FBI Would Skirt the Law With Proposed Phone Record Program, Experts Say

[RamboLiberal]

Source: ABC News

A proposed new FBI program would skirt federal laws by paying private companies to hold millions of phone and Internet records which the bureau is barred from keeping itself, experts say.

The $5 million project would apparently pay private firms to store at least two years' worth of telephone and Internet activity by millions of Americans, few of whom would ever be considered a suspect in any terrorism, intelligence or criminal matter.

The project would involve "the development of data storage and retrieval systems...for at least two years' worth of network calling records," according to an unclassified budget document posted to the FBI's Web site. The FBI did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

The FBI is barred by law from collecting and storing such data if it has no connection to a specific investigation or intelligence matter.



Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/07/fbi-would-skirt.html

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WTF - this sounds like Poindexter again! And what shadowy Repuke patron's firm will be collecting the cash for skirting the Constitution?!

[Kagemusha]

1. That can't be legal.

It can't be held specifically or exclusively for the FBI and not be construed as a matter of law as being records the FBI itself is holding. That it's by proxy shouldn't matter at all under the law.

[Nickster]

2. Hold on! I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that it's ChoicePoint doing this!

[calimary]

3. I'm really starting to wonder what the hell we even have laws for - if

all our government wants to do is "skirt" them. With Justice Department and other operatives asking each other - "isn't there a way we can get around this?" WHY THE HELL ARE WE EVEN BOTHERING WITH LAWS ANYMORE???