FBI tap experts
A telephone company cut off an FBI international wiretap after the agency failed to pay its bill on time, according to a U.S. government audit.
The Justice Department’s inspector general faulted the FBI for poor handling of money used in undercover investigations, which it said made the agency vulnerable to theft and mishandled invoices.
It cited the case in which a wiretap under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which governs electronic spying in terrorism and intelligence cases, was disrupted due to an overdue bill.
“Late payments have resulted in telecommunications carriers actually disconnecting phone lines established to deliver surveillance results to the FBI, resulting in lost evidence, including an instance where delivery of intercept information required by a … FISA order was halted due to untimely payment,” the audit said.
Some governments have been called the “blind leading the blind”. We’re working our way through the final months of the ignorant leading the incompetent.
Spinal Tap! Har.
I guess it’s a good thing the FBI isn’t tapping lines, but also it goes to show you what companies really want: Cash.
Yes, that is an armadillo in my trousers.
Waitaminute, someone is knocking on my door.
It’s interesting to see how truly concerned corporations have become with the security of the citizens of the United States.
This sort of corporate response makes it obvious how everything changed after 9/11.
And just think, after the “ignorant” have gone, the same career incompetents will still be there.
Big Packets! Big Packets! Talk about creepy-ass voyeurs listening in on everyday citizens’ communications, we got ’em!
Let me get this straight. The Telcos will gladly let the Government spies illegally tap into the phones but with a legal tap they insist upon being paid first?
What am I missing here?
Let me get this right The government should get free phone services?
AT&T is loyal to the goverment as long as it keeps on paying the bills XD
Maybe I should have read the original article, but if you don’t pay your bill on time in Mexico, for example, they often cut your phone line *the next day*. So I’m wondering if this wiretap was actually in a foreign country….
when the Constitution fails you, the greed of corporate America will save you!
A quick call to AT&T/India and a credit card number and they’ll have it straightened out.