House lawmakers send pre-texting material to AG

Key House lawmakers sent Attorney General Alberto Gonzales materials collected in a congressional probe of unauthorized access to wireless and other telecom subscribers’ phone records, asking him to determine whether federal laws were violated by a “pre-texting” practice outlawed by Congress last year.
“We are writing to request that the Department of Justice investigate whether certain individuals committed federal crimes related to identity theft, wire fraud, improper use of Social Security numbers, unauthorized access to computer information, and pre-texting,” wrote Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.). Joining Dingell in the request were ranking member Joe Barton (R-Texas), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and subcommittee ranking member Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.)
“In support of this request, we are providing records and information contained in over 47,000 e-mails subpoenaed during a recent investigation by the Committee on Energy and Commerce that substantiate numerous transactions involving several different data brokers or ‘pre-texters’- more than two dozen in all-in the act of procuring and selling consumers’ cell phone records and other confidential information,” the lawmakers wrote.
The House Commerce Committee’s investigation included four hearings last Congress, including the Sept. 28 hearing on the pre-texting scandal at Hewlett-Packard Co.
House and Senate members are pursuing legislation to require wireless carriers and other telecom service providers to take additional steps to safeguard consumers’ phone records. The Federal Communications Commission recently approved new regulations along those lines.
The mobile phone industry, which backed Congress’ criminalization of pre-texting, opposes having new laws and regulations imposed on wireless operators.