According to C.Net:

• Under section 215 of the Patriot Act, which has alarmed librarians, secret court orders can be used to obtain records or "tangible items" from any person or organization if the FBI claims a link to terrorism. The recipient of the secret order is gagged, and disclosing its existence is punished by a prison term. Section 215 is set to expire at the end of the year.

Perhaps this explains why we haven't heard more about abuses of the Patriot Act, since after all it is illegal to publicize the "secret orders", presumably issued by "secret courts".

Here is another related story from C.Net which paints a scary picture of federal gestapo agents acting under the cloak of secrecy.

Is this how President Bush spreads freedom and liberty to the American people, by witholding from us the very nature and scope of the activities of our federal law enforcement agencies?