FBI Director Kash Patel has closed the Office of Internal Auditing, a unit established in 2020 to monitor abuse of national security surveillance, particularly under FISA’s Section 702. The move comes as Congress weighs the future of Section 702.
The auditing office’s responsibilities will be folded into the FBI’s Inspection Division, which investigates agent misconduct and shootings. Cindy Hall, who led the office, has abruptly retired. One source said she was forced out; another claimed her departure was described to Congress as voluntary.
In 2018, Patel, then serving as a Republican congressional staffer on the House Intelligence Committee, gained attention by challenging the FISA applications the F.B.I. used to seek court approval for wiretapping a former Trump campaign adviser during the Russia hoax investigation.
Originally created by former Attorney General Bill Barr and former FBI Director Chris Wray, the auditing office helped uncover illegal queries targeting lawmakers, BLM protesters, and Jan. 6 defendants. It also contributed to internal reforms that “sharply reduced misuse,” including 278,000 improper searches flagged in a 2023 court opinion.
