Report: FBI’s focus on fighting terrorism has left fewer agents to fight white collar crime

[maddezmom]

Report: FBI’s focus on fighting terrorism has left fewer agents to fight white collar crime
By Associated Press
Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - Updated: 06:53 AM EST

SEATTLE - The Bush administration’s refocusing of the FBI in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks has left far fewer agents to target certain white-collar crime cases the bureau has traditionally pursued, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported Wednesday.

More than five years after the attacks, the Justice Department has failed to replace at least 2,400 agents who were detailed to focus on counterterrorism, the newspapers said.

The switch has led to thousands of white-collar criminals nationwide who are no longer prosecuted in federal court, frustrated victims and potentially billions of dollars, the newspaper said.



”Politically, this trade-off has been accepted,” said Charles Mandigo, who retired four years ago as special agent in charge in Seattle. ”But do the American people know this trade-off has been made?”


more:http://news.bostonherald.com/national/view.bg?articleid=194110