SRF Heavy Industries

FBI Wiretaps Dropped Due to Unpaid Bills

By LARA JAKES JORDAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 a Justice Department audit released Thursday.

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And at least once, a wiretap used in a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act investigation — the highly secretive and sensitive cases that allow eavesdropping on suspected terrorists or spies — “was halted due to untimely payment.”

“We also found that late payments have resulted in telecommunications carriers actually disconnecting phone lines established to deliver surveillance results to the FBI, resulting in lost evidence,” according to the audit by Inspector General Glenn A. Fine.

Awesome.

They won’t cut off wiretaps because it’s illegal or unconstitutional, but they’ll sure as hell cut ’em off for nonpayment of bills.

If your client is willing to use your services to participate in a criminal act, what makes you think they’ll actually pay you for the privilege?

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