The FBI's director Kash Patel has quietly shut down its Office of Internal Auditing — the unit responsible for policing how agents use one of the most powerful surveillance tools in government: Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

This comes at a time when the FBI is still under scrutiny for past misuse of surveillance powers — including improperly searching for information about Black Lives Matter protesters, members of Congress, and even Capitol rioters.

Now, the only internal unit dedicated to catching these violations has been eliminated.

The closure was ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel, even though Patel himself built his political career criticizing the FBI’s abuses of FISA.

His move strips away an essential oversight mechanism just months before Congress will decide whether to reauthorize Section 702 — a decision that should be based on trust, transparency, and independent auditing, not secrecy.

We call on the FBI, the Department of Justice, and Congressional oversight committees to immediately reinstate the Office of Internal Auditing, ensure its staff and independence are protected.

Without real oversight, warrantless surveillance becomes abuse.