Inspector General Report Uncovers Widespread FISA Abuse

A report from the Department of Justice's Inspector General has uncovered widespread abuse of FISA surveillance authority by the DOJ. The Inspector General "identified apparent errors or inadequately supported facts" in each of the 25 surveillance applications it reviewed. The report follows an earlier investigation by the Inspector General which found the FBI personnel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election "fell far short of the requirement in FBI policy that they ensure that all factual statements in a FISA application are 'scrupulously accurate.'" EPIC closely tracks the use of FISA authority. EPIC has advocated for significant FISA reforms for more than a decade, and recently advised Congress to reform Section 702 of FISA and to sunset Section 215 of the Patriot Act. Members of both parties have recently expressed support for reforming U.S. surveillance authorities.