Blackhacker

Pentagon and CIA snooping Americans’ financial records
In the wake of 9/11, the FBI was given the power to issue demands, in the form of “national security letters,” for records from financial institutions like banks and credit card companies. Compliance with these demands is compulsory.

The NYT story reveals that the Pentagon and the CIA have been issuing their own, “non-compulsory” versions of the letters that the banks can choose to contest in court. Apparently, banks and other financial institutions are choosing to cough up the documents, and both agencies have used them to obtain information on hundreds of American citizens.

This Ars Technica article goes on to point out that normally the Military is prohibited from enforcing domestic law and thew CIA is prohibited from spying in the US.

Pentagon officials said they used the letters to follow up on a variety of intelligence tips or leads. While they would not provide details about specific cases, military intelligence officials with knowledge of them said the military had issued the letters to collect financial records regarding a government contractor with unexplained wealth, for example …
(link)

That is of course stupid because They could have (should have) done a background check on the contractor before award the contract. No letter would be needed. I wish the government was this diligent when it come to control wait fraud and abuse by contractors in Iraq.

In case you didn’t know:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Next thing you know your new roommate shows up say he has been assigned to “quarter” in your house. For the legally impaired that is in violation of Amendment III.