U.S. DOJ Report Finds That The FBI Spied On American Protestors And Inappropriatel Placed Citizens On The Terroris Watch-Lists

From the ACLU:

Justice Department Report Finds FBI Spied on American Protestors




Earlier this week, we learned that yet another Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General (IG) report has found malfeasance in the FBI. This time, the IG found the bureau spying on American citizens engaged in protests and other activities protected by the First Amendment. These investigations have led to several activists being inappropriately placed on terrorist watchlists.



The IG's investigation was prompted by an ACLU Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which uncovered evidence in 2006 that the FBI was chilling political association by improperly investigating peaceful advocacy groups like Greenpeace and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).



The report concludes that the FBI was not spying on groups because of their political views. Rather, it was investigating them because they suspected the groups might commit crimes, which was okay under the FBI rules that existed at the time. By that logic, everyone can be subject to FBI investigation and possibly be included on a terrorist watchlist.



The report found FBI investigations were often opened based on "factually weak" or even "speculative" justifications, and were often kept open even after it was clear there was no criminal activity. We can attribute this low bar to Attorney General guidelines for opening investigations, which were gradually weakened during the Bush administration.



In 2002, the guidelines under then-Attorney General John Ashcroft required only the "possibility" of a federal crime. This guideline led activities like the FBI infiltrating a peace group that was doing nothing more nefarious than handing out anti-war leaflets in downtown Pittsburgh.



Just last week, a domestic spying program in Pennsylvania that targeted gas drilling opponents was shut down after it was revealed to be improperly investigating them as a terrorist threat. That was just another instance of more than 33 cases of domestic spying by U.S. law enforcement agencies.