The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General said it is reviewing the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s use of information gathered through the National Security Agency’s telephony metadata program and will examine the role that leads gathered through the program have had in counterterrorism efforts. In its report to Congress on implementation of Section 1001 of the USA PATRIOT Act, the DoJ’s IG detailed actions it has taken related to claims of civil rights or civil liberties violations allegedly committed by DoJ employees.

The IG also detailed other related activities, including submitting a classified report in May 2015 on the FBI’s use of pen registers and trap and trace devices under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

 In addition, the IG said review of the NSA collection of telephone metadata under section 215 of the PATRIOT Act would “examine the FBI’s procedures for receiving, processing, and disseminating leads the NSA develops from the metadata, and any changes that have been made to these procedures over time.”

 The IG said the review would “also examine how FBI field offices respond to leads, and the scope and type of information field offices collect as a result of any investigative activity that is initiated. In addition, the review will examine the role the leads have had in FBI counterterrorism efforts.”

The IG also said it was examining the Drug Enforcement Agency’s use of administrative subpoenas to obtain broad collections of data or information and the FBI’s use of section 215 authority in 2012-2014, as required by the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015.  – Brian Hammond, brian.hammond@wolterskluwer.com

Courtesy TRDaily