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Lawsuit Reveals FBI Allegedly Opened 127K Assessments Without Evidence Since 2018
From 2018 to 2024, the FBI opened about 127,000 low-threshold assessments, with nearly half of sensitive cases involving political or religious figures escalating to investigations, GAO found.
- 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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Wray FBI opened 1,200 'assessments' of sensitive figures like politicians, journalists and clergy
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·Washington, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left2Leaning Right4Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Right
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Right
45% Right
L 22%
C 33%
R 45%
Factuality
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