Spying Admission Rankles Civil Liberties, Good Government Groups
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
The revelation this month that Maryland State Police agents spied on antiwar and death-penalty protesters for more than a year has caused much consternation among civil liberties and good government groups.
In Takoma Park, one of the state's bastions of liberal thinking, officials were particularly concerned: Dozens of their constituents' organizational meetings, rallies and e-mail group lists were infiltrated over 14 months, starting in 2005.
Several residents and City Council members sent alarmed e-mails to Police Chief Ronald A. Ricucci. Did he know that undercover officers were posing as peace activists and opponents of capital punishment to gain access to their meetings?
To the relief of many, this was the response from Suzanne Ludlow, the city's community and government liaison.
"Neither Chief Ricucci nor any current command staff that was present at the time of the surveillance knew anything about it. . . . If there are inquiries by the press, please let them know that the City of Takoma Park was not informed of the surveillance."
The spying also did not sit well with Common Cause of Maryland, a good government group that sent out an e-mail petition seeking signatures from supporters asking for a federal and state investigation of the operation.
Executive Director Ryan O'Don nell went high tech with his plea, recording a one-minute video on YouTube.
"Marylanders should really be outraged for two reasons," O'Donnell says in the video. "First, it's an obvious attack on our civil liberties. . . . Second, this was an egregious and outlandish waste of taxpayer money, time and resources when the state police should have been pursuing legitimate public safety issues."
-- Lisa Rein
That Time of the Year
Some high-profile guests from across the region are scheduled to attend a "Victory '08 Unity Fundraiser" being hosted next week by the Maryland Democratic Party.
