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FBI Improperly Searched U.S. Senator’s Name in Foreign Intelligence Database: Court

The court said an FBI analyst conducted four searches of the intelligence database in June 2022 using the unidentified U.S. senator’s last name.

FBI officials wrongfully searched a foreign-intelligence database for information about an unidentified U.S. senator, state senator, and a state judge, according to the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The court said an FBI analyst conducted four searches of the surveillance database in June 2022 using the U.S. and state senators’ last names. While the analyst “had information that a specific foreign intelligence service was targeting” the politicians, a review by the Justice Department determined the searches were overly broad, a court filing reads. A state judge’s security number was also improperly used, the court alleges, in a database search in October 2022 after the judge “had complained to FBI about alleged civil rights violations perpetrated by a municipal chief of police.” Under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the National Security Agency can collect data from U.S. technology providers, and agencies—like the FBI—can search the data without a warrant. However, this specific database is mainly intended for information about foreign targets and Americans who communicate with them. Officials also use the database to screen immigrants being processed to travel to the U.S.