Inspector General Report Finds More Flaws with FBI's NSL Program
As reported in the New York Times, ABC News, the Associated Press, and other media outlets yesterday, the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General has issued a report on their continuing investigation of the FBI's widely criticized "national security letters" program. The IG found that top FBI counterterrorism officials, including the current Assistant Director for Counterterrorism and Executive Assistant Director for Counterterrorism, signed off on "blanket" NSLs which authorized the warrantless obtainment of records for over 3,000 phone numbers. Many of the deficiencies brought to light in the IG's findings were reported by Special Agent Bassem Youssef, an FBI whistleblower who has been critical of the NSL program.
More information:
- National Whistleblower Center 3/13/08 Press Release
- Inspector General's Report on NSLs Dated 3/13/08
- More on FBI Whistleblower Bassem Youssef
