January 24, 2002: Urge Attorney General Ashcroft not to Relax Restrictions on FBI Spying on Domestic Religious and Political Organizations - Contact AG Ashcroft Now

Dear Friends,

Attorney General John Ashcroft is reportedly considering a plan to relax restrictions on the FBI's spying on domestic religious and political organizations. The proposal would loosen one of the most fundamental restrictions on the conduct of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and would be yet another civil rights casualty of the Bush Administration's war on terrorism.

The guidelines were originally imposed on the FBI in the 1970s when it was discovered that the Bureau had engaged in widespread unchecked domestic surveillance to monitor antiwar protesters, the Ku Klux Klan, the Black Panthers and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., among others, in an effort to undermine and discredit them.

The guidelines regulate FBI activity in both foreign and domestic intelligence gathering, and make it clear that constitutionally protected advocacy of unpopular ideas or political dissent alone cannot serve as the basis for an investigation. As an example, they prevent the FBI from sending undercover agents to investigate groups that gather at places like mosques or churches unless investigators first find evidence leading them to believe that someone in the group has or plans to break the law.

Urge Attorney General Ashcroft not to relax the FBI domestic spying guidelines!

The guidelines prevent politically motivated abuse.

Prior to the implementation of the guidelines, the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a smear campaign against Dr. Martin Luther King. Over a decade's time the FBI engaged in concerted and illegal harassment and surveillance of Dr. King and other leaders in the growing civil rights movement. Throughout this campaign, no credible evidence of wrongdoing existed to justify the FBI's activities.

It is unnecessary to relax the guidelines.

Current domestic guidelines already provide broad authority to conduct investigations. The proposed changes would allow the FBI to engage in "fishing expeditions," meaning the Bureau could, if it wanted, investigate groups solely because of their political, religious or social activity.

The necessary and legitimate war against terrorism should not be used to permanently expand unchecked government power or to diminish the Bill of Rights.

An immutable characteristic of our nation is freedom. If we allow the war on terrorism to take away our freedoms, we surrender what it is to be an American.

Please contact Attorney John Ashcroft now to tell him not to relax restrictions on FBI spying on domestic religious and political organizations.

Many thanks!
Hedy Weinberg, Executive Director