U.S. federal officials will soon resurrect an investigative unit targeting money launderers following a decision to shut down its predecessor two years ago in response to a budgetary sequester.
Lawmakers are scheduled to decide next week whether to extend a Patriot Act subpoena power and to limit the use of a controversial emergency letter used to obtain data on bank customers.
A U.S. lawmaker is calling on the Obama administration to restrict how federal investigators use a controversial subpoena to obtain financial and other records, echoing a bill that U.S. officials have voiced support for.
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on a Senate-approved bill that would pressure foreign financial institutions to disclose their U.S. clients and extend government subpoena powers of financial records.
A U.S. House of Representatives panel approved a measure Thursday that would impose an expiration date on the availability of emergency subpoenas used to obtain telephone and financial data.
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill Thursday that would potentially discontinue use of a controversial emergency law enforcement subpoena by 2012.
The subpoenas allow agents to obtain data from institutions for terrorist and spy cases without external vetting.
A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that certain sections of the USA Patriot Act are unconstitutional because they allow law enforcement agents to conduct searches and surveillance without showing probable cause.
Many bank employees can't differentiate between SAR-related and other information requests they receive from law enforcement agencies, regulators and other financial institutions. As a result, some hinder financial investigations by ignoring the requests.
A March report on national security letter subpoenas stated that some companies provided excessive information about their customers during terrorist investigations.