Lawmakers (Rep. John Conyers) ask FBI director to end abuses over records

[The Straight Story]

Lawmakers ask FBI director to end abuses over records
CongressDaily April 16, 2010

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and two senior lawmakers on his panel asked FBI Director Robert Mueller Thursday to take action to ensure that bureau employees do not abuse their powers when requesting telephone records.

The lawmakers pointed to a January report by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine documenting the improper use of emergency, or exigent, letters to obtain phone records of Americans between 2003 and 2006.

Conyers was joined by Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and ranking member Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., in sending a written request to Mueller.

Noting that the FBI issued a memo to agents in 2007 that exigent letters are not proper, the lawmakers said Mueller should take action to make that guidance binding.

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