FBI Lied To Support Need For PATRIOT Act Expansion

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "It probably won't surprise you, but in 2005, the FBI manufactured evidence to get the power to issue National Security Letters under the PATRIOT Act. Unlike normal subpoenas, NSLs do not require probable cause and you're never allowed to talk about having received one, leading to a lack of accountability that caused them to be widely abused. The EFF has discovered via FOIA requests that an FBI field agent was forced by superiors to return papers he got via a lawful subpoena, then demand them again via an NSL (which was rejected for being unlawful at the time), and re-file the original subpoena to get them back. This delay in a supposedly critical anti-terror investigation then became a talking point used by FBI Director Robert Mueller when the FBI wanted to justify their need for the power to issue National Security Letters."

Comments

Re:more kdawson crap

[ta bu shi da yu]

I notice your signature says that:

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to think "profiling is worse than the slaughter of innocent people..."

Allow me provide you with a new sig.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to think "the September 11th terrorist attacks allow government to trample the civil rights of those of an obviously different ethnic background than yourself".

I would appreciate it if you could correct it as soon as possible. Thanx.

John

[jab9990]

We need to go after these traitors, prosecute them as traitors, convict them as traitors, and then hang them as traitors.

Re:Don't like it, you're free to leave it

[CogDissident]

I would, if the new crackdown on our borders didn't make it incredibly difficult to get a visa to move out of the country.

And, akuna mutata (?)

[Rooked_One]

life will continue on as it has - much uncared about by generation Y or Z. It seems that they put something in the drinking water that made the super suboridant and unwilling to confront anything, and to view the government as too large to take on. Look in the mirror - there is your government.

And for you gen Y'ers (i doubt many gen Z's read this page)you must have been bottle fed if you care.

Whatever

[dr.banes]

Is this a surprise or news for that matter? Of course you'll have people commenting that its for our safety, blah, blah, blah-the administration is doing the right thing. A bunch of other people will comment that this is appalling and that they should be held accountable. The truth of the matter is that they never will be held accountable, I guess its just good to know about it?

Re:A real danger

[masdog]

Sony wins, the American people lose, and there isn't a damned thing you or I can do about it except "waste our vote" on a "third party" candidate.

Frak that! If that is what you believe, then you get the government you deserve.

Re:I wish...

[Daengbo]

Thanks, but I'm quite glad that I'm not there any longer.

Re:NSLs

[ta bu shi da yu]

It would actually help if you'd read what I wrote. I didn't say anything about the secrecy of the orders making them constitutionally suspect. I wrote "the fact that they don't need probable cause makes them constitutionally suspect". Please try and keep up. Thanks.

Re:more kdawson crap

[ta bu shi da yu]

Meh. With some people there's no accounting for taste... or intelligence. I did try! Thanks though, I will have a nice day.

Re:more kdawson crap

[ta bu shi da yu]

If they profiled white, middle class men then profiling would make him safe. Perhaps that's what he meant.

Re:NSLs

[ta bu shi da yu]

Oh. I missed the humour. Sorry.