◆ SpookStack

Key Excerpts from the Unclassified IG Report The FBI self-identified the inaccurate reporting, and told Congress a year ago (pa. xvii and 33): In March 2006, the FBI acknowledged to the Attorney General and Congress that NSL data in the semiannual classified reports may not have been accurate and stated that the data entry delays affected an unspecified nurnber of NSL requests. After the FBI became aware of these delays, it took steps to reduce the impact of the delays to negligible levels for the second half of CY 2005. The iG Found No Criminal Misconduct (pg. xxviii, fn.26) : In this report, we use the terms "improper or illegal use” as contained in the Patriot Reauthorization Act. As noted below, the improper or itlegal uses of the national security letter authorities we found in our review did not involve criminal misconduct. However, as also noted below, the improper or illegal uses we found included serious misuses of national security letter authority. No deliberate or intentional violations; but rather, qood faith mistakes; confusion (pg. 0): Our examination of the 26 possible IOB violations reported to FBI OGC did not reveal deliberate or intentional violations of NSL statutes, the Attorney General Guidelines or internal FBI policy. Although the majority of the possible violations - 22 of 26 - arose from FBI errors, most of them occurred because of typographical errors or the case agent's good faith but erroneous belief that the information requested related to an investigative subject. (pg. adi?) Our review did not reveal intentional violations of national security letter authorities, the Attorney General Guidelines or internal FBI policy. Rather, we found confusion about the authorities available under the various NSL statutes. IG found in most cases we sought information we were entitled to (pg. xlvili and 124): Finaily, in evaluating the FBI's use of national security letters, it is important to note the significant challenges the FBI was facing during the period covered by our review and the major organizational changes it was. undergoing. Moreover, it is also important to recognize that in most cases the FBI was seeking to obtain information that it could have obtained properly if it had followed applicable statutes, guidelines, and internal policies. We also did not find any indication that the FBI's misuse of NSL authorities constituted criminal misconduct.