soon release an audit from 2006 that highlights some problems, many of which predate reforms. He also pledged "continued vigilance in this area." Read CongressDaily's coverage here.
"When it comes to NSLs, there are laws and there are internal guidelines – the FBI ignored both,” said ACLU National Security Policy Counsel Michael German. New guidelines have been introduced, but an IG report from last year "makes clear that internal guidelines are meaningless to the FBI."
Instituting judicial oversight would guarantee that someone would be looking over the shoulder of agents using a tool as invasive as an NSL, German said. Lawmakers also have the power to narrow the scope of the statute and they should use it – especially when the data collected is being stored and not destroyed, he said.
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