Justice IG finds cheating by FBI agents on test of their knowledge of surveillance rules

Report: Significant cheating by FBI agents on exam

WASHINGTON — A Justice Department investigation has found that FBI agents cheated on an important test covering the bureau’s policies for conducting surveillance on Americans.

Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine says in a report released Monday that his limited review of allegations that agents improperly took the open-book test together or had access to an answer sheet has turned up “significant abuses and cheating.”

Fine is calling on the bureau to discipline the agents, throw out the results and come up with a new test to see if FBI agents understand new rules allowing them to conduct surveillance and open files on Americans without evidence of criminal wrongdoing.