CREW Forces FBI to Release Documents on Domestic Drone Use
December 19, 2013
CREW Forces FBI to Release Documents on Domestic Drone Use
By Lucy Stein http://www.citizensforethics.org/blog/entry/fbi-documents-domestic-drone-use-freedom-of-information-act-request
On June 26, 2013 — days after then-FBI Director Robert Mueller first revealed during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the FBI had used drones to conduct domestic surveillance — CREW filed a FOIA request with the FBI seeking information about the FBI’s use of drones domestically.
CREW asked for documents showing the source of these domestic drones, how the FBI paid for them, who trained the FBI to use them, and any policies about this use — including legal justifications. Due to the widespread public interest in the issue of domestic surveillance and pressing questions about whether the FBI’s drone use complies with the law, CREW also sought to expedite the FOIA request.
The FBI, however, denied CREW’s request for expedition. On July 30, CREW filed a lawsuit against the DOJ challenging the FBI’s failure to produce any documents, and on October 30, the court found in CREW’s favor, ordering the FBI to release the requested documents on a rolling basis.
The FBI handed over its first batch of responsive documents on November 27. Much of the 400+ page release is redacted and details on the sources, costs, and deployments of drones are scarce. The documents do, however, make one thing absolutely clear: the FBI’s domestic drone surveillance program is on the course of expansion. And while CREW is determined to challenge the FBI’s heavy-handed redactions, CREW’s review of the documents produced some noteworthy information on the FBI’s domestic drone program.
In a heavily redacted FBI white paper on the agency’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)—or drone— program dated September 13, 2013, the FBI lists the FAA’s regulatory authority over US airspace as its “primary obstacle” to operating drones domestically. But the white paper goes on ..........................
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