dChan - Q Origins Project Archive

Attorney General reports to Congress on FISA activities on a semi-annual basis.

50 U.S. Code § 1808 – Report of Attorney General to Congressional committees; limitation on authority or responsibility of information gathering activities of Congressional committees; report of Congressional committees to Congress

(a)

(1) On a semiannual basis the Attorney General shall fully inform the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate concerning all electronic surveillance under this subchapter. Nothing in this subchapter shall be deemed to limit the authority and responsibility of the appropriate committees of each House of Congress to obtain such information as they may need to carry out their respective functions and duties.

(2) Each report under the first sentence of paragraph (1) shall include a description of—

(A) the total number of applications made for orders and extensions of orders approving electronic surveillance under this subchapter where the nature and location of each facility or place at which the electronic surveillance will be directed is unknown;

(B) each criminal case in which information acquired under this chapter has been authorized for use at trial during the period covered by such report;

(C) the total number of emergency employments of electronic surveillance** under section 1805(e) of this title and the total number of subsequent orders approving or denying such electronic surveillance; and

(D) the total number of authorizations under section 1805(f) of this title and the total number of subsequent emergency employments of electronic surveillance under section 1805(e) of this title or emergency physical searches pursuant to section 301(e).

[1]

(b) On or before one year after October 25, 1978, and on the same day each year for four years thereafter, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence shall report respectively to the House of Representatives and the Senate, concerning the implementation of this chapter. Said reports shall include but not be limited to an analysis and recommendations concerning whether this chapter should be (1) amended, (2) repealed, or (3) permitted to continue in effect without amendment.”

**the total number of emergency employments of electronic surveillance refers to the president bypassing the FISA court 50 U.S. Code § 1802 “Notwithstanding any other law, the President, through the Attorney General, may authorize electronic surveillance without a court order under this subchapter to acquire foreign intelligence information for periods of up to one year if the Attorney General certifies in writing under oath that—….”

And just to round it out:

50 U.S. Code § 1809 – Criminal sanctions – “(a) Prohibited activities A person is guilty of an offense if he intentionally—

(1) engages in electronic surveillance under color of law except as authorized by this chapter….

…punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than five years, or both….”

50 U.S. Code § 1810 – Civil liability

“An aggrieved person, other than a foreign power or an agent of a foreign power, as defined in section 1801(a) or (b)(1)(A) of this title, respectively, who has been subjected to an electronic surveillance or about whom information obtained by electronic surveillance of such person has been disclosed or used in violation of section 1809 of this title shall have a cause of action against any person who committed such violation and shall be entitled to recover—

(a) actual damages, but not less than liquidated damages of $1,000 or $100 per day for each day of violation, whichever is greater;

(b) punitive damages; and