DOJ INSPECTOR GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE FISA ABUSES

[Image from wikipedia]

     It finally has been confirmed by various news reports today that the D.O.J. Inspector
General has opened an investigation into the FISA abuses by top members and agents of the D.O.J. and F.B.I.  You will, of course, recall that, according to the Nunes memo, a small group of top D.O.J. and F.B.I. officials, among other alleged abuses, used the "salacious and unverified" dirty Steele dossier to obtain FISA warrants to spy on the Trump campaign. If substantiated, this would be the first reported time in American history that one candidate (and top administration officials) have spied on the opposing party's candidate during an election year.

     As a former federal prosecutor, I cannot imagine a larger, more serious white collar crime! Here's hoping that justice will be served and that such abuses never occur again. Here's also hoping that the guilty are brought to justice!

     What is your opinion?

Interviews With Federal Agents: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Today, let's talk a little bit about what you should do if a federal agent comes into your place of business, shows you their credentials, and asks you for a few minutes of your time. What should you do?

As a former federal prosecutor, (and currently, as a criminal defense lawyer in Augusta, Georgia), I can tell you that you should, at a minimum, be careful about how you proceed. Naturally, if it's merely an F.B.I. agent who is canvassing the neighborhood for leads on a bank robbery, then you may feel comfortable in cooperating with them, (unless you are the bank robber, of course!)

In such circumstances, cooperating with law enforcement may often be a "good" thing. But there can, in some situations, also be some "bad" and really "ugly" possibilities, too!

For example, if you are not an innocent bystander, but, instead, you are a target of a federal grand jury investigation, then you should, in my opinion, always contact an experienced federal criminal defense attorney before you talk with anyone. Let's face it, anything you tell a federal agent can and will be used against you. But there is more! Did you also know that if you knowingly make a false statement to a federal agent, then you could also be charged with the federal criminal offense of making a false statement. Also, you could, in some situations, even be charged with obstruction of justice!?

So, that's the good, the bad, and the ugly about talking with a federal agent! Again, in many of these situations, the point is that it would probably behoove you to consult with your own criminal lawyer BEFORE you talk with anyone else!