Report: FBI Repeatedly Overstepped Law To Access Phone, Financial Records

Report: FBI Repeatedly Overstepped Law To Access Phone, Financial Records

A Justice Department investigation has found pervasive errors in the FBI's use of its power to secretly demand telephone, e-mail and financial records in national security cases, officials with access to the report said yesterday.

The inspector general's audit, mandated by Congress over Bush administration objections, found that 22 of the errors were possible breaches of internal FBI and Justice Department regulations -- some of which were potential violations of law -- in a sampling of 293 "national security letters." The letters were used by the FBI to obtain the personal records of U.S. residents or visitors between 2003 and 2005. The FBI identified 26 potential violations in other cases.

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