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Lawsuit Reveals FBI Allegedly Opened 127K Assessments Without Evidence Since 2018
The Government Accountability Office found nearly half of 1,100 sensitive FBI assessments became investigations, with multiple field offices cited for rule violations.
- Between 2018 and 2024, the Government Accountability Office found the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened approximately 127,000 Type I/II and Type III assessments without particular factual predication, targeting roughly 1,100 sensitive investigative matters including religious figures, journalists, activists, and public officials.
- Because assessments require no particular factual predication, agents use them when formal investigations lack predication, as allowed by the Attorney General's Guidelines for Domestic FBI Operations .
- Across field offices, GAO found that of 988 Type I/II assessments and 'information only' incidents reviewed , about 5 had insufficient authorized purposes and 7 involved unauthorized methods, with 24 of 56 offices occasionally using such methods.
- The GAO noted oversight gaps, saying the FBI relies on staff to self-report noncompliance, and when abuses are found, results aren't shared across offices, raising civil-liberty concerns.
- Civil‑liberties groups sought court review and disclosure as the Cato Institute sued for information, the report was posted online by Cato and reported by Racket News, and advocates urged Congress to launch a Church Committee‑style review amid Section 702 scrutiny.
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·Washington, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources10
Leaning Left2Leaning Right3Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution38% Center, 37% Right
Bias Distribution
- 38% of the sources are Center, 37% of the sources lean Right
38% Center
L 25%
C 38%
R 37%
Factuality
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