Former agent Coleen Rowley seeking FBI data on RNC policing

[annm4peace]

http://minnesotaindependent.com/20742/interview-fbi-coleen-rowley-rnc#comment-21310

Rowley recently submitted data requests about law enforcement during the 2008 Republican National Convention to the FBI (via the Freedom of Information Act) and to the Ramsey County Sheriff’s and St. Paul Police departments (through the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act). She expects to learn whether the surveillance and policing of 60 to 70 political organizations in St. Paul last September to protest the Republican National Convention (RNC)– as well as the surveillance of another 80 or so legal aids, independent media and artistic performance groups — was overly broad.


Rowley said she was always proud that the FBI fought public corruption as its top priority (it’s now the agency’s fourth priority, according to an FBI spokesman I talked to separately). I asked her about reports that the FBI is looking into allegations that businessman Nasser Kazeminy funneled money to U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman through a business he controls in Texas and Coleman’s wife’s employer in Minnesota. Does the FBI really open different levels of cases with some (like the Coleman cash question, reportedly) termed mere inquiries while others are full-fledged investigations? Rowley, who retired in 2004, said that in her day two levels of investigations did exist but the lesser was rarely used, and in any case the difference between them was nominal at best — you either had a case worth pursuing or you didn’t.

can you give a kick so thsi isn't buried tonight.. thanks.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Interesting!

[DJ13]

2. KiCk!

[Idealism]

3. Would like to hear more about the Coleman issue

Corruption has no place in a democracy.

[stillcool]

4. Public Corruption = Fourth priority?

too busy with drug busts and pre-emptive arrests of protesters.

[Downtown Hound]

5. Don't hold out much hope for the outcome of the investigation

It'll be a whitewash, as these kinds of things usually are.

[krispos42]

12. She was the one that ripped BushCo a new one about Moussaui

(sp?). A Bush lackey improperly denied a search warrant request of Mussoui's laptop in August 2001, which was later found to contain critical clues to the 9/11 hijackings.

The dunce, naturally, got a Medal of Freedom and a cash bonus.


Crowley fought for that warrant, then went on to document and testify about the screw-ups.


She ran againt Repub John Kline in 2006 in Minnesota's 2nd District, and I'm proud to say I voted for her.


I'd like to see where she goes with this.

[Metta]

6. good to know what she comes up with.

thanks for posting.

[peacetalksforall]

7. There is something that won't leave my memory. I'm glad she is

taking up the policing.

I heard that there are people who said they saw someone come out from behind police lines and throw a long 'tool' at the Macy windows (which broke it/them), and then went back behind the police lines. The broken Macy's window was given a lot of press - and the follow through is that it gave the police a reason to claim rioting, not peaceful demonstrations.

It won't go away from my thoughts. What kind of 'tool' can do that - what kind of arm? Is it a fire department method to break through to get water/retardnent inside a building?

It won't go away from my thoughts. Myth or fact? Amyone know? If true, coupled with all the set-ups, tasering, non-freedoms of access and movement, excesses of arrests, denial of access by 'licensed' journalists, it should be investigated.

Good for Rowleen. Don't let it drop. It was disgusting.

[annm4peace]

10. alll most all correct

there were many legal observers and police observers there filming. a person dressed all oin back w/masking covering face came from behind the line of riot cops with a long pole adn samshed the Macy's window. He was arrested... point was.. how could a person come from behind the cops "dressed like an anrachist w/ a long pole ? the city of St. Paul Police had camera's installed prior to RNC from the GOP 50 million.. but is road blocking release those 6000 hours of tape.

[Downtown Hound]

11. Here's a video of it happening

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOHHr2r_Oms

From what I understand there were two business windows smashed out, a Macy's and a bank. And there were a few police car windows busted as well. The guy who busted the bank window was arrested and has pleaded guilty. He is scheduled to be sentenced in February. I can't find any information about the individual that broke the Macy's window. Lots of people are saying it was a provocateur, but until all the dust settles there's no way to be sure.

The strongest evidence for the existence of provocateurs to me is the fact that the police largely left the riot alone while they concentrated on the peaceful protest only a few blocks away. There was supposedly about two hours of chaos where the police did virtually nothing but let it happen. And the bottom line about the RNC "riots" is that in the end, they really weren't all that destructive. They were nothing on the level of Seattle in 1999, and lots of sporting events are actually much more violent. But the force used on the protesters for the rest of the week, even peaceful ones, was probably the worst that has happened since the outbreak of the Iraq War.

[Bjorn Against]

8. I asked her last Thursday if she would allow me to interview her for DU.

I talk to Coleen regularly, I protest the war with her every Thursday after work. She has been very vocal about defending the protesters who were arrested, and I am actually going to be helping her on some of this stuff. It might take me a couple weeks, but keep an eye on my journal because I will have an interview with her up before too terribly long.

[G_j]

9. never mind the agent provocateurs..

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=the+2008+Republican+National+Convention+pepper+spray+infiltrate&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 :shrug:

[a kennedy]

13. kick for the morning peeps.....

[G_j]

14. --