The Florida files include an Oct. 7 letter in which Deputy Superintendent Mark Oxley of the Louisiana state police wrote that his agency would not participate because of "lingering concerns" about the security of the records that would be sent to the database. He also questioned the "ever-broadening scope extending far beyond the original counterterrorism mission."

However, Oxley added that "most disappointing of all" was that Louisiana had to learn from news reports that Seisint's founder, Hank Asher, had admitted piloting flights for cocaine smugglers in the 1980s. Asher has resigned from Seisint's board.

Questions about MATRIX still loom even in member states. New York has not shared any records because of questions about long-term funding and privacy laws, said Lynn Rasic, a spokeswoman for the governor's office.

And in Connecticut, where state police are using the system, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said this month he still wants answers "about privacy, cost, effectiveness and other issues."

Barry Steinhardt, director of the technology and liberty program at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the new revelations make it more important than ever for federal officials to be more candid about their long-term plans for MATRIX.

"This is all still very murky," he said.

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Contributing: Randy Herschaft.