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Federal Bureau of Investigation

COINTELPRO: FBI counterintelligence program files

Case file · written 1956 · released April 2011

Why this matters

Files from the FBI's 1956–1971 program to disrupt, discredit and divide domestic political groups, from the Communist Party to civil-rights, Black nationalist and New Left organizations. The program came to light only after activists burgled an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania, in 1971. These are the primary records behind the Church Committee's findings.

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https://vault.fbi.gov/cointel-pro

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Part of a collection · step 1 of 12

Watching the Watchers

1956–71: the FBI's campaign against domestic political groups.

Cite

Federal Bureau of Investigation. "COINTELPRO: FBI counterintelligence program files." 1956. Released April 2011. https://vault.fbi.gov/cointel-pro (accessed via The Quiet Archive, QA-0013).

Shelved nearby

  1. 1976 QA-0058
    Senate · Report

    Church Committee Final Report, Book II: Intelligence Activities and the Rights of Americans

    The Church Committee's central finding: decades of FBI, CIA, NSA and IRS spying on Americans for political beliefs, including COINTELPRO, mail opening and watch lists.

    Written 26 Apr 1976 Released 26 Apr 1976 Never classified United States Live
  2. 1975 QA-0063
    Senate · Hearing

    Huston Plan: Church Committee Hearings, Volume 2

    Hearings on the 1970 'Huston Plan', a White House proposal to lift limits on domestic burglary, mail opening and electronic surveillance of anti-war activists.

    Written Sep 1975 Released 1976 Never classified United States Live
  3. 1973 QA-0001
    CIA · Report

    The “Family Jewels”: CIA internal compilation of questionable activities

    A roughly 700-page dossier assembled in 1973 at the order of Director James Schlesinger, listing CIA activities that may have broken the agency's charter: domestic wiretaps and surveillance of journalists, mail opening, and assassination plotting.

    Written May 1973 Released 25 Jun 2007 Declassified United States Bot-walled
  4. 2015 QA-0087
    DOJ · Report

    Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department (DOJ Civil Rights Division, 2015)

    The Justice Department found that Ferguson, Missouri, used policing and municipal courts to raise revenue, with stops, fines and arrest warrants falling overwhelmingly on Black residents.

    Written 4 Mar 2015 Released 4 Mar 2015 Never classified United States Live