On May 17, 2009, the Des Moines Register reported that they obtained confidential documents that show an FBI informant infiltrated an anti-war group that met in Iowa City before the September 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC). Additionally, an undercover sheriff’s deputy from Minnesota travelled to Iowa to attend an anti-war conference and collect information on a group planning to protest at the RNC in St. Paul. The documents raise concerns about whether the FBI was attempting to suppress political dissent and activism.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa also obtained copies of the documents. Randall Wilson, the legal director of the ACLU said he believes they were “ostensibly investigating the possibility that some of these people might cross the line and engage in civil disobedience,” but is concerned “that they were really spying on people who were in the political opposition.”
The FBI document revealed the agency collected detailed personal information on several activists, including their physical descriptions and phone numbers. The documents also described a protest strategy to be employed at the convention called “swarm, seize and stay,” which involved protestors coordinating their efforts through text messages. There was also a report of an activist, described as a “white man in his 20s who had recently moved to Iowa from Mississippi” attending protest events called “Queer Block” and “Bash Back”.
About 25 Iowa City activists participated in the St. Paul demonstrations, but only one was arrested and the charges were later dropped. But after learning of the covert surveillance employed by the FBI and police departments, many of the activists were surprised and critical. Robert Ehl, a resident of Iowa City who was among the protestors said, “It’s pretty ridiculous to be watching small peace groups in Iowa.”
David Goodner, a senior at the University of Iowa said, “There is no justification for spying on nonviolent pacifist groups. Our road blockade at the RNC and our peaceful preparations beforehand are protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. We have the right to speak out against the policies of our government. The criminalization of dissent and militarization of society are the actions of a police state, and they take valuable resources away from providing for unmet social needs. The FBI’s motives and methods are extremely unethical and go against basic American values.”
This is not an isolated incident. In May 2009, two young Austin Texas men were sentenced to federal prison for allegedly making Molotov cocktails intended for use at the Republican convention. One of the men, David Guy McKay, who was handed a 48 month sentence, claimed that they acted in response to an undercover FBI informant, Brandon Darby, who was the first to suggest making bombs. Further background about this case can be found here.
The undercover sheriff’s deputy from Minnesota travelled to Iowa City with two members of a group called the RNC Welcoming Committee to attend a Midwest anti-war conference held at the University of Iowa in April 2008. According to the activists who attended the Campus Antiwar Network Midwest Regional Conference, the undercover sheriff’s deputy was a middle aged woman known as “Norma Jean Johnson” who helped with presenting the group’s slide show at the conference. The Star Tribune of Minneapolis has reported that her real name is Marilyn Hedstrom and confirmed she is a Ramsey County (Minnesota) Deputy Sheriff. Iowa City Police Chief Samuel Hagardine told the Register he was unaware of the FBI informant, but did know about the undercover officer from Minnesota.