FBI broke the law

March 10, 2007
FBI broke the law

WASHINGTON — Years of suspicion about the government's authority to secretly poke around in Americans' personal information boiled over yesterday when the FBI admitted it did so illegally in some cases over the past three years.

At a glance...

• Who did what: Federal law enforcement chiefs say the FBI broke the law in prying into Americans' personal information.


• So what: Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III apologized and pledged to stop it.


• What next: Disciplinary action, not criminal charges, are likely.