12/12/2006, 6:35 a.m. ET
The Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — Attorneys for the U.S. Justice Department may intervene to defend the Patriot Act in a federal case involving a Detroit-area Muslim charity, court documents show.
Southfield-based Life for Relief and Development filed suit last month in U.S. District Court in Detroit against Comerica Bank seeking an injunction barring it from sharing information it may have about the charity with other banks. Comerica had told the charity that it planned to terminate the accounts Nov. 15, but granted an extension.
Justice Department attorneys filed a notice earlier this month saying they may "intervene in this action to defend the constitutionality" of a section of the law that allows financial institutions to share information about suspected money laundering or terrorist activity, the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday.
FBI agents assigned to a terrorism task force searched Life's offices on Sept. 18, seizing computer servers, donor records and other financial documents. They also searched the homes of the charity's chief executive, an ex-employee and two board members.
The FBI would not say what agents were looking for, but charity officials have said it might be related to relief work the group did in Iraq.
Meanwhile, protests are planned outside several Detroit-area Comerica branches Friday and Saturday, and some Arab Americans and Muslims say they will close their accounts with the bank.
Kathy Pitton, a Comerica vice president, said in an e-mail that the bank "has had a strong partnership with the Arab-American community for many years."
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/base/news-39/116592384395570.xml&storylist=mibusiness
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