Rise In FBI Use Of National Security Letters

[Purveyor]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(05-09) 15:22 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --

The number of people the FBI targeted with national security letters more than doubled last year to more than 14,000.

The letters enable the bureau to collect virtually unlimited kinds of sensitive, private information like financial and phone records in terrorism and espionage investigations. In 2007, the Justice Department's inspector general found widespread violations in the FBI's use of the letters, including demands without proper authorization and information obtained in non-emergency circumstances. The FBI has tightened oversight of the system.

The letters are controversial because there is no court scrutiny of the process; the letters are simply signed by FBI officials without review by a judge.

In a summary to Congress, the Justice Department said the FBI made 24,287 national security letter requests last year for information regarding 14,212 people. That's up from 2009 when there were 14,788 requests for information about 6,114 people.

MORE...

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/05/09/national/w142713D59.DTL

[RandomThoughts]

1. Completely breaks checks and balances.

It moves all authority to executive branch to further attempts at totalitarianism, and consolidations.


Although it will break down, as many use the powers for wrong reasons against innocent people, and pull down those concepts by those actions.


And I am due beer and travel money and many experiences.

[no limit]

2. And Obama said he would stop their use when he was running for president

[ixion]

3. Yeah, he said many things... most of them lies, apparently

wheeee!

[boppers]

5. When?

Citation please?

[No Elephants]

6. 2007?

"In 2007, candidate Obama said during his Presidency there would be "no more National Security Letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime" because "that is not who we are, and it is not what is necessary to defeat the terrorists." The hope that he'll make good on that statement is seeming pretty audacious."

http://www.examiner.com/independent-in-national/patriot-act-up-for-renewal-and-no-one-notices

14 Governors were served with them under Obama. I'm guessing they weren't charged with a crime.

[boppers]

7. "to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime"

Heck of a caveat, there.... thanks for finding the reference. (Suspected != charged, only references citizens, not resident aliens, rationalizes the use of NSL for "a crime", not just federal terrorism crimes, etc.).

I find a great number of these "broken promises" have similar annoying nuances/loopholes/word games.

[marasinghe]

4. hoover would be so happy, he'd be dancing with the stars in his little blue dress. n/t