The disclosure comes as Congress continues debate over the Obama administration’s request to renew three key spying methods under the USA PATRIOT Act. On Wednesday, Senator Russ Feingold disclosed figures showing the Justice Department used PATRIOT Act authority to request hundreds of so-called “sneak and peek” warrants authorizing secret break-ins into US homes and businesses. Of 763 requests last year, just three had to do with terrorism investigations.

Sen. Russ Feingold: “Let me tell you why I’m concerned about these numbers. That’s not how this was sold to the American people. It was sold, as stated on DoJ’s website in 2005, as being necessary, quote, 'to conduct investigations without tipping off terrorists.' I’m going to say, it’s quite extraordinary to grant government agents the statutory authority to secretly break into Americans’ homes in criminal cases. And I think some Americans might be concerned that it’s been used hundreds of times in just a single year in non-terrorism cases.”