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

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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" MONITORING ADVOCACY GROUP ACTIVITIES PETA - FBI requests information about protest PETA - FBI apparently plans surveillance of animal rights event ADC - FBI noted names of conference attendees PETA - FBI discusses potential protests PETA - FBI tracks PETA's movements PETA - FBI reads activists' Yahoo Groups' messages Greenpeace - Describes information gained regarding Catholic Workers Group through arrestees Greenpeace - Describes information gained regarding Catholic Workers Group through protestors PETA - Describes arrest of protester PETA - Mentions PETA protests of a fur shop Greenpeace - Document from investigative file attaching articles downloaded from Greenpeace website CONCEALING DETAILS OF FBI DOMESTIC SPYING PETA - Electronic Communication to Counterterrorism from Norfolk office which is completely redacted. PETA - International Operations' Electronic Communication entitled "DOMESTIC TERRORISM-PEOPLE FOR ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMAL [sic] (PETA)." Highly redacted. ACLU - Highly redacted "SECRET" document from Washington Field Office ACLU - 19 pages of an almost entirely redacted document FBI REFUSES TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION ABOUT ITS USE OF THE PATRIOT ACT ACLU - Document entitled Senate Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing dated May 20, 2004, almost entirely redacted, but mentions oversight of National Security Letters ACLU - "USA PATRIOT ACT Reauthorization Briefing Book-April/May 2004" excerpt, entirely redacted, except for the words "ACLU lawsuits"

FOIA Highlights By Client (all links are to pdf files) See full client list >>
ACLU	Various | Various
THE AMERICAN-ARAB ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE (ADC)	Noting names of conference attendees
GREENPEACE	Terrorism definitions | Various | FBI uses source spy on activists | FBI learns about activist morale through "source" | FBI gains information through "confidential sources" | About information gained on Catholic Workers Group through arrestees | About information gained regarding Catholic Workers Group through protestors | Various
PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS (PETA)
Claims re. agents attending North American Meat Processors Association , PETA funding of ELF | FBI drafts letter to web author denying remarks attributed to FBI agents | E-mail exchange indicates that FBI does not have evidence linking PETA to ELF and ALF | PETA cited as support group for "eco-terrorist movement" | Legal funding for animal rights activists labeled as funding domestic terrorism | E-mail claiming PETA is raising money for domestic terrorism objectives | Discusses Terrorism Enterprise Investigation of PETA | FBI investigates links between PETA and ALF	Plans to monitor Animal Rights Conference using "source" | FBI apparently acquires information through a PETA intern | Plans to develop cooperating source through meeting with PETA's ex-employees | FBI requests information about protest | FBI apparently plans surveillance of animal rights event | FBI discusses potential protests | FBI tracks PETA's movements | FBI reads activists' Yahoo Groups' messages | Description of arrest of protester | Mentions PETA protests of a fur shop Various | Various Full set of PETA documents Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
THE SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH (SOAW)	"The leaders of the SOA Watch have taken strides to impart upon the protest participants that the protest should be a peaceful event."
INDIVIDUALS	Sarah Bardwell | Scott Silber

FOIA Requests/Releases By State (pdfs)

CALIFORNIA Press release (5/15/2006) Full document list >> COLORADO FOIA | Press release (12/2/04) | Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) | More >> GEORGIA FOIA | Press release (5/18/2005) Documents Released 5/4/2006 >> IDAHO FOIA | Press release Documents Released 5/5/2006 >> ILLINOIS FOIA | Press release (12/2/04) | MOU IOWA Drake National Lawyer's Guild Surveillance, Subpoenas | More >> KENTUCKY FOIA | Press release (5/18/2005) MAINE FOIA | Participants Documents Released 10/25/2006 >>

MASSACHUSETTS FOIA | Press release (5/18/2005) | More >> MICHIGAN FOIA | Press release (12/2/04) | MOU MISSOURI FOIA for Individuals | FOIA for Groups NEW JERSEY Press release (12/2/04) NORTH CAROLINA FOIA OREGON FOIA | Press release (12/2/04) | MOU PENNSYLVANIA FOIA | Press release (5/18/2005) | Press release (3/14/2006) | Participants RHODE ISLAND FOIA | Press release (5/18/2005) WISCONSIN FOIA