Washington, DC, March 9, 2007. Today the Department of Justice Inspector General issued a report finding that the FBI has engaged in gross abuses of power in implementing searches without warrants, including electronic surveillance, in conjunction with the PATRIOT Act. The IG Report found that, among other things, FBI conducted hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of improper searches without warrants, including searches in case in which no authorized investigations even existed. The DOJ IG was assisted in its investigation by a whistleblower.

• A Review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Use of National Security Letters, DOJ OIG, March 9, 2007
  
  Lawmakers Vow Hearings on FBI Errors
  By John Solomon and William Branigin
  Washington Post Staff Writers, Friday, March 9, 2007
  
  Frequent Errors in FBI’s Secret Records Requests
  By John Solomon and Barton Gellman
  Washington Post Staff Writers, Friday, March 9, 2007; A01
  
  Justice Department inspector slams FBI use of Patriot Act provision
  By Lara Jordan, Associated Press, Friday, March 9, 2007