Alleged FBI cheating investigated

WASHINGTON, July 29 (UPI) -- The Justice Department said it is investigating alleged cheating by hundreds of FBI agents on exams.

The Office of Inspector General is investigating whether agents might have cheated on tests involving guidelines limiting surveillance, CNN reported Thursday.

FBI Director Robert Mueller was asked during a congressional hearing Wednesday about the alleged cheating. He said he didn't know how many agents might have cheated and he doesn't know if the inspector general knows either.

Mueller said the tests in question were given a year ago and any such cheating incidents might have occurred because of a lack of procedural understanding.

Even so, "it was an open-book test," Mueller said. Mueller said testing rules said agents taking the tests should not get help from another person.

Mueller told CNN he believes agents understand "what can be investigated, how it must be investigated." Additionally, he said the training is effective and has resulted in an 80 percent reduction in paperwork errors.