DHS Violates It’s Own Guidelines In Investigating Pro-Life Activists, Destroys The Report

  •  February 10, 2010

More evidence that the Department of Homeland Security is a political tool moreso than an organization dedicated to addressing real threats to the nation.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted a threat assessment of local pro- and anti-abortion rights activists before an expected rally last year, even though they did not pose a threat to national security.
The DHS destroyed or deleted its copies of the assessment after an internal review found it violated intelligence-gathering guidelines by collecting and sharing information about “protest groups which posed no threat to homeland security,” according to a department memo written last year.

So, the DHS ran background checks on a peaceful group of protestors who, by it’s own admission didn’t warrant it and had committed no acts that would classify them as a threat to national security, then destroyed the evidence once it was discovered that the action violated its own guidelines. Transparency and accountability! Don’t worry though: they’ve determined it’s a no harm, no foul situation.

[The departmental memo about the incident] concluded the report was unlikely to “have any impact on civil liberties or civil rights” given its limited dissemination. But anti-abortion groups and the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin on Monday both criticized the federal government’s collection of information on law-abiding protesters.

Ah, this was carried out against pro-life protestors, one of those presumed dangerous right-wing extremist classes the government is always warning us about. It would seem that protestations to the contrary, the DHS really does think those clingers of God and guns are dangerous. I feel so safe just knowing they’re there.

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  • http://Array lock’em’up

    Left wing hypocrites are a much smaller problem. But no, I’m not a fan.

  • Lock ‘em up

    Wait! Hold up!

    There are pro-life terrorists.

    So, if DHS investigates one, they are good. If they investigate someone who could be one, but isn’t, they are bad?

    Why don’t you feel outrage, real or even fake, about the innocents in Gtmo?

    “No harm, no foul”, the 13th plank in the Republican hypocrisy platform.

  • Lock ‘em up

    “What innocents are you talking about? And why would you assume I would feel no outrage over such a thing?” That question alone is very telling. Do you not know of any innocents that have been detained in Gitmo?

    If you really want a list, google it. I doubt that you are interested in the truth, though.

  • sayanything-1321

    I thought that planting bombs in public places, blowing up public places and
    killing innocent people in cold blood were terroristic acts. I guess that doesn’t
    apply to conservatives. Anything for the cause, right?

  • http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

    Hillary had pants suits, Bill couldn’t keep his zipped, Sandy stuffed his…why is the entire Clinton administration obsessed and associated with pants?

  • sayanything-15427

    I’m less upset by the investigation than by the destruction of the report. They can investigate if they feel it is warranted (granted, not necessarily “warrant”ed) but they must be accountable for the act.

    There is also a big difference between a passive investigation and an active one.

  • lock’em’up

    Buzzz, wrong. Try again.

  • J.R.

    Why are left wing hypocrites a much smaller problem?

    And I agree with JustRuss, the real issue here is the destruction of the report. In today’s age of electronic media there is no reason to destroy reports unless the purpose is to hide something. I’m curious what they are hiding.

    And when were we all saying if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about? In what context does this apply? I don’t have anything to hide but I would be worried if a cop was abusing his power by looking into my past and/or present dealings.

  • robert108

    Try arguing on the facts, bud. Obama/Pelosi/Reid are the biggest hypocrites on the planet right now, and our country is suffering for it.
    They want to fatten themselves at our expense, while lying to us that things are getting better.
    They tell us to cut back, while they spend, spend, spend. Obama is dining on wagyu steak with his themostat set at “Hawaii” on the public dime, while he tries to send gasoline prices and electricity prices through the roof.
    They tell us we can’t fly our jets to Vegas, while they spend our money on jetting to Copenhagen for the AGW hoax.
    They want to tell us to drive tiny cars, while they drive around in limos and Suburbans.

    Just a small percentage of the examples of their hypocrisy.

  • lock’em’up

    By the way, I’m no DHS fan. I just can’t stand the right-wing hypocrites.

  • http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

    Heh.

  • lock’em’up

    Now you like the constitution? You didn’t believe that, “the 4th Amendment requires something called “probable cause,” when y’all were saying, “if you have nothing to hide, what are ya worried about.”

    “If you have nothing to hide, what are you worried about?” the 12th plank in the Republican hypocrisy platform.

  • robert108

    “Left wing hypocrites are a much smaller problem.”

    Since they head up both the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch, leftie hypocrites are a very big problem, as the present state of both our economy and our national security illustrate.

  • http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

    Destroying the report of what they did…is that “transparency” or is that more “hope and change”? I forget.

  • sayanything-287

    Sadly, virtually everyone in government to varying degrees, believe they are above the law, they are the rulers of “the people.” not their servants. Oh, they spin cycle every violation and convince themselves they are obeying the law, in spirit, if not technically and always, of course, for our good.

    Looking for a criminal class, look at those in government!

  • sayanything-2407

    Sandy Berger was not available to sneak it out in his pants…..

  • sayanything-1317

    Gotcha. So since 1 pro-lifer commits violence every few years, it makes it OK to investigate everyone on both sides of the aisle.

    Pass.

  • bikebubba

    Lock, I actually did google it….but that doesn’t change the fact that your core “argument” here is simply to say “look at the birdie over there.”

    And, quite frankly, the results of my search didn’t indicate that the birdie was worth hunting. Let’s try dealing with the issue at hand; do you, or do you not, agree with the DHS (Heimatssicherheitsdienst in the original Deutsch) decision to investigate groups not implicated by anyone for any crime, or even a motivation for any crime? Do you think that we should just look the other way when HSD destroys the records of its violation of the 4th Amendment?

    If yes, what investigations would you like the HSD (oder “Geheime Staatspolizei”) to start of groups to which you belong? Keep in mind that even if you are perfectly innocent, a wrongly founded investigation can cost those groups millions or even bankrupt them.

  • sayanything-3444

    Because they’re trying get into ours? Just a guess.

  • sayanything-81

    If pro-life activists kill doctors, hurl rocks, and bomb clinics… then that’s domestic terrorism and it’s the DHS’s job to monitor such things.

    You fought on behalf of domestic spying just a few years ago. Now sit down and enjoy, right?

  • sayanything-81

    Kenny
    This is directed at pro-lifers, not right wingers.

  • sayanything-4744

    Why don’t you feel outrage, real or even fake, about the innocents in Gtmo?

    “No harm, no foul”, the 13th plank in the Republican hypocrisy platform.

    What innocents are you talking about? And why would you assume I would feel no outrage over such a thing?

    And even if your last statement were true, why would that excuse the incident in this story? The fact that pro-life terrorist may exist doesn’t mean all pro-life activists should be assumed to belong to that group. What part of “an internal review found it violated intelligence-gathering guidelines” are you okay with?

  • bikebubba

    That’s nice projection, Lock, but …..don’cha think that maybe, just maybe, the 4th Amendment requires something called “probable cause,” and when DHS/DOJ investigates something without it, somebody needs to go there and straighten things out?

    We can start, I hope, by firing those who destroyed the records, and seeing what they’ll say when cases are filed for prosecution.

  • sayanything-4744

    I know of a few who claim they were innocent. I know of a claim a former administration offical made in a recent blog post (details here). I find his argument somewhat lacking, in that he offers no specific names. The only prisoner named in the article is Omar Khadr, who killled a medic in firefight. Sounds like he’s where he needs to be.

    But let’s set that aside. I hearby express regret and outrage right now for any prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay that have been or will be declared innocent by the military and/or the United States government.

    Will you do the same now about the abuses mentioned in the original post?

  • sayanything-277

    Lock, you have any problems with left-wing hypocrits?

  • sayanything-1317

    Ironic how, just a few years ago, the left bemoaned such things, even though they weren’t happening. Now when they are…but are directed at right wingers, they’re ok.

    Sad really.

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