FBI facing probe over McVeigh files

Text of the Justice Department letter sent to McVeigh's attorneys

Attorney General John Ashcroft today asked the Justice Department's inspector general to conduct an investigation into how the FBI failed to turn over thousands of documents related to the Oklahoma City bombing trial.

"I have asked the inspector general of the Justice Department to investigate fully the FBI's belated delivery of documents and other evidence created during this investigation," Ashcroft said at a press conference today.

The attorney general did not confirm widespread reports that the FBI's outdated computer systems are to blame for misplacing 3,135 documents related to the trial of Timothy McVeigh.

When pressed by reporters to offer some kind of insight, Ashcroft said that it was important to get the correct information. "This study will be the basis of understanding," he said.

As a result of the unearthed documents, Ashcroft said he has delayed McVeigh's schedule execution until June 11.

Justice notified McVeigh's attorneys of the documents on Thursday. Department officials acknowledged that they should have been made available during the discovery phase of the 1997 trial.

The documents include investigation reports, interview notes and physical evidence, such as photographs, written correspondence and tapes, Justice officials said.

The documents were found by FBI archivists in Oklahoma City as they combed the agency's 56 field offices in a final search for records related to the bombing. The documents came from 45 FBI offices in the United States and one in Paris.

Neither FBI nor Justice officials would comment on the specific systems that the FBI uses to track such documents.

An official knowledgeable about the information technology systems at the FBI, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the loss of the McVeigh documents is an example of the pervasive problems with the bureau's IT.

The McVeigh development comes just days after the FBI awarded the first contract under its Trilogy program. The three-year program will provide for the upgrade of the FBI's worldwide IT networks, computer systems and selected software applications, officials said. The upgraded technology will make use of commercial equipment and a new enterprise management system.

"FBI special agents and support personnel in field offices will be the first to receive installation of the new technology," FBI Director Louis Freeh said in a statement. "The FBI will continue to place program emphasis on delivery of the equipment to the field as soon as possible."