Date | Event | Documentation |
2004 | Attorney General John Ashcroft receives several reports of civil liberties violations from the FBI as they are being transmitted to the president's Intelligence Oversight Board. | FBI Report (PDF) |
Nov. 10, 2004 | Bush names Gonzales to be his next attorney general, succeeding Ashcroft. | Washington Post story |
Feb. 3, 2005 | Gonzales is sworn in as the nation's 80th attorney general. | Washington Post story |
Feb. 10, 2005 | Gonzales is sent an FBI report of an IOB violation involving an intelligence investigations of a U.S. citizen that went on for more than a year without proper notification or oversight. | IOB Violation Report (PDF) |
Feb. 14, 2005 | Gonzales is sent an FBI report of an IOB violation involving a counterterrorism investigation in which agents continued the collection of electronic surveillance of a U.S. person after a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court's order had expired. | IOB Violation Report (PDF) |
Feb. 16, 2005 | Gonzales is sent an FBI report of an IOB violation involving the improper search of a peson's property in an intelligence investigation. | IOB Violation Report (PDF) |
March 18, 2005 | Gonzales is sent an FBI report of an IOB violation involving an error during a counterterrorism investigation. | IOB Violation Report (PDF) |
March 22, 2005 | Gonzales is sent an FBI report of an IOB violation involving an error made by a telephone carrier during an electronic surveillance operation. | IOB Violation Report (PDF) |
April 21, 2005 | Gonzales is sent an FBI report of an IOB violation involving the prohibited collection of email contents through a national security letter due to an error by the Internet provider. | IOB Violation Report (PDF) |
April 27, 2005 | Gonzales testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in favor of renewing the U.S. Patriot Act, declaring "There has not been one verified case of civil liberties abuse." | Senate Testimony |
May 6, 2005 | Gonzales is sent an FBI report of an IOB violation involving the unauthorized collection of the wrong person's telephone data under a national security letter because an agent made an error in listing the wrong number. | IOB Violation Report (PDF) |
Dec. 11, 2006 | Gonzales is sent an FBI report of an IOB violation involving the unauthorized collection of the wrong person's telephone data under a national security letter because an agent made an error in listing the wrong number. | IOB Violation Report (PDF) |
Dec. 13, 2006 | Gonzales is sent an FBI report of an IOB violation involving the "unintentional, unauthorized interception" of U.S. persons during a counterterrorism invetsigation. | IOB Violation Report (PDF) |
Feb. 26, 2007 | Gonzales is sent an FBI report of an IOB violation involving the unauthorized collection of the wrong person's telephone data under a national security letter because an agent made an error in listing the wrong number. | IOB Violation Report (PDF) |
March 9, 2007 | Gonzales gives a speech to the International Association of Privacy Professionals and reacts to the release of a Justice Department inspector general report documenting pervasive problems with the FBI's collection of phone and computer data under the Patriot Act. "I was upset when I learned this, as was Director Mueller. And to say that I am concerned about what has been revealed in this report would be an enormous understatement." | Gonzales Speech |