IG REPORT ON NSL ABUSE PLAYS DOWN WORST FINDINGS, ACLU SAYS

摘要

Congress would do well to heavily scrutinize the full 199-page report by the DoJ inspector general on National Security Letter (NSL) procedural abuses by the FBI, the ACLU said in a conference call Mon. The report抯 executive summary fails to get at 搕he heart?of the most serious findings, including agency lawyers?unease over -- but ultimate acquiescence to -- flagrant violations by FBI staff with no investigatory authority, said Caroline Fredrickson, Washington legislative dir. Considered in full, the report shows 揳 pattern of intentional misconduct?by FBI personnel, said Mike German, national security policy counsel: 揟his goes far beyond simple incompetence and mismanagement,?the impression given by the report抯 summary.nn"Procurement attorneys?at the FBI were involved in creating contracts with the 3 unnamed telcos in the report for responding to 揺xigent letters,?said German, a former FBI special agent. Such letters are supposed to be reserved for emergency requests, but the formal commercial relationship indicates conscious violation of the NSL statute, he said. 揃ecause there抯 a money trail [the telcos] may have some other incentives?-- financial gain -- than simply helping law enforcement, German said. There抯 no indication in the report of how much telcos may have been reimbursed, he added.