How the FBI 'Got Its Man'

How the FBI 'got its man'

A.. picture of police-state tactics

Richard Gutman

ew details of the FBI's COIN- quested comments and recommenda- FBI planted stories to "expose" and TELPRO domestic political dis- tions from the three field offices. disrupt groups opposed to the status N rpption program continue to sur- Two weeks later, the head of the quo. In an effort to disrupt Students for a face through documents obtained Chicago FBI office responded, "Ef- under the Freedom of Information Act fectively tabbing as communist or as Democratic Society (SDS) and its June and civil lawsuits. One significant re- communist-backed the most hysterical 18, 1969, national convention, the opponents of the President on the Viet- head of the Chicago FBI office got in cent addition to our knowledge of the Chicago FBI's covert war against political nam question in the midst of the Presi- touch with an editor at the who assigned reporter Ron freedom came to light when plaintiffs dential campaign would be a real boon Tribune, Koziol to write an article. On June 16, in a Chicago class-action civil laWsuit to Mr. Johnson." However, the 1969, Koziol met with three FBI obtained the COINTELPRO fileS of Chicago bureau chief warned, "We the Chicago FBI field office — 4,06 would suggest that our use of such tac- agents who "provided background in- reports contained in twenty-two tics, if ever made known or even formation" and "sharpened the un- derstanding of Koziol relative to the volumes, constituting the most com- hinted at, could be the source of the plete record ever obtained of a single most severe sort of embarrassment for underlying political dispute between FBI field office's 'COINTELPRO the Bureau. It could be asked, with tell- the factions vying for the control of operations. Although the reports were ing cogency, 'What does the FBI have SDS." The resulting story, headlined censored 4,y the FBI before they were to do with the selection of Presidential "Red Unit Seeks S.D.S. Rule," was splashed across the front page of the made avaifitble, what was left provided candidates?' The only possible answer on June 17. On June 30, the a dramatic, picture of police-state tac- could be, 'Nothing.' " Tribune tics. As an alternative, the Chicago Chicago FBI thief reported to the Bureau that the article "which resulted Perhaps the most startling revelation memo proposed that a nationally from the Bureau authorized contact by in the new documents was an FBI plot known reporter be persuaded to write Special Agent in Charge M.W. to disrupt ipprojected Presidential cam- an article attacking the King-Spock paign. On iay 18, 1967, FBI Director ticket. The reporter, the memo sug- Johnson with (name deleted) of the Chicago Tribune. . . aggravated a tense J. Edgar Mover sent a memo marked gested, "would not be about to divulge situation and helped create the con- "PERSONAL ATTENTION" to the the identity of his source. Thus the frontation that split SDS." heads of -be Atlanta, Chicago, and Bureau would stand harmless." To promote "factionalism among New Yorl::)FBI offices.'Hoover noted By far the most successful tactic in the leaders and discredit them among the possibli;ty of a 1968 anti-war Presi- the FBI's domestic "psychological the black community and the organiza- dential d. ipaign by titlartin Luther warfare" was its frequent clandestine tion's membership," the Chicago FBI King Jr. ail Dr. Benjan,in Spock, and use of the mass media to discredit dis- in January 1969 supplied a Chicago proposed jat the FBI fabricate and cir- senters. A memo dated April 25, Tribune reporter with information re- culate flytI;, leaflets, cords, bumper- 1965, reveals that the Chicago FBI of- garding the extensive commercial stickers, s',.d buttons ostensibly issued fice had a list of at least thirty-three holdings of the Nation of Islam. The by the Cc.*unist Party in support of Chicago-area "reliable cooperative news media sources" to be used in its resulting article appeared on the front the King Ipock ticket. Hoover re- on January 26. COINTELPRO operations. Represent- page of the Tribune One week later, gunmen robbed a top Richard Gutman is an attorney for a atives of all major newspapers and Nation of Islam official of $23,000 in group of Chicago plaintiffs suing to bar broadcast outlets were included, and cash. In a March 13 letter to headquar- political surveillance by the police. the file is rife with instances when the

40 / DECEMBER 1979 ters, the chief of the Chicago FBI con- cluded that one of the "tangible results obtained" from the use'of the Chicago Tribune reporter was that "articles authored by him may have had the effect of rendering Nation of Islam officials vulnerable to robbery. elTorts." The intent of the FBI to influence the very nature of dissenting organizations was most evident in plans to change the program and leadership of the Nation of Islam. On January 7, '1969, Hoover wrote to the Chicago office, "When [Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad) dies a power strug- gle can be expected and the NOI could change direction.... We should plan how to change the philosophy of the NO1 to one of strictly religious and self- improvement orientation, deleting the _race hatred and separate nationhood 'That's the burgled The one ha the mill'

aspects." Ruth, The Philedelphla Inquirer Three weeks later, the Chicago FBI office responded, "Serious considera- vention resolutions. As one Chicago caucus included Communist Party tion has also been given towards FBI memo declared, "Our objective members. The Chicago NAACP presi- developing ways and means of chang- remains to split the party and to keep dent proceeded to keep the location of ing NOl philosophy to one whereby the them so preoccupied with internal the election secret until the day of the members could be developed into use- problems that they will have neither election and then packed the meeting ful citizens and the organization the time nor the inclination to put the with newly enfranchised members. In developed into one emphasizing re- party program into effect." the subsequent election, the "left ligjpn — the brotherhood of mankind While using its informants to dis- caucus" was duly defeated. Hoover ,-'H! and self-improvement." After rupt, the FBI was falsely labeling dis- commended the agent who suggested arguing that it was desirable from the senters as Government agents. In this operation, and it was later cited at FBI's perspective to have Elijah January 1969, the Chicago office cre- an FBI headquarters training session as Muhammad succeeded by his son ated and disseminated a cartoon de- a model of a successful action. Wallace rather than by his son Herbert, picting Tom Hayden as a CIA agent. the Chicago FBI noted, "Chicago con- The files also reveal two instances in tinues its contacts with its sources which the Chicago FBI planned to tag whose identities are known to the left-wing Americans working in com- nfortunately, the COINTELPRO „Bureau and feels these sources will be munist countries as U.S. spies by send- of possible extreme value at the time of danger remains real. An FBI ing them incriminating communica- Umemo of April 28, 1971,. which the demise of Muhammad." tions. A successful operation of this na- "discontinued" COINTELPRO fol- The FBI 's objective of disruption ture presumably might result in the lowing public exposure, expressly pro- was oi n carried out by infiltrators. execution of the target. vided for the consideration of future Memoq in the Chicago COINTELPRO Another major objective of the counterintelligence action "on an in- file indOte that in 1970 and 1971 the COINTELPRO was to block com- dividual basis...in exceptional in- FBI ha° its in filtrators provoke vio- munists and communist sympathizers stances where it is considered counter- lence bween rival Nazi groups. In the from participating in non-communist winter intelligence action is warranted." In *f 1968-1969: the Chicago FBI organizations. In Chicago that goal led fact, the Chicago litigatiop has already used itl infiltrators iri the black com- to the covert manipulation of an uncovered two instances of planned munity to "encourage within the Ne- NAACP election. The Chicago FBI, COINTELPRO operations since 1971. gro community the idta that SDS is a through one of its infiltrators in the . Furthermore, the first proposed FBI racist o4anization."l' , NAACP, learned in 1959 that the charter legislation, currently before The Wi,11 often uti4.xl its infiltrators Chicago NAACP's "left caucus" Congress, does not expressly prohibit to exatrbate dissent within COIN- planned to run a slate of candidates for COINTELPRO-type operations. Until TELPR;O-targeted organizations. In election as delegates to the. NAACP these long-standing political disruption advanct. of Communist Party national national convention. A telephone call actions have been outlawed by legisla- conventions, the FBI briefed its infil- to the president of the Chicago tion or court order, they can only be trators on specific arguments to be ad- NAACP alerted him to the plans of the viewed as a clear and present danger to vanced in supporting or opposing con- "left caucus" and alleged that the American democracy. •

THE PROGRESSIVE / 41