|
Friday, March 09, 2007
Reaction to government audit finding 'serious misuse' of Patriot Act
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Here is reaction to a government audit saying the FBI is guilty of "serious misuse" of the power to secretly obtain private information under the Patriot Act:
"The inspector general's report should come as no surprise. And it should come as no surprise that Attorney General Gonzales is eager to blame the FBI, or that the FBI engaged in these abuses. The attorney general and the FBI are part of the problem and they cannot be trusted to be part of the solution. Congress must act immediately to repeal these dangerous Patriot Act provisions." "I have long been troubled by the lack of accountability on these national security letters. They need to be reassessed. The report indicates abuse of the authority. That needs to change. You've got to have people who are responsible and in charge, and you cannot have people act as free agents on something where they are going to be delving into your privacy. "We all want to stop terrorists. We all want to stop criminals. But the FBI work for us, the American people, not the other way around." "There will be oversight hearings, and we may have to go farther than that and change the law to revise the Patriot Act to impose statutory requirements and perhaps take away some of the authority which we've already given to the FBI, since they appear not to be able to know how to use it." "I expect more from the FBI and its leaders, especially since during the last Congress when we had the FBI in for hearings on this subject, we expressed our concern regarding the potential abuse of NSLs and emphasized that strict procedures be followed. Apparently, our concerns were well-founded. ... These mistakes, while perhaps not intentional, must be rectified. I intend to hold briefings and hearings to understand the scope of these problems and to ensure corrective action has been taken." |
About the CNN Political Ticker
The CNN Political Ticker provides the latest political news.To sign up for our twice daily Ticker emails, visit CNN.com member services page. If you do not have a CNN.com account, you can register here. If you have any feedback, suggestions or news tips, drop us a line here. NEW IN THE TICKER
• McCain criticizes Dems' Iraq plan, offers praise t...• Gingrich acknowledges affair during Clinton impeac... • Union threatens to ask Democrats to pull conventio... • McCain finds new way to raise money online • CNN Political Ticker AM • Rove praises Obama, calls him 'articulate' • North Carolina Republican says he supports House D... • Senate Dems to hold vote on binding Iraq resolutio... • Columbian students protest upcoming Bush visit • Kucinich forced to repay FEC $135,000 |

