The investigation of strip club owner Michael Galardi and numerous politicians appears to be the first time federal authorities have used the Patriot Act in a public corruption probe. Two of Nevada's lawmakers blasted the FBI for employing the act in the Galardi probe, saying the agency overstepped its bounds. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Congress intended the Patriot Act to help federal authorities root out threats from terrorists and spies after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
"The law was intended for activities related to terrorism and not to naked women," said Reid, who as minority whip is the second most powerful Democrat in the Senate. … But [Justice Department Spokesman Mark] Corallo insisted lawmakers were fully aware the Patriot Act had far-reaching implications beyond fighting terrorism when the legislation was adopted in October 2001. Federal authorities confirmed Monday the FBI used the Patriot Act to get financial information in its probe of Galardi and his dealings with current and former politicians in Southern Nevada. Sources said the FBI sought the records under Section 314 of the act. That section allows federal investigators to obtain information from any financial institution regarding the accounts of people "engaged in or reasonably suspected, based on credible evidence, of engaging in terrorist acts or money laundering activities."
Legislators of both parties expressed shock. "No one ever expected these expanded powers would be used for common criminal investigations," said Rep. Stony Lonesome of the Congressional Whack Caucus. "We gave the Justice Department expanded power to fight a new and insidious enemy, not to investigate strip club owners and their ties to politicians. I mean, my God, if they could do that, what else could they do? Investigate illegal polluters and their ties to politicians? Investigate gray-market Oxycontin smuggling rings and their ties to politicians? Investigate white slavery rings and their ties to politicians? This has got to stop."
The main congressional author of the Patriot Act agreed. "We created this act for a specific purpose," said rep. Frank N. Stein (R-TX). "It boggles the mind that this thing we created might actually take a course that we neither planned for nor expected. There must be something wrong with the formula we used." His chief legislative aide, Isaac Gore, agreed that "next time, when we create Patriot II, I'm sure it won't have any effects we don't foresee." To that end, the new legislation will contain specific prohibitions against investigating politicians and their connections to strippers, hookers, cheap liquor, illicit drugs, construction kickbacks, sexual aggrandizement of congressional pages, ownership of slum properties, or silent partnerships in pornographic film production companies. Asked what protection ordinary citizens would have against investigative excesses, Gore replied "Why do they need protection? Do they own a half-share of the Pussy Kat Lounge in Reno?"
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The rest is the fakey part.
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