Ethics

DOJ Admits Abuse of Patriot Act

By Ed Brayton

In 2001, the Patriot Act was passed and it gave the government the authority to do a search without ever talking to a judge or getting a warrant, just by issuing a "National Security Letter." And when they issued it, the recipient had to comply and they could not inform the subject of the search that they had been searched.

In 2006, we found out that throughout 2004 and 2005 the FBI had abused the procedure hundreds of times, but they assured us that the situation had been fixed. And in 2008, we found out that the abuse had continued throughout 2006. But don't worry, because they really did have it fixed that time and it wouldn't be happening anymore.

Full post as published by Dispatches from the Culture Wars on September 29, 2009 (boomark / email).