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CNN Live Saturday

FBI Blames Faulty Computer System for Not Turning Over Documents to Timothy McVeigh's Attorneys.

Aired May 12, 2001 - 13:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: For the FBI and Attorney General John Ashcroft, the mishandling of more than 3,100 pages of documents is extremely embarrassing, especially after all the time, money and energy that went into the investigation and prosecution. CNN Justice correspondent Kelli Arena joins us from Washington with more on the what's going on at the department -- Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Donna, the criticism here of the FBI is building, not only from families of victims in the Oklahoma City bombing, but also on congressman and legal experts. The -- the basic criticism seems to be pointing on the FBI's information technology gathering system, everything from compiling information to inputting it into the computer data systems.

We did talk to an FBI spokesperson this morning who said that an IBM, a former IBM executive has been brought on at the FBI staff to deal with the information technology program, and he also had to say that, quote: "There is total agreement that the automated record system is antiquated and based on obsolete technology. There is an internal lack of confidence in the system and its ability to do basic data searches. This is an issue on which all parties agree." And by all parties, he does mean the Bureau, the Department of Justice and Congress.

We also have some troubling information on the timeline, when did FBI agents know that there were suspicious documents that may have not been turned over to McVeigh's attorneys? Turns out that -- if we can look at that right now -- in December of last year, FBI archivists started compiling all information regarding the case, the Oklahoma City bombing case. And then in January, an agent from one field office tells CNN that there were suspicion that documents had not been entered into central databases.

In March, an FBI official says that a cross-check of those documents confirmed that those documents were not in the database. In late April, one agent says there was a realization those documents were never turned over to McVeigh's lawyers, but FBI top brass was not notified until this week. And in fact, FBI Director Louis Freeh was not told until Thursday.

I did talk to several FBI agents. One agent in particular, who asked not to be identified, told me that she does not -- often does not put vital information into the computer system and prefers to keep it on paper, hard copy paper, because she says she's worried that that information will never be able to be retrieved again. And other agents have told CNN that this is not the first time that information was not entered into FBI computer databases --Donna.

KELLEY: Our Justice correspondent Kelli Arena, thanks.

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