WASHINGTON, March 12 (UPI) -- The Arab American Institute Monday called for renewed judicial oversight on National Security Letters.
The AAI in a statement said it was disappointed "in the results of an audit performed by the Department of Justice Inspector General on the use of National Security Letters (NSL) by the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
The organization called for "the reinstitution of judicial oversight of the process."
"During the reauthorization of the Patriot Act, AAI supported reforms that would have strengthened judicial oversight and set clear standards for the use of NSLs and other powers granted by the Patriot Act," the group said. However, it noted that the report, "which examined a small percentage of the 20,000 NSLs issued last year, found problems indicating possible overuse, underreporting, and abuse of those powers, as well as concluding that the FBI failed to properly establish oversight processes for its agents."
"What we see in this report is the inevitable consequence of a lack of accountability, transparency, and oversight, all of which were concerns expressed during the debate to reauthorize the Patriot Act," said AAI President James Zogby. "The consequences our democratic values and trust in law enforcement have been seriously compromised, as we feared."
AAI noted that in the report, "Inspector General Glenn Fine's office criticized the FBI for the manner in which it demanded and received personal records from telephone, internet and financial companies."
"We believe the improper or illegal uses we found involve serious misuses of national security letter authorities," the report said.
AAI said it also was troubled by "the report's finding regarding the use of 'exigent letters' to obtain information quickly in non-emergency circumstances, or instances in which they were not followed-up, as promised, by grand jury subpoenas or National Security Letters."
