Court Slams FBI For Saying It's Okay For The Federal Government To Lie To A Court

from the who-watches-the-watchers? dept

A few months back, we pointed out how the EFF had discovered that the FBI was extremely arbitrary in how it redacted information on Freedom of Information Act requests. There are specific rules about what should be redacted and what should be allowed. However, the EFF received the same documents from separate requests, and found totally different sections redacted. Not only did this suggest how arbitrary the process was, it also allowed them to see some of what was redacted in the "other" document -- and discover that it never should have been redacted.

Now, the EFF is pointing to a recent ruling that shows the FBI apparently feels it's free to go much further than just arbitrary redacting. In a different case, a district court has slammed the FBI for both lying about what records it actually had in response to an FOIA request by pretending certain records did not exist (even though they did) and then redacting portions of the document, claiming that they were outside the scope of the request... when they were not. The court is clearly not pleased. It also did not buy the government's silly claim that revealing that the FBI lied would be a threat to national security or that it's fine for the federal government to simply lie to a court, in the name of "national security."
After court ordered the FBI to submit full versions of the records in camera, along with a new declaration about the agency’s search, the FBI revealed for the first time that it had materially and fundamentally mislead the court in its earlier filings. The unaltered versions of the documents showed that the information the agency had withheld as “outside the scope” was actually well within the scope of the plaintiffs’ FOIA request. The government also admitted it had a large number of additional responsive documents that it hadn’t told the plaintiffs or the court about. Id. at 7-8.

If these revelations weren’t bad enough, the FBI also argued FOIA allows it to mislead the court where it believes revealing information would “compromise national security.” Id. at 9. The FBI also argued, that “its initial representations to the Court were not technically false” because although the information might have been “factually” responsive to the plaintiffs’ FOIA request, it was “legally nonresponsive.” Id. at 9, n. 4 (emphasis added).

The court noted, this “argument is indefensible,” id. at 9-10, and held, “the FOIA does not permit the government to withhold responsive information from the court.”
It really does seem like our federal government tends to believe that there should be no oversight of it at all. It's almost as if they feel that the basic principles of checks & balances within the government is a nuisance which it can ignore.
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Filed Under: fbi, foia, freedom of information, lies


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  1. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 May 2011 @ 12:17pm

    isn't lying to the court called Perjury and can it also not be construed as obstruction of justice?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Irving, 6 May 2011 @ 12:22pm

    Consequences?

    So, who's going to prison for this? Nobody?

    I guess it is legal after all.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    A non-mouse, 6 May 2011 @ 12:31pm

    Contempt?

    IANAL - But if the court orders you to do something (such as submit documents) and you intentionally do not, isn't that contempt of court? Send someone to the cooler for a week or two, the court's message will be heard loud & clear.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. icon
    btr1701 (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 12:33pm

    Sanctions

    Seems like the agents who did this should get a contempt citation and the US Attorneys that allowed it should be brought up before the bar on ethics charges.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 May 2011 @ 12:37pm

    Re: Sanctions

    "Seems like the agents who did this should get a contempt citation and the US Attorneys that allowed it should be brought up before the bar on ethics charges."

    Should? Yes. Will? No way.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. icon
    bugmenot (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 12:39pm

    DUH!

    What the heck would the FBI do if it could not lie?

    They farm raise their liars from kids.

    Racoons strew garbage, dogs steal meat from the table, politicians exploit, and Feds lie.

    It's kind of the natural way of things.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 May 2011 @ 12:39pm

    A government that has to lie for the sake of 'national security' is one that is responsible for the same wrongdoings that it's allegedly trying to protect us from.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. icon
    Mike42 (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 12:42pm

    Careful!

    Watch out you guys, or some Authoritarian AC will threaten you with Guantanimo Bay! (Or some other silly Government threat)

    So just sit back and take it! Say, "Please, sir, may I have another!"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. icon
    Joe Publius (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 12:45pm

    Re: Consequences?

    Hear, hear!

    If all these jackals ever get is a stern talking to, then they have absolutely no incentive to stop. They'll just keep on lying to everyone and say it's for our "National Security", and expect us to be fine with the fact that they undermine our very Democracy, and as a result our nation each time they do it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 May 2011 @ 12:53pm

    This sounds more like a fundamental misunderstanding of the FOIA itself, rather than any genuine attempt to mislead - at least, that's what Hanlon's Razor would indicate.

    The FOIA does allow the existence of records to be kept secret for national security concerns, and similarly, records can be factually responsive while being legally nonresponsive. Those have been established by case law as the FOIA Exclusions, of which there are three (not to be confused with exemptions).

    The issue comes into play with the court involvement. It's perfectly defensible for these steps to be taken with regard to the requester. As far as the Court is concerned it would be the FBI's responsibility to approach the court initially, with the concern that there were issues related to the case that required in camera discussion.

    In short, the FBI was potentially right in the idea that certain documents were legally non-responsive and legitimately not disclosed to the requester. During a FOIA appeal or litigation, however, that information cannot be witheld from the arbitrator, becasue the whole point at that juncture is to determine whether or not the judgements made were accurate.

    Aa far as the arbitrary redacting - that's a bit harder. the larger FOIA offices have many many people. Though they SHOULD be organized and coordinated, they often aren't, and the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. On top of that, the FOIA isn't an exact science, and some judgement calls are extremely difficult. On top of that, the FOIA program is notoriously overworked, understaffed, underfunded, and reviled by insiders.

    That being said, I'm not surprised there are huge discrepancies, and I' not trying to excuse it either. Just trying to explain the internal mechanisims and systemic issues that probably led to this.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. icon
    crade (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 12:55pm

    Maybe that national security card is finally wearing out.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. icon
    Jay (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 12:58pm

    Re: DUH!

    That's the CIA and they have burn notices for that.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. icon
    crade (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 1:00pm

    Re:

    Yeah, I'm sure they meant well and were just so vastly incompetent that it came across as lying.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. icon
    sehlat (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 1:06pm

    We were warned of this a LONG time ago:

    John 3:20 (New International Version)

    Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. icon
    DannyB (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 1:25pm

    You don't get it

    When the FIB lies to the court, it's okay because they're the government.

    Always trust the government. They're on your side.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 May 2011 @ 1:26pm

    Re:

    It looks to me like they should have went with a non-committal "With the court's permission, We would like to neither confirm or deny document X's existence" and try to convince the court why. Outright lying to a judge is a big no no, and I'm surprised (disappointed) that all they're getting is a stern letter for their punishment. I like these words from the ruling:


    The Government asserts that it had to mislead the Court regarding the Government’s response to Plaintiffs’ FOIA request to avoid compromising national security. The Government’s argument is untenable. The Government cannot, under any circumstance, affirmatively mislead the Court. The United States Constitution entrusts the Judiciary with the power to determine compliance with the law. It is impossible for the Court to determine compliance with the law and to protect the public from Government misconduct if the Government misleads the Court. The Court simply cannot perform its constitutional function if the Government does not tell the truth.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. icon
    The eejit (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 1:26pm

    Re: Re:

    Sufficiently advanced stupidity in indistinguishable from malice.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. icon
    Joe Publius (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 1:27pm

    Re: We were warned of this a LONG time ago:

    Oh, burn.

    I mean it, I think if some of these guys even laid a pinky on a holy book for some court proceding, they'd go up like the Hindenburg.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. icon
    CommonSense (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 1:27pm

    They're not saying...

    That it's ok for them to break the law... They're saying that when the FBI does it, it isn't against the law...

    Didn't work for Nixon, shouldn't work for these clowns.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. icon
    DannyB (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 1:28pm

    From an old ST:TNG episode. Captain Picard is told by a planetary official "it's a matter of internal security". He signs to himself and says: Internal security, the age old cry of the oppressor.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. icon
    Overcast (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 1:29pm

    Government lies.

    Nothing new.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. icon
    NotMyRealName (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 1:34pm

    Re: We were warned of this a LONG time ago:

    Aha! That's why gingers are commonly known to be soulless monsters. They burn in the sun because they're evil!

    /mildly un-pc attempt at humor

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 May 2011 @ 1:45pm

    It really does seem like our federal government tends to believe that there should be no oversight of it at all. It's almost as if they feel that the basic principles of checks & balances within the government is a nuisance which it can ignore.

    I just want them to declare martial law and get it over with. I'm sick of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  24. icon
    Thomas (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 1:52pm

    Lying..

    juts comes naturally to politicians and the spooks.

    They don't really care what the courts tell them, they just go ahead and do what they want. Breaking the law is considered acceptable by not just the spooks, but by all branches of the government.

    Checks and balances is a joke these days anyway. Not only the spooks and the politicians, but also the courts receive nice gifts under the table.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  25. icon
    Thomas (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 1:54pm

    Re:

    lying to the court might be perjury and perhaps an obstruction of justice, but the spooks know full well that they are pretty much immune from any real prosecution.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  26. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 May 2011 @ 2:28pm

    Re: Re:

    Sovereign immunity?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  27. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 May 2011 @ 2:30pm

    Re:

    A government that has to 'protect' us from the truth is a government that we need to protect ourselves against.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  28. identicon
    Picard, 6 May 2011 @ 3:49pm

    Response to: DannyB on May 6th, 2011 @ 1:28pm

    What ST:TNG episode was that from?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  29. icon
    Chris Rhodes (profile), 6 May 2011 @ 4:49pm

    Re: Response to: DannyB on May 6th, 2011 @ 1:28pm

    "The Hunted". That was a good episode, actually.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  30. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 May 2011 @ 4:53pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    The organization is immune. The individual is not.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  31. identicon
    Lawrence D’Oliveiro, 6 May 2011 @ 6:36pm

    Re: The organization is immune. The individual is not.

    So jail all the individuals, and we’ll see how much of an organization they have left.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  32. identicon
    Rekrul, 6 May 2011 @ 11:06pm

    It really does seem like our federal government tends to believe that there should be no oversight of it at all. It's almost as if they feel that the basic principles of checks & balances within the government is a nuisance which it can ignore.

    You appear to made a couple of typos. Allow me to correct them for you...

    "Our federal government tends to believe that there should be no oversight of it at all. They feel that the basic principles of checks & balances within the government is a nuisance which it can ignore."

    There, that's better.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  33. icon
    The eejit (profile), 7 May 2011 @ 4:21am

    Re: Lying..

    "All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
    -Winston Churchill.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  34. identicon
    msdesauliers, 7 May 2011 @ 8:36am

    FBI WATCH

    SUGGESTED READING LIST
    annotated bibliography


    Bari, Judi. TIMBER WARS. Monroe, Maine: Common Courage Press, 1994.
    The F.B.I. attempted to stop the political activity of Judi Bari and Daryl Cherney by exploding a
    bomb under their car. Daryl Cherney and Judi Bari filed a Civil lawsuit
    against the FBI and Oakland police. A jury awarded them $4.4 million
    dollars in 2003. see www.judibari.org

    Bowen Roger. INNOCENCE IS NOT ENOUGH: The Life and Death of Herbert Norman
    New York USA M.E. Sharpe Inc 1988
    Looks at FBI assassination of Herbert Norman, Canadian Ambassador to Egypt.

    Buitrago, Ann Mari. F.B.I. FILES. Grove Press, 1981.
    Covers the procedures for obtaining and interpreting your F.B.I. file.

    Burnham, David. ABOVE THE LAW. Scribner, 1996.
    Looks at secret deals and fixing of cases by the Justice Department for corporations.
    Burnham was the New York Times reporter who broke the story about New York City cop Serpico and Police corruption.
    He was the reporter on route to meet Karen Silkwood when she was found murdered. Read his other book A LAW UNTO ITSELF.
    It details how FBI agents collaborate with the IRS to target political activists.
    see his important website about the FBI
    here http://trac.syr.edu/

    Burnham, David A LAW UNTO ITSELF Vintage January 30, 1991 ISBN-10: 0679732837
    Exposes FBI agents using the IRS to cripple political activists.


    Buttino, Frank. A SPECIAL AGENT. William Morrow, 1993.
    Investigates F.B.I. attacks on gay FBI agents .
    This book is written by a FBI agent who is gay. It details how other FBI
    agents tormented him .

    Carson, Clayborne. MALCOLM X: THE F.B.I. FILE. Carroll & Graf, 1991.
    Looks at the evidence for the F.B.I. assassination of Malcolm X.

    Cashill,Jack, Sanders,James. FIRST STRIKE Thomas Nelson Press, 2003
    Overwhelming evidence presented by Dr. Cashill on the downing of TWA
    Flight 800 by a missle over Long Island and the ensuing cover-up by FBI
    agents.One of my favorite books. see their documentary about the same
    subject called SILENCED here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7Nm2Ql1-qk

    Charns, Alexander. CLOAK AND GAVEL. University of Illinois Press. 1992.
    After reviewing thousands of pages of FBI documents the attorney author
    exposes the FBI illegal phone tapping of the Supreme Court and how the
    FBI fix court cases and work behind the scenes to get "their man"
    appointed to the Supreme Court. Written by a lawyer active in Human
    Rights.

    Churchill, Ward. AGENTS OF REPRESSION. South End Press, 1988.
    Professor Churchill gives first hand accounts of F.B.I. death squad
    activities. This book is a classic and is a must read along with THE
    COINTELPRO PAPERS

    Churchill, Ward. THE COINTELPRO PAPERS. South End Press, 1990.
    Explores how the F.B.I. disrupts legitimate political activities and engage in Death Squad activities.

    Criley, Richard. THE F.B.I. VS. THE FIRST AMENDMENT. First Amendment Foundation, 1990.
    Looks at the destruction of the First Amendment by the F.B.I.

    Davis, John. MAFIA KINGFISH: CARLOS MARCELLO AND THE ASSASSINATION OF JOHN F.
    KENNEDY. McGraw-Hill, 1989.
    A must read book in understanding how the FBI has used the Mafia to carry out the assassination of President Kennedy.

    De Camp, John. THE FRANKLIN COVERUP. AWT Publishers, 1992.
    A former Republican state senator from Nebraska writes about a
    pedophile ring involved in the kidnaping, sexual torture and murder of
    children that went all the way to the Bush White House.
    Attorney DeCamp discusses the FBI role in the coverup of this case and
    the murder of a special prosecutor appointed to investigate the
    pedophile ring.This book will keep you awake at night and is an active
    barometer for evil indexing how the FBI crime family operates.

    Dempsey, James X. and David Cole. TERRORISM AND THE CONSTITUTION: SACRIFICING CIVIL
    LIBERTIES IN THE NAME OF NATIONAL SECURITY. Los Angeles, CA: First Amendment
    Foundation, 1999. Examines FBI campaign of terror to undermine civil
    liberties. Attorney Dempsey worked for Congressman Don Edwards who was
    a former FBI agent.

    Diamond, Sigmund. COMPROMISED CAMPUS. Oxford University Press, 1992.
    Professor Diamond attempts to get F.B.I. files showing collaboration
    between F.B.I. agents and professors at universities from 1945-1955.
    The FBI created the Patriot Act , in part, because of this book.

    Donner, Frank. PROTECTORS OF PRIVILEGE. University of California Press, 1990.
    Looks at the death squad collaboration between local police and F.B.I. agents to stifle the Bill of Rights.

    Dwyer, James. TWO SECONDS UNDER THE WORLD. Diane publishers 1997.
    The most important book you will read on understanding FBI agents Floyd
    and Anticev creating the 1993 terrorist act at the World Trade Center.
    This book lays out in detail how the FBI engineered
    the 1993 World Trade Center explosion.

    Emerson, Steven and Brian Duffy. THE FALL OF PAN AM 103. G.B. Putnam's Sons, 1990.
    Oliver Revell was the number 2 man at the F.B.I. until he was demoted
    by F.B.I. Director William Sessions to the Dallas Field Office. His son
    Chris Revell had tickets for
    Pan Am 103, but he changed his flight two days before the plane
    exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. See Ross Gelbspan's book, BREAK-INS,
    DEATH THREATS AND THE FBI to get a fuller picture of Oliver Revell.

    Foerstel, Herbert. SURVEILLANCE IN THE STACKS. Greenwood Press, 1991.
    Looks at attempts by the F.B.I. to get librarians to spy on the American public .The FBI created the Library
    Clauses in the Patriot Act because of this book.

    Gallagher, Dorothy. ALL THE RIGHT ENEMIES. Penguin Books, 1988.
    The F.B.I. utilized the Mafia to carry out its executions against Presidents and political activists from 1930 through 2000.
    Carlos Tresca was one of their victims.

    Gelbspan, Ross. BREAK- INS, DEATH THREATS, AND THE F.B.I. South End Press, 1991.
    This Pulitzer Prize winning reporter formerly with the Boston Globe,
    details the F.B.I. death squad collaboration with the death squads in
    El Salvador and their attacks upon American groups opposed to those
    death squads.

    Glick, Brian. WAR AT HOME. South End Press, 1989.
    Attorney Glick details the F.B.I.’s covert war against political activists.

    Hoffman, David. THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING AND THE POLITICS OF TERROR. Feral
    House, 1998.
    Contains detailed evidence about the FBI alliance with the terrorist
    underworld, and how FBI agent provocateurs are behind many of the
    current bombings that have plagued the United States since the fall of
    the Berlin Wall. Some current thinking has FBI agents creating these
    acts to fill the void caused by the downfall of communism and replacing
    communism with the new boogeyman Islam.


    Hougan, Jim. SPOOKS. William Morrow, 1978.
    Important book detailing the life of former F.B.I. agent Robert Maheux
    and his relationship with the Mafia. Groundbreaking book in
    understanding FBI collaboration with the Mafia, using it to carry out
    assassinations on President Kennedy, Martin Luther King and others.
    Maheux was the liason between the Mafia and the FBI when the FBI assassinated President Kennedy and Martin Luther King.



    Kaiser, Marty . Odyssey of an Eavesdropper( My Life in electronic
    countermeasures and my battle against the FBI) W Carroll & Graf 2005
    Author exposes wiretapping crimes committed by FBI agents as well as
    Business Fraud. He built the wiretapping devices for FBI agents that
    were later used in crimes committed against people like Martin Luther
    King and public officials.After exposing FBI agents kickback schemes to
    Congress the author became a target of retaliation by tax payer funded
    FBI agents. see http://www.martykaiser.com/odyssey2.htm

    Keith, Jim. OK BOMB. Illuminate, 1996.
    Explores FBI coverup in the Oklahoma City bombing investigation.

    Kelly, John F. TAINTING EVIDENCE. The Free Press 1998. The book is
    based on testimony of FBI lab Whistleblower Dr. Frederick Whitehurst ,
    an employee of the FBI for 17 years. Shows how bad the FBI Lab is run.
    Dr. Whitehurst was the chemist who analyzed Timothy McVeigh's clothes
    for traces of ammonium nitrate and was removed from the case when he
    did not find any bomb residue.
    see
    http://www.whistleblowers.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=108


    Lehr, Dick & O'Neill, Gerard. BLACK MASS. Public Affairs, 2000.
    Looks at the FBI's collaboration in Boston with the Mafia and Irish Mob
    between 1960 and 2001 in which they collaborated in the murder of 21
    women,children and men. Important book showing how the FBI uses the
    Mafia to commit political and other assassinations .see
    http://www.thebrothersbulger.com/

    McGhee , Millie WHAT'S DONE IN THE DARK Allen Morris 2005
    The author is a afro american relative of FBI Director J Edgar Hoover
    who is successful in presenting evidence that FBI Director Hoover is part African-American
    and related to her.
    The book details the research conducted by Ms McGhee and how FBI agents tried to stop her from writing the book. Photographs show reunion of white and black relatives united by the research in this book. FBI Director J Edgar Hoover was the descendant of Mississippi slaves.

    Melanson, Phillip. THE MURKIN CONSPIRACY. Praeger, 1989.
    Professor Melanson looks at the F.B.I.’s role in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Melanson, Phillip. THE ROBERT KENNEDY ASSASSINATION. Shapolsky, 1991.
    Professor Melanson was in charge of the Robert Kennedy archives at the University of Massachusetts.
    He detailed the F.B.I.’s role as one of the principal architects in the assassination of Robert Kennedy.

    Messerschmidt, Jim. THE TRIAL OF LEONARD PELTIER. South End Press, 1983.
    Looks at the miscarriage of justice in the F.B.I.’s handling of the Leonard Peltier case.

    Oklahoma City Bombing Investigative Committee. THE FINAL REPORT.2001.
    The book providing evidence of FBI involvement in the Oklahoma City
    Bombing .

    Navasky, Victor. INVESTIGATING THE F.B.I. Doubleday, 1973.
    Contains material presented at a major conference at Princeton University in 1971 investigating
    crimes committed by the FBI.


    Neff, James. MOBBED UP. Dell Publishers 1988.
    Important book in understanding FBI collaboration with the Mafia
    especially how the Bureau uses the Mafia to carry out its political
    assassinations.

    Nelson, Jack. THE F.B.I. AND THE BERRIGANS. Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1972.
    Looks at F.B.I. death squad directed against Nobel Peace Prize nominee Phil Berrigan and his
    brother, Jesuit priest Daniel Berrigan.

    Olsen, Jack. LAST MAN STANDING: THE TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH OF GERONIMO PRATT.
    Doubleday, 2000.
    Provides supporting evidence for the idea of the F.B.I. as a death
    squad. Examines the F.B.I. acts of genocide against Afro-Americans .
    Looks at how FBI agents framed Geronimo Pratt, a Afro American Viet-nam
    vet who spent over 25 years in prison before a judge released him
    saying he was innocent and framed by FBI agents.
    Vermont filmaker has issued a 4 DVD collection of her films
    about the Black Panthers. She interviews retired FBI agent
    Wesley Swearingen who was part of the FBI Racial Squad in San Fransisco that put Pratt in prison see http://www.newsreel.us/

    O’Reilly, Kenneth. RACIAL MATTERS. Free Press, 1989.
    Professor O’Reilly looks at a file called Racial Matters that the F.B.I. is keeping on Black America.


    Parenti, Michael. DIRTY TRUTHS. City Lights Books, 1996.
    Dr. Parenti looks at the evidence for F.B.I. involvement in the
    assassination of labor leader Walter Reuther while he was organizing
    protests against the Vietnam War. It includes the essay “Why the Left
    is Afraid to look at the Assassination of JFK” .

    Pepper, William. ORDERS TO KILL. Carroll and Graf, 1995.
    Attorney Pepper represented James Earl Ray in his bid for a new trial
    and won a landmark case in civil court in December 1999 for the Martin
    Luther King Jr. family. The jury in the case concluded hat the F.B.I.
    was involved in the assassination of King. His book details our
    government’s involvement and provides photographic evidence of the
    F.B.I.’s role in this assassination.



    Pepper,William. ACT OF STATE: THE EXECUTION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING Verso Press, 2003
    The evidence from the 1999 Civil Trial in Memphis brought by the King
    family in which the jury concluded FBI agents were principal architects
    in the assassination of Martin Luther King. Written by the trial
    attorney William Pepper.

    Powers, Richard Gid. SECRECY AND POWER. Free Press, 1987.
    A biography of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and his quest for power.

    Powers, Tyrone. EYES TO MY SOUL. Majority Press, 1996.
    Professor Powers an afro-american, talks about his 9 years working as
    an F.B.I. agent, and the racism in the FBI . Powers discusses the FBI
    FRUHMENSCHEN program set up in the 1920's thru 2010 to target black
    politicians in sting operations without cause because the FBI feels
    blacks are incpable of governing. White agents tried to kill him when
    he was writing this book by blowing up his FBI issued car with him in
    it..

    Ranalli, Ralph. DEADLY ALLIANCE. Harper Torch, 2001
    Boston Globe reporter Ralph Rannali exposes FBI collaboration with the
    Boston Mafia from 1930-2009 where they ran a Murder Inc. President Bush
    asserted Executive Privilege in 2002 preventing
    Congress from seeing the Federal Prosecutor’s Investigative files on this case.

    Robbins, Natalie. ALIEN INK. William Morrow, 1992.
    Ms. Robbins acquired the F.B.I. files on the major writers and artists of the 20th century, and examines F.B.I. agents neutralizing them and their freedom of expression.

    Schultz, Bud and Ruth. IT DID HAPPEN HERE. University of California Press, 1989.
    Contains interviews with human rights activists who survived F.B.I. assassination attempts.


    Schultz, Bud and Ruth. THE PRICE OF DISSENT. University of California Press , 2001
    The sequel to IT DID HAPPEN HERE with more interviews with civil rights activists , union organizers and anti-war protestors who survived FBI assassination attempts and with family members of people who were murdered.

    Seymour, Sheri. COMMITTEE OF THE STATES. Self-published, 1989.
    The F.B.I. infiltrated the California Militia 10 years before the Oklahoma City bombing. The book illustrates how easy it was for the F.B.I. to infiltrate the group and get it to make bombs.
    Shows how easy it was for FBI agent provocteur to get Timothy McVeigh to make bomb and drive the truck. The exact same scenario
    occured in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. google floyd
    anticev salem

    Sharkey, Joe. ABOVE SUSPICION. Simon & Schuster, 1993.
    Looks at the F.B.I. coverup involving one of its own agents Mark Putnam, who murdered his informant after he got her pregnant.
    FBI agent Putnam was eventually sentenced to prison for their murder thanks to the dogged work of the Kentucky State Police.
    click link and scroll down to obituary of his wife. http://betrayedbylovemovie.blogspot.com/

    Suarez, Manuel. REQUIEM ON CERRO MARAVILLA. Waterfront Press, 1987.
    Looks at F.B.I. collaboration with local police in the arrest, handcuffing, and death squad execution of two teenagers in Puerto Rico.

    Summers, Anthony. OFFICIAL AND CONFIDENTIAL. G.B. Putnam and Sons, 1993.
    This is the book on which the PBS Frontline documentary on J. Edgar Hoover and his friendship with the Mafia is based. In my eyes, this PBS program was the turning point in the good fortune the FBI has enjoyed for over 80 years.

    Swearingen, Wesley. F.B.I. Secrets: An Agents Expose South End Press 1994
    Swearingen is a retired FBI agent currently living in the San Diego area who was a member
    of the FBI San Fransisco Office racial Squad.
    The FBI has Racial Squads in every major American City. The function of the FBI Racial Squad is to assassinate or neutralize
    black politicians and black activists who do not reflect the philosophy of American Corporations. Vermont filmaker Roz Payne has
    interviewed Swearingen and he is on her recently released 4 DVD about the Black Panthers see http://www.newsreel.us/


    Swearingen,Wesley, To Kill a President: Finally – an Ex-FBI Agent Rips Aside the Veil of Secrecy that Killed JFK 2006
    According to Swearingen, Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone in assassinating Kennedy as was claimed by the FBI, the Warren Commission and other investigating bodies. Instead, he argues that rogue CIA agents acting in concert with the mafia and certain Cuban exiles plotted to kill Kennedy. Swearingen contends that the conspiracy was covered up by the FBI, an effort that continues to this day through the agency's unwillingness to disclose key details about the events surrounding Kennedy's death. see http://www.lewrockwell.com/pr/new-book-fbi-cia-jfk-killing.html

    Theoharis, Athan. THE F.B.I. Garland Publishers, 1994.
    Professor Theoharis has compiled a comprehensive listing of books and articles about the F.B.I. up to 1994.

    Thomas, Kenn. THE OCTOPUS. Feral House, 1996.
    Investigates the F.B.I.’s role in the killing of investigative reporter Danny Casolero while he was investigating the October Surprise.

    Turner, William. THE ASSASSINATION OF ROBERT KENNEDY. Thunder Mouth Press, 1993.
    Written by a former F.B.I. agent, it looks at the F.B.I.’s involvement in the assassination of Robert Kennedy.

    Turner, William. REARVIEW MIRROR foreword by Oliver Stone. Penmarin Books CA 2001.
    More updated information on FBI involvement in President Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Assassination written by a former FBI agent.

    U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. WHO IS GUARDING THE GUARDIANS? A Report on Police
    Death Squad activities. 1981.

    Wiener, Jon. GIMME SOME TRUTH. University of California Press, 1999.
    Professor Wiener looks at the 14 year battle with the F.B.I. to get them to release their files on John Lennon.How many rock stars
    has the FBI assassinated?


    SUGGESTED WEB SITES AND VIDEOS
    http://lasthurrahbookshop.net/mafia.html
    www.copvcia.com
    http://www.mikeruppert.blogspot.c om/
    www.narconews.com
    www.911pressfortruth.com
    www.911inquiry.org
    http://www.ae911truth.org/
    ww w.heatisonline.org
    www.whistleblowers.org
    www.zpub.com/notes/fbi-shame.html

    VIDEOS:
    WACO:RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
    SILENCED Jack Cashill
    THE GREAT DECEPTION Barry Zwicker
    TRUTH&LIES 911 Mike Ruppert
    AFTERMATH:UNANSWEREDQUESTIONS

    link to this | view in thread ]

  35. icon
    Josef Anvil (profile), 8 May 2011 @ 2:27am

    The Bush Legacy....

    This is the legacy of George W. Bush. Terrorism and National Security now become the excuses to ignore laws. As long as we accept it, it will continue to get worse.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  36. icon
    Christopher (profile), 8 May 2011 @ 7:15pm

    Re: Re: We were warned of this a LONG time ago:

    I doubt it, seeing as how tons of people who touch those non-holy books lie their asses off.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  37. icon
    Christopher (profile), 8 May 2011 @ 7:17pm

    Re: The Bush Legacy....

    True. Thankfully, more and more people are getting tired of that terrorism cry, realizing that terrorism is no more serious than other mass murderers, and are pushing back.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  38. icon
    Christopher (profile), 8 May 2011 @ 7:34pm

    Re: Re: The organization is immune. The individual is not.

    That is exactly what should be done. Jail the individuals and get rid of this sovereign immunity bullhockey as well, FOREVER!

    The fact is that sovereign immunity is only supposed to exist in dictatorial governments.... not democratic ones.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  39. identicon
    user124, 17 May 2011 @ 1:16pm

    Re: Consequences?

    thats exactly the question i ask everytime when my government is doing something illegal - and guess what the answer is...

    greetings from germany.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  40. identicon
    Angry Voter, 22 Dec 2011 @ 12:26am

    There was a silent coup in the US decades ago.

    The occupation government is simply organized crime.

    They deserve as much 'respect' (fear) as the Mexican cartels, no more.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  41. identicon
    miss_2lonely, 23 Dec 2011 @ 9:48pm

    IN RESPONSE TO: FBI WATCH

    FBI WATCH
    BY: msdesauliers, May 7th, 2011 @ 8:36am

    I found your response: "SUGGESTED READING LIST-annotated bibliography" BY FAR the BEST reply, so far, as it provides AMPLE information & VARIOUS sources for another person to use to research this subject matter further. (Information which I took FULL advantage of!!)
    ;-) Thank you!

    link to this | view in thread ]


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