Inspector general finds more FISA errors

The FBI routinely misuses the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, according to U.S. Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz. He opened a broad review of how the FBI uses the secret surveillance process after finding “significant inaccuracies and omissions” last year in the FISA application to wiretap members of President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign staff.

What kinds of errors? The FBI could not produce any supporting documents or records in four of the 29 FISA applications the inspector general’s office reviewed, Horowitz said. He cited errors or inadequately supported facts in all of the other 25 requests. One application alone contained 65 errors.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Daniel James Devine’s 2013 report on how amendments to FISA paved the way for broad FBI surveillance of Americans.