Senator Chuck Grassley today released the following comment after learning of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General report on national security letters. The report showed that the FBI has had no policy or directive to manage the issuance and follow-up of national security letters. The Inspector General also found that the FBI avoided the statutory requirements for national security letters by obtaining phone records through "exigent letters," which falsely claimed that subpoenas were in-process.
National security letters allow an intelligence agency, such as the FBI, to get information about someone from a third party, typically a business, with no prior judicial review. The Patriot Act allows the FBI to issue national security letters to entities such as public libraries, Internet service providers, banks, hotel-casinos and other businesses to turn over "transactional records" of their patrons and customers.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez spoke to Grassley early this morning and assured him that the FBI was taking this problem seriously and they were getting to the bottom of it.
Grassley has conducted extensive oversight of the Agency since the mid-1990s and has exposed serious mistakes that led to botched investigations and risked public safety. Grassley has said sustained congressional oversight is a key component of bringing about an overhaul at the FBI following the terrorist attacks of September 11.
Here is Grassley’s comment.
“National Security Letters are a critical and necessary tool for the FBI in its work to stop terrorists. At the same time the FBI has to act responsibly and within the letter of the law. The legal requirements for the use of these letters can’t be taken lightly. When it comes to national security, sloppiness should be reserved for the hog lot, not the FBI.
“I also hope the Attorney General and the Director will hold accountable the individuals who appear to be in clear violation of the law by sending so-called ‘exigent letters’ with false information and without any follow-up documentation. The FBI’s actions are unacceptable and I’m going to ride herd until they can show that a system is in place to ensure that national security letters are written responsibly and with the proper documentation.”
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