◆ SpookStack

The reason for this strict adherence to civil liberties lies in the regime of oversight, legal limitations and self-reguiation that governs our investigative activities within the US. This regime 's comprehensive, and It nas many facets, including the following. Statutory Limitations: The following statutes, among others, help to guarantee that the Bureau's operations remain clearly within the bounds of the Constitution and of propriety. * The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978—This law established a process for obtaining Judicial approval of electronic surveillance and physical searches for the purpose of collecting foreign intelligence information. * The Whistleblower Protection Acts of 1989 and 1998—These laws protect whistleblowers from retaliation * The Freedom of Information Act of 1966—This law provides the public with effective access to ail FBI documents not covered by a specific statutory exemption. * The Privacy Act of 1974—This law forbids the FBI and other federal! agencies fram collecting information about how individuals exercise their First Amendment rights, unless that collection is expressly authorized by statute or by the individual, or is pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity. Oversight Mechanisms: + Congressional Oversight—Commnittees of the U.S. Congress, primarily the House and Senate Judiciary, intelligence, Appropriations, and Government Reform/Governmental Affairs Committees, have broad oversight authority over the FBI. These committees — along with others — exercise regular, vigorous oversight into all aspects of the FBI's operations. This oversight has significantly increased in breadth and intensity since the 1970's, and it provides important additional assurance that the FBI conducts its investigations in accordance with the law and the Constitution. Counterintelligence Oversight—The FBI's counterintelligence operations are subject to significant outside oversight beyond that conducted by Congress. DOJ’s Office of intelligence Policy and Review, which was established in 1981 as required by Executive Order 12333, monitors intelligence and counterintelligence investigations conducted by U.S intelligence agencies and provides Congress a series of semi-annual reports on various aspects of the FBI's countenntelligence operations. The FBI also is subject to oversight by the Intelligence Oversight Board Established in 1993, the Intelligence Oversight Board 1s comprised of four members appointed from the membership of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. Among its other responsibilities, the Intelligence Oversight Board reviews ail violations of national security law, Executive Order or Presidential Decision Directive by the FB! and the other intelligence agencies, and issues reports thereon to the President and the Attorney General PMISC DOC. #5 71 000000410