NSA Chief Admits Misleading Numbers on How Spying Helped Stop Terror Plots

"The American people are getting left with an inaccurate impression of the effectiveness of NSA programs," said Sen. Leahy

The Obama administration issued misleading figures about terrorist plots foiled by the National Security Agency's warrantless mass-collection of records of Americans' every phone call, NSA chief Gen. Keith Alexander admitted to lawmakers Wednesday.

"There is no evidence that [bulk] phone records collection helped to thwart dozens or even several terrorist plots," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, told Gen. Alexander of the 54 cases that administration officials have cited as the fruit of the NSA's controversial domestic snooping.

"These weren't all plots, and they weren't all foiled," he said.