FBI Confirms Spying on Government Workers

FBI Confirms Spying on Government Workers
by Steven DTue May 16th, 2006 at 08:32:43 AM EST

It's not just reporters:

WASHINGTON -- The FBI acknowledged Monday that it checks records of telephone calls made by government employees as part of criminal investigations of leaks of classified information, but the bureau denied that it routinely tracks calls made to and by reporters.
So how does the FBI justify these searches? Does it get warrants? Well, no, but it's got something even better:

The FBI can seek warrants and subpoenas from judges and grand juries, either through traditional courts or a secret court established for espionage and terrorism investigations. The bureau also has the power to seek subscribers' telephone and Internet records without approval of a judge or grand jury in espionage and terrorism cases by issuing a National Security Letter.
The FBI sought information last year on 3,501 U.S. citizens and legal residents through those letters, the Justice Department said last month.

Ongoing government investigations are attempting to determine who leaked the name of a CIA operative in 2003 as well as the existence of the National Security Agency's warrantless eavesdropping program last year.

Ah, the good old National Security Letter. Thank goodness for the Patriot Act, eh? Without it our poor FBI agents would have no chance to investigate who has been making all those damaging leaks about the Bush administration's illegal spying.

Of course, leaks are just awful, as we all know, unless they are officially approved leaks. Selected bits of classified information that misleads the American public, or which outs a CIA operative gets the A-Okay from Bush and Cheney. No need to investigate those leaks too closely. But leaks about the following -- not so much:

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