§1827 Penalties

Summary

Makes it a crime for someone who uses official authority to purposely carry out a physical search inside the United States to get foreign intelligence, unless a law allows it. It is also a crime to use or share information from such a physical search to obtain intelligence if the person knows or should know the search was not legally authorized. If the person was a law enforcement or investigative officer doing their official job and the search was done under a valid search warrant or court order, that is a legal defense. The penalty is a fine up to $10,000, up to five years in prison, or both. Federal courts can hear the case if the offender was a U.S. officer or employee when the act happened.