U.S. Patriot Act being used in many nonterrorism cases (NYT)

[Nambe]

Eric Lichtblau NYT

The Bush administration, which calls the U.S.A. Patriot Act perhaps its most essential tool in fighting terrorists, has begun using the law with increasing frequency in many criminal investigations that have little or no connection to terrorism.

The government is using its expanded authority under the far-reaching law to investigate suspected drug traffickers, white-collar criminals, blackmailers, child pornographers, money launderers, spies and even corrupt foreign leaders, U.S. officials said. Justice Department officials say they are simply using all the tools now available to them to pursue criminals - terrorists or otherwise. But critics of the administration's antiterrorism tactics assert that such use of the law is evidence the administration has sold the American public a false bill of goods, using terrorism as a guise to pursue a broader law enforcement agenda. Justice Department officials point out that they have employed their newfound authority, including expanded surveillance powers, in many instances against suspected terrorists.

But a new Justice Department report, given to members of Congress this month, also cites more than a dozen cases that are not directly related to terrorism. In them, authorities have used their expanded power to investigate individuals, initiate wiretaps and other surveillance, or seize millions of dollars in tainted assets.

For instance, the ability to secure nationwide warrants to obtain e-mail and electronic evidence "has proved invaluable in several sensitive nonterrorism investigations," including the tracking of an unidentified fugitive and an investigation into a computer hacker who stole trade secrets, the report said. ---


Je suis desole que mon president soit un idiot.

[sistersofmercy]

1. Moi, aussi! Il est un cochon!

[Cha]

2. Some caller on c-span the other morning said that the bushwa

was going to use the "patriot act" to keep People from protesting when they took away Social Security..

That got my attention! :kick:

[Nottingham]

3. And get ready it could happen! So many people will want to leave

its not funny! :bounce:

[gristy]

4. A snide comment keeps trying to work its way out of my mouth

but my sadness blocks it.

[MasonJar]

5. White collar crime my eye

If they have some many uses for the PA, then they should have Kenny Boy, Cheney, Bush and the anthrax killer in the clink by now.