◆ SpookStack

CONYERS: Thank you so much. Another Virginian, the ranking minority member of the Crime Subcommittee, Mr. Randy Forbes? FORBES: Mr. Chairman, I'd like to thank you and the ranking member, Congressman Smith, for holding this important hearing today and also for our witnesses for being here. You know, the subsect matter of this hearing makes for great theater, but when the show is over, we have the task of finding the facts and making sure the proper balance is struck and implemented to protect our citizens. That we will do. And hopefully we will do it without the negativism and the emotionalism that seems so prevailing in public policy today. Pounding our fists makes great sound bites, but it does not stop terrorists or protect the privacy rights of our citizens. It's clear that national security letters are important tools in international terrorism and espionage investigations conducted by the FBI. The inspector general's report, which details the audit of 77 case files in four field offices, shows a disturbing pattern: In 60 percent of those cases, the FBI's files were found to in violation of the FBI's internal control policies for issuing national security letters, FORBES: While the audit conducted concluded that there was no evidence of any intentional or deliberate act to violate the law, it's also clear that changes need to be made to the FBI's procedures so that they reflect the scope and intent of the law rather than the evolution of general practice. I look forward to hearing from the FBI about what procedures were in place during the time of the inspector general's audit, and how, given the inadequacies identified by the inspector general, the FBI plans to correct this. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. CONYERS: Thank you. All other opening statements will be included in the record. Mr. Glem A. Fine, inspector general at the Department of Justice, a post held since he was confirmed by the Senate on December 15th, 2000, Mr. Fine’s worked for the department's Office of Inspector General in a variety of capacities since January 1995. He's had several years in private practice, and also served as an assistant United States attorney in Washington, D.C. We're also privileged to have with us the general counsel! of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ms. Valerie Caproni, a position she's held since August 2003. Prior to that, Ms. Caproni served as an assistant United States attorney in the Eastern District of New York, as a supervisor at the Securities and Exchange Commisston, and also worked in private practice.