[7] President Gerald Ford created the IOB following a 1975–76 investigation by the US Congress into domestic spying, assassination operations, and other abuses by intelligence agencies.

[8] In August 2013 it was reported that the membership of the IOB had been reduced from 14 to 4 under President Barack Obama, possibly starting in early May at the beginning of the 2013 mass surveillance disclosures by Edward Snowden.

[11] During the administration of President George W. Bush, the PIAB had 16 members selected from among distinguished citizens outside the government who were qualified "on the basis of achievement, experience, independence, and integrity."

[12] PIAB membership is generally considered public information; for example, the Clinton Administration posted the names of the members on a PFIAB web page,[12] and the Trump Administration issued a press release announcing the nominations of new members.

[13] In August 2002, Randy Deitering, the executive director of PFIAB, confirmed the membership list released by the White House press office in October 2001:[14] In 2003, there were indications of spying on members of the board by a foreign intelligence asset.

[citation needed] The entire PIAB membership that served under the administration of George W. Bush resigned as part of an agreed-upon move in the presidential transition of Barack Obama.