Grassley wants bomb suspect's papers

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Thursday the U.S. government violated the law by refusing to provide his office with immigration papers on a bombing suspect.

Grassley, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano telling her DHS denied him documents on Farooque Ahmed on Nov. 1 because Ahmed had not signed a privacy release, The Hill newspaper reported.

Ahmed allegedly plotted to bomb the Washington Metro system, officials say.

Grassley's letter to Napolitano said the refusal is "unacceptable as a matter of accountability" and ignores a Privacy Act provision granting Congress access to this type of information, Grassley said.

The letter formally requested documents pertaining to Ahmed's immigration status and for DHS to support its decision not to provide them with legal opinions and analysis, The Hill said.