FBI: Can you hear me now?
By on Jan 10th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
FBI: Can you hear me now?
The AP reports that telephone companies “cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau’s repeated failures to pay phone bills on time,” according to Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine. The “FBI’s lax oversight of money used in undercover investigations” resulted in “telecommunications carriers actually disconnecting phone lines established to deliver surveillance results to the FBI, resulting in lost evidence.”
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Did FEMA management take over the FBI? Is this laughable or pathetic? TP reports, You decide.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:46 pmI believe that’s what is called “irony.”
January 10th, 2008 at 12:47 pmThis would be extremely funny, if it weren’t so pathetic.
Sorry, Badmoonman, but I can’t help reprising yer comment. It’s like that great scene in “Blazing Saddles” where the bad guys have to stop outside of Rockridge and wait while their leader goes and gets dimes for the turnstile.
What did Casey Stengel once say?
“Can’t anyone here play this game?”
January 10th, 2008 at 12:48 pmDid FEMA management take over the FBI? Is this laughable or pathetic? TP reports, You decide.
Comment by Badmoodman — January 10, 2008 @ 12:46 pm
Phone bill, you mean we have to PAY to spy on the US citizenry. What a quaint concept. Now………
HOOK THOSE G’DAMN LINES BACK UP OR YOU WILL BE WATERBOARDED IN GITMO!!!!!
January 10th, 2008 at 12:50 pmNow this is a joke. If the majority of American people can’t pay their bills in a sinking market and our own gov’t agency [FBI] can’t pay their own phone bills, this tells you the true leadership under a 3 failed businessman President!
January 10th, 2008 at 12:55 pmThe FBI is now run like the Keystone Cops. And the Inspector General of the JUSTICE DEPARTMENT didn’t have any trouble with illegal wiretapping, but the telecoms don’t get their money and he’s up in arms.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:55 pmJohn Kerry endorses Barack Obama!
http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/ 2008/ 01/ 10/ ap-john-kerry-endorsing-barack-obama/
Women, quick! They guys are ganging up on crying women!
January 10th, 2008 at 12:55 pmThanks, TP — for the best laugh I’ve had today so far.
We must REALLY be in deep debt if our government can’t even manage to pay their phone bill!
January 10th, 2008 at 12:56 pmLemme get this straight…
The FBI falls behind on its phone bills and the Telecom firms cuts off lawful wiretaps of suspected criminals.
The NSA makes illegal requests to spy on Americans and the Telecom firms help them break the law and violate the Constitution.
The FBI, yep, they screwed up. But the Telecom firms, their hypocrisy ain’t half impressive.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:57 pmThis is just further proof of the profit motives of the telecoms when it comes to national security. They want retroactive immunity for warrantless wiretapping that they made loads of money from, and cut off the phone lines when they aren’t paid!
January 10th, 2008 at 12:57 pmProfit trumps freedom AND fascism!
Hilarious! Typical.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:01 pm.
Damn,
I was hoping the Telocoms were getting back to basics…
W A R R A N T S!
But nope!
.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:05 pmCue camera to the guy in the TV commercial who leads all those network support people while a 100 more stand behind him…
except they’re all FBI agents!
January 10th, 2008 at 1:07 pmWill the FBI have to pay re-connection fees?
January 10th, 2008 at 1:08 pmGood F’in god, this is funny. And sad. And disgusting. And hilarious.
So, basically, our gov’t is much like a 20-year old college student, except with terrorists and criminals and stuff like IMPORTANT EVIDENCE?
Unreal.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:09 pm#9 - Nicely put.
Patrioti$m. National $ecurity. It’s all the same bull$hit.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:09 pmSorry, Badmoonman, but I can’t help reprising yer comment
- - I didn’t get a harrumph outta you! Watch it, we gotta protect our phoney-baloney jobs.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:11 pmLOL!!! LOL!!! LOL!!! LOL!!! LOL!!! LOL!!! LOL!!! LOL!!! LOL!!! LOL!!!
January 10th, 2008 at 1:12 pmWonderful, they will spy on us without a court order, unless the bill is not paid, then not so much.
It all comes down to corporate greed.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:12 pmYou beat me to it, tballou! I don’t recall any of the news mediums ever mentioning that on top of illegally allowing the Gov’t to spy on us that they were also charging the tax payers for all of this! Immunity?! Are you
January 10th, 2008 at 1:13 pmfu(king kidding me?! I am very curious to know exactly how much money this Administration has been laying out of OUR money in order to spy on OUR phone calls and e-mails. Oh, they borrowed the money from the Chinese? Well that’s ok then. Nothing to see here, move along!
The next 9-11 comes, and I’m suing Verizon.
Anyone know why the illegal wiretaps were supposedly NSA, but this is all FBI stuff? Are they both doing it?
January 10th, 2008 at 1:14 pmAre you fu(king kidding me?!
Comment by A Patriot Acting
You spelled fucking wrong.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:20 pmSo let’s get this straight. Our tax money pays the telecoms to spy on us for the Government that is elected to represent us. The telecoms then take that money and through their lobbyists, the money ends up in the pockets of the representatives that we elect to protect us and support the Constitution. Gee, sounds a lot like taxation without representation to me. I’ll bet our resident trolls see nothing wrong with this scenario. Let’s see..”Clinton did it too!”…no, that won’t work…”Support the troops!”…no, not that one…”National security!”…well seeing as how this Administration was using this system eight months before 9/11 and it didn’t help prevent it…no…c’mon trolls, help me out here..
January 10th, 2008 at 1:22 pmDear AT&T, Verizon, et al:
Please forward copies of the unpaid overdue invoices to Citizens For Ethics in Washington. Copies should include complete lists of unpaid services and telephone #’s surveiled.
Expect a check to prompt payment from George Soros once all invoices are received. Thanks for your assistance in this matter.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:23 pmAnother victory for the Republicans.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:24 pm“telecommunications carriers actually disconnecting phone lines established to deliver surveillance results to the FBI, resulting in lost evidence.â€
Well, I’m sure it was just lost accidently. All of it. Like it always is.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:24 pmSorry JPV. As long as I does it right, I don’t care how I spells it!
January 10th, 2008 at 1:25 pmWhat happened to the trolls? I guess if the telecoms aren’t getting paid neither are the trolls.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:29 pmSo to the phone companies, violating it’s customer’s civil rights is not a problem, but dammit, you better pay that bill on time.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:29 pmWe all know where their priorities are now……
Verizon must have cut off the troll’s internet access due to unpaid bills.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:32 pmI used to write a lot of contracts involving the government. I am really surprised that DoJ did not put a clause in requiring that the telecom continue the service on public safety/national security taps. The telecom would eventually be paid (and I cannot believe that this makes up a large portion of their business) and the government continues what is allegedly a vital activity. Yes, it really does show how deserving the telecom’s are of immunity.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:32 pmYes, it really does show how deserving the telecom’s are of immunity.
Comment by JMOHR — January 10, 2008 @ 1:32 pm
It also shows the level of incompetence of this administration that the contracts weren’t drawn up properly. Just business as usual for Bushco.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:37 pmUnreal.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:39 pmNow that’s funny.
F_ck off, FBI.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:53 pmI don’t think the article refers to illegal wire taps, just ones used on criminal (hopefully legal) ones.
This is exactly what the criminal Bush administration wants, they want to bankrupt the government till it is so broken that the Dems will have to take 8 years just to fix it. That way the repukes can attack the Dems for just how messed up the government is, and also blame them for the up and coming economic crash that is looming ahead.
Bush/Cheney
Hague Trails ‘09
Buck Fush
January 10th, 2008 at 2:00 pmSo, when evidence that could have saved American lives in the next terrorist attack is lost due to Bush’s poor planning, will the trolls finally admit that he’s a melon-headed f#ck-up?
January 10th, 2008 at 2:03 pmdoesnt this unercut the “telecoms are just doing their patriotic duty” arguement????
January 10th, 2008 at 2:13 pmI think Buckie’s right. This doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the illegal wiretapping. That’s being done by the NSA.
January 10th, 2008 at 2:17 pmThis seems to be more of an issue of budgetary mismanagement. Gross negligence in protecting the American people.
The wiretaps at issue are legal (it seems, but really, who knows for sure?). But how the bills for the wiretapping don’t get paid for so long that the lines get shut off is absolutely ridiculous and irresponsible.
“Lost evidence” means people are going free when they shouldn’t.
F_ck off, FBI.
Comment by Zooey — January 10, 2008 @ 1:53 pm
I have been saying that since I visited Bear Butte a few years back.
Bear Butte is sacred ground for Native Americans, with a rich history of spiritual events.
I was there for my own vision quest, fasting alone on the mountain for 3 days.
While I was there, fbi helicopters buzzed over us during the ceremonies, FBI agents walked among us harrassing people, disturbing ceremonies and they photographed everyones licence plates in the parking lot. They were clearing harassing and interfering with religious freedom.
They do this every year, to the people having sweat lodges and doing vision quests.
F_ck off FBI!!!!
January 10th, 2008 at 2:21 pm“Lost evidence†means people are going free when they shouldn’t.
Comment by Wilco — January 10, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
I suppose the FBI has shown the court ordered warrants? If they do not have a warrant for the specific person being tapped, it is illegal.
January 10th, 2008 at 2:26 pmThey do this every year, to the people having sweat lodges and doing vision quests.
F_ck off FBI!!!!
Comment by Wayne — January 10, 2008 @ 2:21 pm
Why the hell are they doing that? Why don’t they go investigate real criminals — in Washington DC.
January 10th, 2008 at 2:33 pmWhy the hell are they doing that? Why don’t they go investigate real criminals — in Washington DC.
Comment by Zooey — January 10, 2008 @ 2:33 pm
Same reason they harrass the yearly sun dances, this has happened since the reservations were set up.
Sun Dances were “outlawed” for years by the BIA
Freedom of Religion only applies to Christians who happen to be not Native American.
January 10th, 2008 at 2:48 pmSilly me; I thought the Telecons were committed illegal wiretaps as good patriots, not for profit. Well live & learn. At least I am sure they are charging an arm and a leg.
January 10th, 2008 at 2:54 pmThat’s a little generalized.
Comment by justasking — January 10, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
The harassment is not generalized, idiot. Its real.
January 10th, 2008 at 3:23 pmIf they charge the FBI, you gotta know they’re charging NSA.
So, our tax dollars are being used to PAY the telecoms to illegally invade our privacy. And some people (Arlen Specter) want our tax money to be used to pay any penalties incurred for the illegality. How stupid are we to allow ourselves to be ROYALLY screwed this way?
We really need some representation in Washington, DC.
January 10th, 2008 at 3:47 pmThat’s a little generalized. Even RFK wiretapped MLK. The FBI has always watched religions and churches.
Comment by justasking — January 10, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
It was wrong then, and it’s wrong NOW.
January 10th, 2008 at 4:00 pm#49, actually, it was wrong then, it’s a felony now.
January 10th, 2008 at 5:10 pmThis is both ironic and hilarious. The FBI colludes with the phone companies to illegally spy on American citizens, then it skips out on paying the bills!
January 10th, 2008 at 7:57 pmThere are just too many ridiculous incidents involving this administration to remember them all - I hope someone is keeping track.
The FBI could screw up a wet dream. These guys think they’re law enforcement but really they do clean up for real cops and claim the credit. I will say that Director Mueller is just a bit more respectable and effective than J. Edgar ever was. And he doesn’t wear skirts.
January 10th, 2008 at 11:07 pm