Filling in for Art Bell, Ian Punnett welcomed technology and privacy expert Lauren Weinstein, who discussed a recent government audit that revealed spying violations committed by the FBI under the auspices of the Patriot Act (CNN article).
Weinstein said he suspects the abuses may be much broader than reported because incomplete records (and in many instances, no records) were kept of the FBI's surveillance activities. Throughout the program, Ian also took calls from listeners who believe they have been spied on by the FBI.
The last hour of the show was devoted to Open Lines.
DeVecchio Case
In the first half-hour, investigative journalist Peter Lance provided an update on a case involving former FBI agent Lindley DeVecchio, who has been charged with complicity in a series of gangland-style murders carried out by mafia hitman Greg Scarpa.
Lance said Scarpa's son, Greg Scarpa Jr., is expected to be one of the star witnesses in this upcoming trial. According to Lance, a top al Qaeda terrorist, Abdul Hakim Murad, was recently moved from a Supermax prison in Colorado to a New York jail cell next to Scarpa Jr. Lance believes this move was made to intimidate Scarpa Jr. into not testifying.