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HOT-1LGS: O2-20-G7 Pack Sheet: Department Of Justice Corrective Actions on the FRI’s Use of National Seeurity Letters FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2007 WWW .USDOT. SOVNSD (202) 514-2007 TOD (202) 5214-1888 Fact Sheet: Departinent Of Justice Corrective Actions on the PBI’s Use of National Security Letters WASHINGTON - Nearly two weeks ayo, the Attorney General commended the work of the Inspector General in uncovering serious problems in the FBI's use of National Security Letters (NSLs). The Attorney General and the Director of the FBI agreed that that such mistakes would not be tolerated, and the Attorney General ordered the FEI and the Justice Department fo put in place safeguards to ensure greater oversight and controls aver the use of NSLs. Since that time, the FBI and Justice Department have moved expeditiously toa implement the recommendations of the Inspector General’s report and to create additional safequards to ensure that NSLS are used properly. Below are some of the actions that the FEI and Justice Department have taken to date and will be taking in the near future to address these shortcomings: New Oversight and Auditing of the FBI’s Use of NSLs *Initial Auclit - Last Friday, the FBI's Iaspection Division launched a retrospective audit of the use of NSLs in all 56 FBI field cfFicez nationwide. The FEI consulted with and received input from the Justice Department’ s National Security Division (NSD) and the Department’s Chief Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer (CPCLO) in developing its plan for the audit, which is based upon the Inspector General’s methodology for identifying potential Intelligence Oversight Board ({IOB) violations. While this audit is being led by the FRI’s Inspection Division, the Justice Department’s NSD and CECL® are also participating in the audits at various FBI field offices. *“Reqular Audits Going Forward - Starting next month, the Justice Department's NSB, in conjunction with the CPCLO, the FBI's Inspection Division and the PRI's Office of General Counsel, will begin conducting comprehensive reviews of the use of NSLs at FBI headquarters and in field offices around the eointry. It is expected that the finclings of the FEI’s initial audit will inform the process of these ongoing reviews. This is a new level of eversight by Department of Justice lawyers with years of experience in intelligence and law enforcement. Prohibition on the Use of “Exigent” Letters *On March 5, 2007, the FBI issued a Buréau-wide directive prohibiting the use of the exigent letters described in the Inspector General’s report. All FBI field offices have been asked to identify any use in their office of an exigent letter or anything akin to an exigent letter. *The FRI Director in February 2007 ordered an expedited review by the Inspection hivision of the unit that issued the exigent letters described in the Inspector General’s ceport, for the purpose of determining management accountability. *The NSL audits described above will also include a review of whether exigent letters described in the Inspector General’s report were issued in cther FBI field offices. *The Associate Deputy Attorney General and the Justice Department’ s Office of Frofessional Responsibility are also examining the role FBE officials played in the wee of NSLS and exigent letters. New Oversight of FBI-Reported IOB Violations *The Justice Department’s NSD will now review all Intelligence Oversight Board {IOB) violations that the FBT reports to the IGB. When reviewing these IOB ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS UNCLASSIFIED D&TE 06-08-2007 BY 651738 DMH/ESR/ IU 1073946