Phone Companies Cut Off FBI for Unpaid Bills

The Washington Post report Wiretaps Are Cut Over Unpaid Bills. "Telecommunications companies have repeatedly cut off FBI access to wiretaps of alleged terrorists and criminal suspects because the bureau did not pay its phone bills, according to the results of an audit released yesterday. The report by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine said that more than half of nearly 1,000 FBI telecommunications bills reviewed by investigators were not paid on time, including one invoice for $66,000 at an unidentified field office."

Apparently the FBI is inept at managing their finances and assets. "The audit is the latest in a string of reports from Fine's office over the past seven years to detail chronic financial and inventory management problems at the bureau, including a persistent failure to account for hundreds of guns and laptop computers"

So the phone companies don't care if you don't have a warrant and want to listen to phone calls, but you better pay your bills!