Surveillance State Run Amok

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_01/016289.php

SURVEILLANCE STATE RUN AMOK.... In July, the Washington Post reported on undercover Maryland State Police officers conducting surveillance on war protesters and death penalty opponents. Today, we learn that the monitoring was worse, and more pervasive, than first believed.

The Maryland State Police surveillance of advocacy groups was far more extensive than previously acknowledged, with records showing that troopers monitored -- and labeled as terrorists -- activists devoted to such wide-ranging causes as promoting human rights and establishing bike lanes.

Intelligence officers created a voluminous file on Norfolk-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, calling the group a "security threat" because of concerns that members would disrupt the circus. Angry consumers fighting a 72 percent electricity rate increase in 2006 were targeted. The DC Anti-War Network, which opposes the Iraq war, was designated a white supremacist group, without explanation.

One of the possible "crimes" in the file police opened on Amnesty International, a world-renowned human rights group: "civil rights."

And people wonder why "civil-liberties types" worry about government abuse when it comes to surveillance of Americans.

Under the administration of then-Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), Maryland law enforcement infiltrated law-abiding protest groups and labeled 53 Americans, who had done nothing wrong, as "terrorists" in a state database shared with federal authorities. (It turns out, their law enforcement database didn't have categories for anti-war activists. Police created "terrorism" categories to make filing easier. How reassuring.)

How many Maryland State Police officials have been punished as a result of this project? To date, none. An undercover trooper who infiltrated peace groups has instead been promoted twice.

The Maryland State Police is "preparing to purge files and say they are expecting lawsuits." It seems like a safe bet.

-Steve Benen

[Captain Hilts]

1. Steve lives in Maryland. We used to be on the same subway train a lot and...

his office was next to mine.

This is some scary shit.

[babylonsister]

2. Yep. And it begs the question, what other states were being monitored? nt

[Captain Hilts]

3. Very true. MD now has a Dem Gov. what would we know if Ehrlich had been re-elected? Nothing. nt

[crickets]

4. I remember when this story broke.

Thanks for posting a follow-up, even if it's a depressing one. "Civil rights" is a terrorism category? What will they think of next? /rhetorical

Maryland State Police is "preparing to purge files and say they are expecting lawsuits."

So, a state police force admits to possible wrongdoing and the intent to willfully destroy evidence of same. Wow.

K&R.

[hootinholler]

7. By purging

I think they mean cleaning up the file so only real hate groups remain.

-Hoot

[crickets]

8. That occurred to me later. :)

And this is a good thing, something they should do. In the process, it seems like that would still get rid of the evidence, though.

[arcadian]

5. Anybody know where the state of Maryland intelligence fusion center is located?

I'll go by and take pictures.

[hootinholler]

6. If anyone thinks this is only happening in Md...

Google Joint Task Force.

-Hoot

[bertman]

10. Or InfraGard. That group is the FBI's citizen posse that has been formed and given authority

to protect "sensitive" industries and sites in the even of emergencies and domestic unrest. "Protect" meaning they are empowered to use deadly force against their fellow citizens.

[spanone]

9. we'll be dealing with the bu$h* legacy for many, many years