Telecoms Cut FBI Wiretaps Over Late Bills

Justice Department Audit Cites Lax Oversight, Poor Supervision Of Eavesdropping Program

(AP)  Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau's repeated failures to pay phone bills on time.

A Justice Department audit released Thursday blamed the lost connections on the FBI's lax oversight of money used in undercover investigations. Poor supervision of the program also allowed one employee to steal $25,000, the audit said.

In at least one case, a wiretap used in a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act investigation "was halted due to untimely payment," the audit found. FISA wiretaps are used in the government's most sensitive and secretive criminal and intelligence investigations, and allow eavesdropping on suspected terrorists or spies.

"We also found that late payments have resulted in telecommunications carriers actually disconnecting phone lines established to deliver surveillance results to the FBI, resulting in lost evidence," according to the audit by Inspector General Glenn A. Fine.

More than half of 990 bills to pay for telecommunication surveillance in five unidentified FBI field offices were not paid on time, the report shows. In one office alone, unpaid costs for wiretaps from one phone company totaled $66,000.

Assistant FBI Director John Miller said the bureau is working to fix the problems "to ensure appropriate oversight."

"While there is widespread agreement that the current financial management system, first introduced in the 1980's is inadequate, the FBI will not tolerate financial mismanagement, or worse, and is addressing the issues identified in the audit," Miller said in a statement.

The report released Thursday was a highly edited version of Fine's 87-page audit that the FBI deemed too sensitive to be viewed publicly. It focused on what the FBI admitted was an "antiquated" system to track money sent to its 56 field offices nationwide for undercover work. Generally, the money pays for rental cars, leases and surveillance, the audit noted.

It also found that some field offices paid for expenses on undercover cases that should have been financed by FBI headquarters. Out of 130 undercover payments examined, auditors found 14 cases of at least $6,000 each where field offices dipped into their own budgets to pay for work that should have been picked up by headquarters.

The faulty bookkeeping was blamed, in large part, in the case of an FBI agent who pleaded guilty in June 2006 to stealing $25,000 for her own use, the audit noted.

"As demonstrated by the FBI employee who stole funds intended to support undercover activities, procedural controls by themselves have not ensured proper tracking and use of confidential case funds," it concluded.

Fine's report offered 16 recommendations to improve the FBI's tracking and management of the funding system, including its telecommunication costs. The FBI has agreed to follow 11 of the suggestions but said that four "would be either unfeasible or too cost prohibitive." The recommendations were not specifically outlined in the edited version of the report.

[slim1h2o]

Just another failure for, well you know who. They are presiding over the demise of the U.S.

This is just one more nail. Can''t wait for the year 2012

[quetzal666]

LOL....
who would have thought....
the Phone company is doing what the Congress could not do.... too funny!!!!

[slim1h2o]

I just knew there was something funny about you - Slim

Posted by parrot2 at 03:01 PM : Jan 10, 20

Oh,, And what would that be,,can''t handle the truth?

[joesrc1]

goverment agencies have been known to screw up a free lunch.

[samael2014]

America land of the fascist police state, where even Big Brother has to pay its bills.

This one certainly deserves a GOD BLESS AMERICA. LMFAO.

[neoconslayer]

So...no problem with trampling on the Constitution as long as the bills are paid.

[lawyertom1]

The Shrub''s minnons violate the Fourth Amendment, seek immunity from Congress, and then do not pay their bills. LOL.

[macusweil]

waste and mismanagement by Bush administration what a surprise.. this is why the traitorous ''patriot act must be undone.. it is so ripe for abuse of power, it is only a matter of time until we learn of flagrant violation of the rights of US citizens

ugh!! ..is it 2009 yet?

[omega39-2009]

If the bible were being written today, there would surly be a parable about going into business with a Bush.

[joyous88]

Criminal organization, criminal administration,criminal president,

Our christian evangelical conservative government continues in it well planned incompetance,

all brought to us by the faith based BRIBE and the MINDLESS Christian Vote

[walt1944-2009]

The Great Emperor Bush II is upset that the phone company would dare to cut wire taps conducted by the FBI of suspected "terrrrrrorists" because the FBI won''t pay its bills. After all, how can the Great Emperor be "all knowing" and continue to spy on everyone when the very companies he has sworn to protect from high taxes, are "shutting HIM OFF"!

Of course, the hard fact that if individuals don''t pay their phone bills, they get cut off too, doesn''t bother the Great Emperor who feels that his spying on everyone is of the utmost importance TO HIM and the devil with everyone else!

Because of this situation, phone companies across the country are running the risk of being labeled "enemy combatants" by the Great Emperor and subjected to the same treatment that suspected "terrrrrorists" are!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!!

[rangerdahl]

And all the time you liberal paranoids have thought that the government was monitoring your phone calls and plotting to put you in jail. And all the while I have been telling you that monitoring everyon;es phone calls was impossible. Now will you believe me? Will you now believe that there isn''t sme fascist, right wing conspiracy to create a police sate? Are you now willing to put the down the paranoia banner and just live your life? After all, if they can''t pay their bills how the hell do you think think they are prepared to put millions of guys together to monitory everyon;e phone calls? Do you relaize how many people it would take to bug every phone call in the whole country?

[Krazcarl]

WE ALL KNOW YOU HAVE TO PAY THE PHONE CO. LOOKS LIKE SOME FEDS USED THIS TO LINE THIER POCKETS.

[generey]

Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau''s repeated failures to pay phone bills on time.

YEA RIGHT.

[clestes-2009]

Well now, isn''t this just hysterical? I feel better today knowing that they aren''t listening due to failure to pay the bills.

I hope they cut off ALL the illegal wiretaps and refuse to connect them again.

what a pathetic joke the FBI is.

[trmang]

The FBI is a joke, after all, it was the IRS that finally got Al Copone, not the FBI. Now they don''t even pay thier bills.

[offtheback]

lastdance7

You left out leafsandtrees

[offtheback]

The bills are not paid because DickNBush haven''''t found a way to hide the costs of their criminal activities from Congress and the American people.

For anybody wondering why, day after day, the citizens of American are outraged, disgusted and embarrassed by the actions of the DickNBush government, here''''s a key reason: Nancy "Impeachment-is-off-the-table" Pelosi, who unilaterally granted these criminals immunity from prosecution for their high crimes and misdemeanors.

This utterly incompetent political hack will go down in history as the worst Speaker of the House ever. She will live in infamy for openly declaring to the most criminal president and vice president ever that "You can do whatever you want, we in Congress won''''t do our constitutional duty and stop your high crimes and misdemeanors. H''''ell, we won''''t even bother to open an impeachment investigation, and we''''ll just ignore Kucinich''''s Articles of Impeachment for Cheney, HR #333. So go ahead, destroy the Constitution, abuse the Bill of Rights and make a mockery of the American democracy. We''''ll look the other way."

Any rational person will hope and pray and do all they can to ensure that Cindy Sheehan defeats Pelosi in the next election.

Posted by ImpeachNOW

I agree with what you say, but there is a scratch in your record. get some new material in your cut and paste.

[random_radar]

As always, "the check is in the mail."

[pakaal]

Sure shows us how important all that Bush/Cheney rhetoric about FISA really was, huh?

Chalk up yet another huge embarassment for this lame duck administration. But it''s nice to see they can still prove they''re completely incompetent.

[pakaal]

rangerdahl: "And all the time you liberal paranoids have thought that the government was monitoring your phone calls and plotting to put you in jail."

Yes, when in reality it was all the Wingnut Cons who had it wrong in thinking Bush could actually manage the federal government!

[offtheback]

As always, "the check is in the mail"

Posted by random_radar

"I love you" and "I promise not to come in your mouth"

That about covers it...

[formrusmcsgt]

They can''t even handle their A/P''s and they''re charged with domestic intelligence?

What an outright joke this is.

[denn034]

Here''s hoping al Qaeda doesn''t take advantage of this.

[offtheback]

They can''''t even handle their A/P''''s and they''''re charged with domestic intelligence?

What an outright joke this is.

Posted by formrusmcsgt

They need to move some people from the IRS AR dept. to the FBI AP dept. then you would see some stuff happen. Oh, wait, then you have the whole territorial thing going on, which is what cripples the nation on a daily basis.
Our tax dollars at work...

[b-easy63]

talk about being ****** for money. first the companies cooperate with illegal wiretaps just because Bush wants them then they cut some of them off because they don''t get their money on time. and to think we wondered if our government was for sale--turns out not only are they for sale--they are subject to bill collection and cut offs like everyone else --when they don''t pay their bills.....and Bush wants immunity for them.

[b-easy63]

And all the while I have been telling you that monitoring everyon;es phone calls was impossible. Now will you believe me? Will you now believe that there isn''''t sme fascist, right wing conspiracy to create a police sate? Are you now willing to put the down the paranoia banner and just live your life? After all, if they can''''t pay their bills how the hell do you think think they are prepared to put millions of guys together to monitory everyon;e phone calls? Do you relaize how many people it would take to bug every phone call in the whole country?

Posted by rangerdahl at 04:37 PM : Jan 10, 2008


If it is not possible--it is only because the government is stealing the money instead of paying their bills. That does not mean it is impossible--or that they were not doing it--it means they are their own worst enemy and greed trumps the excuse of tapping all of us as potential terrorists. No pay--no play.

[taylpatr]

Last time I checked, they still worked for US!So they take our tax money to pay for phone bills that are used to spy on us for our own good, all the while running the biggest deficet ever into the worst recession ever. Capitalism is a good thing?

[rowdytexan2]

I guess they had to put the bills under executive privilege before they got paid???

This is priceless! omg, I can see some agent in a closet in Quantico listening to a conversation between some legislator having phone *** and suddenly the line goes dead!!! rofl rofl rofl!!!

Or maybe somebody overheard a conversation between Cheney and Osama talking about the next payment, got paranoid someone else might be listening in, and pulled the plug on all the lines and claimed the lines were cut off for nonpayment, rofl! rofl!

And some $15 an hour accounting employee faking bills and putting the money in their own account at the tune of $25,000, omg that''s hilarious!

Somebody pull the plug on Bush''s Quickbooks quick!!!

[rangerdahl]

b-easy63:

Um, what? Look, there is now way they monitored the number of phone calls the paranoids claim. For some reason, liberals think that the ocnstitution is on its death throws due to gestapo tactics by the government. Look, do me a favor, name one person who has had their rights violated by this and ended up in jail from trumped up charges due to unconstitutional evidence gathering...just one case. one. You guys are delusional and you should be ashamed of yourselves for being so niave and gullible.

[Republicae]

That''s absolutely hysterical, especially considering this same government and its Federal Reserve collaborators are effectively bankrupting the people of this country through their fiat monetary system.

Why is it that no other candidate but Ron Paul is addressing this issue.

Consider this: a person making $32,000 per year today has the equivalent purchasing power of $5,907.40 in 1970 dollars. So, the same person making $15.38 per hour today is equal to making $2.84 per hour in real purchasing power in 1970 dollars. It is not the price of goods and services that have risen so much, but the purchasing power of our dollar that has been so drastically reduced. Our standard of living has been effectively reduced through fiat money inflation.

Is there any wonder that poverty is becoming rampant? The government has no other choice but enforce minimum wages in order to keep the working poor at some level of subsistence. At the current $5.85 per hour a person has the same 1970 purchasing power of $1.08 per hour, at 40 hours per week that person is effectively making $43.20 per week to make ends meet.

VOTE RON PAUL...STOP THE THEFT--SAVE THE COUNTRY--SAVE YOUR FAMILIES!!!

[formrusmcsgt]

VOTE RON PAUL...STOP THE THEFT--SAVE THE COUNTRY--SAVE YOUR FAMILIES!!!

Posted by Republicae at 06:45 PM : Jan 10, 2008

Yeah right....

Ron Paul ''90s newsletters rant against blacks, ***

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A series of newsletters in the name of GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul contain several racist remarks -- including one that says order was restored to Los Angeles after the 1992 riots when blacks went "to pick up their welfare checks."

CNN recently obtained the newsletters -- written in the 1990s and one from the late 1980s -- after a report was published about their existence in The New Republic.

None of the newsletters CNN found says who wrote them, but each was published under Paul''s name between his stints as a U.S. congressman from Texas.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/10/paul.newsletters/?iref=mpstoryview

[gkc99]

So the phone companies roll over for illegal wiretaps, in violation of their own contracts with consumers, but nobody better fail to pay their bill!

[rafterman1]

How ironic. The Constitution doesn''t stop illegal wiretaps, not paying the bill does. The "new" America in a nutshell.

[ioweign]

Look, do me a favor, name one person who has had their rights violated by this and ended up in jail from trumped up charges due to unconstitutional evidence gathering...just one case. one.

Posted by rangerdahl at 06:27 PM : Jan 10, 2008


Brandon Mayfield

Mayfield was subject to unconstitutional surveillance under the Patriot Act and subsequently arrested and held without charge. Mayfield wrote a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee members Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Russell Feingold (D-WI) asking that they consider the effect that the FISA Amendments Act of 2007 would have on innocent Americans.

"Mr. Mayfield%u2019s case is a cautionary tale," said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "When we give the government too much power at the cost of our civil liberties, no one is safe. Mr. Mayfield%u2019s experience has taught us that expanding government powers without checks and balances can actually effect and ruin people''s lives. Congress has an obligation to make certain that innocent Americans and their rights are protected."

[mcv57]

LoL, FBI - Freeloaders, Bums, and Idiots

[kansas1946]

AP) Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau''s repeated failures to pay phone bills on time.
*************************************
LOL. Well maybe we have all been worried about our privacy needlessly. Maybe the government under the Bush administration is just to inept to be able to spy on is, just like their bumbling, inept, boss!

[mcv57]

It just dawned on me. Wiretapping is illegal, therefore, to finance such a program is crimminal. Soon, the FBI will be working out of the White House basement.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Audit: Lax Oversight Of Money For Surveillance Led To Fraud, Halts Of Criminal and Terror Wiretaps"

And they say "Trust us, we only tap the terrorists"

"Trust us"...

Quoth the Brian, "Nevermore, and I didn''t before"...

[glaswolf]

If this low level sacking is going on, what other decay and negligence is wandering within the minds of those who ought to be watching the watchers. Someone is signing without reading. Someone is vouching without cause or adequate rationale. Whoever is cutting off the FBI taps could just as easily sever essential communications passed thru their loops ... so we need to separate martial communication''s protocols from civilian interfacing ... It''s a fact we know now. WE cannot as a nation depend upon those who thru assertions became participant in war. A certain portion of their resources must be drafted and military officers linked into checking and monitoring to ensure thru put in times of need.

[mcv57]

Wire tapping is legal as long as you have legal authority to do it.

Posted by ilikecats1

That is just the point, ilikecats1, FBI wiretapping is not warranted. I am assume this random wiretapping is part of the unconstitutional program called the Patriot Act.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by glaswolf
If the FBI doesn''t deem it necessary to pay their bills, and would rather pocket the money, then why bill them anyway, and why budget money to pay it?

The phone company is a privately owned business, and unless you are going to "eminent domain" those people (which isn''t a bad idea, actually), the FBI has lo legal right to order them to provide service, any more than they can order you to do your job for free.

[brianbwb-2009]

I meant "no legal right", sorry for the typo.

[alphaa10-2009]

How can telcos defend their violation of the privacy rights of American citizens?

They cannot claim they hold FBI requests paramount when they cut active surveillance because of non-payment. It would appear timely payment trumps all other concerns with telco management, even national security.

Clearly, the telcos pretend high principle, but resort to the most petty, greedy, materialistic policies in practice.

Therefore, they cannot be held immune from actions by American citizens defending their privacy rights. What telcos have done is a crime, and the FBI aided and abetted that crime.

The telcos broke the law, said Sen. Chris Dodd, "betraying millions of customers'' trust" by handing over phone records to the government for construction of a massive database. Dodd said lawsuits against the companies was "the last bastion of oversight of the president''s warrantless wiretapping program."

[ramos937]

The FBI cannot afford to pay its phone bill and last night the GOP Presidential candidates want to cut taxes??

How dumb can you be??

[simpleguy234]

Ramos Dude? Do you not understand what is happening here? Wasteful spending!!!! No money because they blew it on other useless ***

[watcher269-2009]

This is SOOOOO funny.

Maybe the government should raise taxes to pay the Fricken Bills.

[jjp735i]

The telephone companies want immunity and their money!
What a suprise.

[gunnerv1]

lastdance7 If you can prove any of your claims, then you should go public, if not, then shut the *** up!

[l8c6]

In other words, private corporations are hoes who will do anything, treason no exception, so long as you show them the money !