FBI Apology?

Analysis:

This story is based upon new revelations regarding the FBI’s involvement with domestic spying. The story has a brief comment from the FBI director, three Senators and Attorney General Gonzalez. Do these sources provide a wide range of perspectives. Why are there no non-governmental sources cited? How would that change the way the public read this story?

Story:

Reporter: It’s the way the FBI handled access to phone company records to personal emails even to financial information at banks that has the director of the FBI apologizing.

FBI Director: I am the person responsible, I am the person accountable.

Reporter: An audit from the justice department’s inspector general found the FBI misusing and possibly abusing a provision of the patriot act, the one that lets the FBI without a judges approval, demand customer records from private companies by merely issuing a subpoena of sorts called a national security letter.

Senator Arlen Spector: The inspector general’s report shows a massive misuse by the FBI of the national security letters.

Reporter: The audit says, quote, “We believe the improper or illegal uses we found involve serious misuses of National Security Letters authorities.”

Senator John Sununu: They undermine the publics confidence in our law enforcement in investigation capacity.

Senator Richard Durbin: We have repeatedly on a partisan basis said to this administration, don’t go too far. Don’t violate the privacy of America’s innocent people in an effort to keep us safe.

Reporter: Attorney General Gonzales calls the misuses mistakes that he doesn’t think should jeopardize an essential crime-fighting tool against terrorism.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales: There’s no excuse for the mistakes that have been made and we are going to make things right as quickly as possible.

Reporter: Congress claims to call both Gonzales and Mueller to answer what went wrong. Chris Clackum, NBC News.