FBI's search for information on Americans was in violation of the law, judge says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

Oct. 8, 2019 at 9:16 p.m. EDT

The FBI on several occasions in recent years queried the government’s foreign intelligence holdings seeking information on Americans — including its own personnel — doing so in violation of surveillance law and constitutional privacy protections, according to a newly disclosed court ruling. Though senior FBI officials flagged the issues, and the Justice Department reported the missteps, the violations of what is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act highlight ever-present concerns with the FBI’s ability to search such databases without individual warrants for information on Americans.

At issue is a data-collection program whose roots lie in 9/11 and that focuses on foreign targets overseas. The data is gathered from U.S. Internet service providers and tech firms, however, and includes a significant but unknown number of Americans’ communications. Court opinions disclosed Tuesday by U.S. intelligence officials also show that, despite concerns raised by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), the FBI resisted for nearly a year to change its procedures for tracking its queries for the data of Americans.

In August, the FBI acquiesced and agreed to distinguish between queries made using Americans’ phone numbers and email addresses and those that do not, among other changes it has made to address the court’s concerns. In the most noteworthy violation disclosed Tuesday, the FBI in March 2017 conducted queries on databases using more than 70,000 email addresses or phone numbers of FBI employees or contractors. The bureau proceeded with the queries despite the advice of its general counsel, though it did not review the results, according to an October 2018 court opinion.

In another incident, reported in April 2018, the FBI made a series of queries using the emails or phone numbers of 57,000 individuals. In both instances, the aim was to uncover foreign intelligence information, which is consistent with the law. But the nature of the searches — whether for counterintelligence purposes or otherwise — was not clear from the redacted rulings released Tuesday.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/fbis-search-for-information-on-americans-was-in-violation-of-the-law-judge-says/2019/10/08/c8570720-e9fc-11e9-9c6d-436a0df4f31d_story.html

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Should be within the "12 hour" LBN rule. This story got buried in all the other stuff going on.

[UpInArms]

1. Please note that these illegal queries were all after tRump was installed

In the most noteworthy violation disclosed Tuesday, the FBI in March 2017 conducted queries on databases using more than 70,000 email addresses or phone numbers of FBI employees or contractors.

and

In another incident, reported in April 2018, the FBI made a series of queries using the emails or phone numbers of 57,000 individuals.

[2naSalit]

3. That was the first thing

to come to mind; what is the time frame for this set of allegations? I have been investigated or "looked into" for numerous reasons, including pre-employment background checks, but not since asshole took over. Hopefully, investigations prior to Jan 2017 will not be of interest to the cabal.

[Chakaconcarne]

2. Of course that will be left out this evening on Tucker and Hannity.

[LawnKorn]

4. Anybody else here think we need to end Bush's Homeland Security suspension of the 4th Amendment?

The President has to re-authorize the law every year. Congress needs to sunset the law and get back to what the Constitution actually says about search and seizure.