Stimulus, bailout will lead to more fraud: FBI

[Robbien]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI is bracing for a wave of fraud and corruption cases stemming from the government's multitrillion-dollar effort to get the economy moving again, the agency's chief told Congress on Wednesday.

The expected surge in economic crimes will place further strain on an agency already stretched thin as it investigates mortgage fraud, terrorism and corrupt politicians, FBI Director Robert Mueller said. "Our expectation is that economic crimes will continue to skyrocket," Mueller said.

After the September 11, 2001 hijacking attacks, the FBI moved more than 2,000 investigators out of its criminal division to place greater emphasis on national security.

But that reduced the agency's ability to cope with a subsequent explosion in corruption, fraud and gang-related cases, Mueller said.

. . .

Mueller noted that the FBI had more than 1,000 agents to cope with the last financial crisis, the savings-and-loan debacle of the late 1980s and early 1990s, roughly double the number it has now for economic crimes.

The agency has stepped up its recruiting efforts this year, Muller said, but was set back when the House of Representatives cut out a provision of the stimulus package that would have paid for 165 new FBI agents.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE52O5KB20090325

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Less than half the number of corruption agents today than we had in the 1990s.

Not surprising at all.

[gristy]

1. Take a bunch of that simulus money and hire more FBI agents

That would seem to be money very well spent.

[terisan]

2. The House cut positions for 165 FBI agents out of Stimulus. Our government is corrupt. nt

[emilyg]

3. Shame.

[EFerrari]

4. If the FBI was worried about fraud, they'd get rid of Mueller. n/t

[Patchuli]

5. No, Mueller. You are wrong.

Maybe it's the lack of jobs and money causing the crimes? Duh...

[Robbien]

6. The people committing the crimes in this instance don't want jobs and have plently of money

Mueller is talking about the rich elite who are scamming the middle class. These are the people who will be committing fraud because there is more money floating about ready to be grabbed by the politically connected.

[FreakinDJ]

7. Muller = GOP Apologist