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FBI / JTTF Spying

Document Date: October 25, 2006

On October 25, 2006, the Maine Civil Liberties Union released documents about the FBI's surveillance of Peace Action Maine, Veterans for Peace, Timothy Sullivan, a coordinator of the Maine Coalition for Peace and Justice, and John "Jack" Bussell, a board member of Veterans For Peace. Read More >>

Exposing and Preventing FBI Spying
Responding to ACLU FOIA requests filed in 20 states on behalf of more than 150 organizations and individuals, the government has released documents that reveal FBI monitoring and infiltration by the FBI and local law enforcement, targeting political, environmental, anti-war and faith-based groups.

Our clients include advocates for the environment, animal rights, labor, religion, Native American rights, fair trade, grassroots politics, peace, social justice, nuclear disarmament, human rights and civil liberties. When the FBI invades the privacy of political and religious groups in the name of fighting terrorism, it abuses our trust and threatens our freedom. The public deserves to know who is being investigated and why.

Restoring Checks and Balances
President Bush's admissions underscore the urgent need to restore checks and balances. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should appoint a special counsel to investigate and prosecute any and all crimes committed by any member of the executive branch in this warrantless electronic surveillance in the U.S.

The White House push to reauthorize the Patriot Act failed because of similar bipartisan concerns over government abuse of power. The Senate has now agreed to a compromise that extends the Patriot Act and commits to reexamining to ensure that safeguards on our fundamental civil liberties are restored.

Congress should also hold hearings to determine how presidential directives used or avoided the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which was established in the 1970s to prevent the Executive Branch from engaging in warrantless domestic surveillance.

Read documents released by the FBI and learn more about illegal government spying.
Document Highlights by Theme
Document Highlights by Client
Document Highlights by State
Other Resources

FOIA Requests/Releases By Theme (all links are to pdf files)

LABELING PEACEFUL PROTEST GROUPS POTENTIAL "TERRORISTS"
PETA - Web author claimed FBI agents attending the North American Meat Processors Association said that PETA funds ELF
PETA - FBI drafts letter to web author denying remarks attributed to FBI agents
PETA - E-mail exchange indicates that FBI does not have evidence linking PETA to ELF and ALF
PETA - Describes PETA as support group for "eco-terrorist movement
Greenpeace - Terrorism definitions
PETA - Funding legal representation of animal rights activists is labeled as funding domestic terrorism
PETA - E-mail claiming PETA is raising money for domestic terrorism objectives
PETA - Discusses Terrorism Enterprise Investigation of PETA
PETA - Discusses Terrorism Enterprise Investigation of PETA
PETA - FBI investigates links between PETA and ALF
Greenpeace - Electronic Communication to Counterterrorism Investigative Services from Ottawa entitled "SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY WITH A NEXUS TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM." The case number (266D-LA-227827) matches a case file that discusses Greenpeace.

USING CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANTS TO INFILTRATE POLITICAL AND PROTEST GROUPS
PETA - FBI plans to monitor Animal Rights Conference using "source"
PETA - FBI apparently acquires information through a PETA intern
Greenpeace - FBI uses source spy on activists
Greenpeace - FBI learns about activist morale through "source"
PETA - FBI plans to develop cooperating source through meeting with PETA's ex-employees
Greenpeace - FBI gains information through "confidential sources"