DOJ Defends Surveillance Applications in Review of IG Findings

All Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act applications in question in a March inspector general report “contained sufficient basis for probable cause,” DOJ said Monday, defending the agency’s surveillance practices (see 2003310068). The FBI and the DOJ National Security Division took “more than 40 corrective actions.” The IG uncovered widespread FBI wiretapping application flaws in the March report, with specific issues for the FBI’s Woods files. Woods procedures require DOJ officials verify that information submitted to the FISA court matches FBI investigatory data. Justice reviewed the 29 FISA applications and “uncovered only two material errors, neither of which invalidated the authorizations granted by the FISA Court,” Assistant Attorney General John Demers said: That included “one material misstatement and one material omission.” The FBI compiled Woods files for the four applications where an original file was missing, “and the FBI was able in many instances to locate documentation to support a factual assertion,” Demers said.