The Obama administration supports extending a controversial provision of the Patriot Act that allows investigators to demand that businesses turn over sensitive financial records, without specifying the investigation's target or why the files are needed.

A company receiving a letter demanding the records is subject to a permanent gag order, prohibited from ever disclosing that the government asked for the records. The law doesn’t even specify whether the company can call a lawyer or appeal to a judge, although the feds claim they always allow a company to obtain legal counsel.