FBI Break-Ins, Wiretaps, and Bugs FBI Files

              

FBI Break-Ins, Wiretaps, and Bugs FBI Files

3692 pages of files copied from FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., covering FBI Break-ins (referred to by the bureau as "surreptitious entries"), wiretaps, and bugs. The files consist of administrative material and policy documents dating from the 1950's to 1970's concerning surreptitious entries conducted by the FBI.

Although this file is not a comprehensive record of all the break-ins conducted by the FBI during the period covered by the files, even an incomplete file provides insights into the scope and underlying purposes of the FBI's use of this technique. Accordingly, a variety of research projects can be serviced by consulting this file. For one, historians of the FBI will be able to understand better the FBI's surveillance objectives, the policies governing the FBI's monitoring of radical political activities, and the kind of information senior FBI officials sought about radical activities and organizations.

Files contain approximately 1,100 narrative pages, which give an overview of the theory and motivation for surreptitious entries. Many documents from the 1970's cover the FBI review of "surreptitious entries", which it once called black bag jobs, due to a lawsuit filed by Socialist Workers Party. Scrutiny of this activity lead to the Socialist Workers Party winning damages in court and two senior FBI officials being convicted for illegal operations against the Weather Underground.

Includes summaries of entries against several targets in the 1960's and 1970's. Contains FBI reporting covering early use of wire taps and microphone eavesdropping, legal interpretations of the allowance of such techniques, problems involving trespass, use of microphone in criminal investigations and surveillance of diplomatic personnel, and the policy of Attorney General Robert Kennedy.

Often mention organizations include Fair Play For Cuba Committee, Progressive Labor Party, Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Students for A Democratic Society (SDS), Socialist Workers Party, Weather Underground (Weatherman), Young Socialist Alliance, and Vietnam Veterans Against The War.