FBI: White Supremacists have infiltrated law enforcement agencies

Posted by | January 31, 2017 19:00 | Filed under: News Behaving Badly Politics Pot Luck

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The FBI was worried that a report detailing the infiltration of law enforcement agencies would trigger conservative backlash. Whatever happened to “sunshine is the best disinfectant”?

WHITE SUPREMACISTS AND other domestic extremists maintain an active presence in U.S. police departments and other law enforcement agencies. A striking reference to that conclusion, notable for its confidence and the policy prescriptions that accompany it, appears in a classified FBI Counterterrorism Policy Guide from April 2015, obtained by The Intercept. The guide, which details the process by which the FBI enters individuals on a terrorism watchlist, the Known or Suspected Terrorist File, notes that “domestic terrorism investigations focused on militia extremists, white supremacist extremists, and sovereign citizen extremists often have identified active links to law enforcement officers,” and explains in some detail how bureau policies have been crafted to take this infiltration into account.

Although these right-wing extremists have posed a growing threat for years, federal investigators have been reluctant to publicly address that threat or to point out the movement’s longstanding strategy of infiltrating the law enforcement community.

No centralized recruitment process or set of national standards exists for the 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, many of which have deep historical connections to racist ideologies. As a result, state and local police as well as sheriff’s departments present ample opportunities for white supremacists and other right-wing extremists looking to expand their power base.

…

Although the FBI has not publicly addressed the issue of white supremacist infiltration of law enforcement since that 2006 report, in a 2015 speech, FBI Director James Comey made an unprecedented acknowledgment of the role historically played by law enforcement in communities of color: “All of us in law enforcement must be honest enough to acknowledge that much of our history is not pretty.” Comey and the agency have been less forthcoming about that history’s continuation into the present.

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Critics fear that the backlash following [a] 2009 DHS report hindered further action against the growing white supremacist threat, and that it was largely ignored because the issue was so politically controversial. “I believe that because that report was so denounced by conservatives, it sort of closed the door on whatever the FBI may have been considering doing with respect to combating infiltration of law enforcement by white supremacists,” said Samuel Jones, a professor of law at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago who has written about white power ideology in law enforcement. “Because after the 2006 FBI report, we simply cannot find anything by local law enforcement or the federal government that addresses this issue.”

Pete Simi, a sociologist at Chapman University who spent decades studying the proliferation of white supremacists in the U.S. military, agreed. “The report underscores the problem of even discussing this issue. It underscores how difficult this issue is to get any traction on, because a lot of people don’t want to discuss this, let alone actually do something about it.” Simi said that the extremist strategy to infiltrate the military and law enforcement has existed “for decades.” In a study he conducted of individuals indicted for far-right terrorism-related activities, he found that at least 31 percent had military experience.

…

“Local, state, federal agencies, all to some extent have their hands tied, because it’s not necessarily against the law to be a member of a domestic hate group” said Simi, noting the military as the one exception because of its unique legal status. For instance, the U.S. government considers the KKK a hate group — but membership in the group is not illegal. That’s the case for all domestic hate or extremist groups, though authorities can choose to target their members under conspiracy statutes, Simi said.

Most police departments don’t screen prospective officers for hate group affiliation. The SPLC has reported that the number of these groups peaked at more than 1,000 in 2011, from less than half that in the late 1990s, though experts like Simi note that many of these groups “come and go” and membership between them is often fluid.

The full Intercept article is worth your time. The majority of law enforcers are professional and conscientious – but if you have had doubts that there may be a racial animus behind the brutalization and killing of minority citizens by some cops, you need to read the full article.


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Copyright 2017 Liberaland
By: dave-dr-gonzo

David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.

* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.

32 responses to FBI: White Supremacists have infiltrated law enforcement agencies

  1. crc3 January 31st, 2017 at 19:05

    Well…duh…like this is suppose to be a surprise? Judging by the number of police murders of innocent people nationwide over the last few decades it is very obvious that the police state in America is alive and well. Even more troubling is the fact that Rump is going to embolden the police to do even greater harm as he attempts to turn this country into another Nazi Germany….

    • whatthe46 January 31st, 2017 at 19:13

      and that will get a lot of innocent officers killed. people will fight back.

      • crc3 January 31st, 2017 at 19:21

        Yep…that has been happening with frequent regularity and is apt to get worse…

      • granpa.usthai February 1st, 2017 at 01:17

        they already have – and many more became activated when the LOSER of the popular vote lost by 3,000,000 but was still installed by the republicans.

  2. KABoink_after_wingnut_hacker January 31st, 2017 at 19:07

    Really, this is no surprise at all.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2ef800f0824672640d37217862e9e834d40cb84c8434610a6f90b37075307c72.jpg

    • Maryrworthington February 1st, 2017 at 08:07

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  3. Obewon January 31st, 2017 at 19:20

    Koch Bros Terrorists! Remedy is obvious to anybody above room temperature IQ e.g. Most police departments don’t screen prospective officers for hate group affiliation. The SPLC has reported that the number of these groups peaked at more than 1,000 in 2011,

    FYI Neoclowns> “domestic terrorism investigations focused on militia extremists, white supremacist extremists, and sovereign citizen extremists often have identified active links to law enforcement officers,” via Bush Jr’s DHS reports, publically released ’06-09. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/197619b11ebd2492f1db60bdb84ec34577d23664669ff291e1ffb4d34641e7d2.jpg

  4. Suzanne McFly January 31st, 2017 at 19:52

    I just heard that rump wanted to nominate Robert Bork for the SCOTUS but someone just told him he died and now he is back at the drawing board to figure out who is a worse choice than him. The people who told me are really good people and they have the best connections, please don’t let this info get further than this board though lol.

    • Larry Schmitt February 1st, 2017 at 05:27

      Here’s an oldie but a goodie.
      https://youtu.be/vecw539MjWM

      • Suzanne McFly February 1st, 2017 at 08:15

        I see her and all I see is a dirty, smelly single wide.

        • Larry Schmitt February 1st, 2017 at 08:27

          Whenever someone says “This is just between us” I think of Connie Chung.

  5. StoneyCurtisll January 31st, 2017 at 20:07

    The white supremacist movement has infiltrated law enforcement?…
    What is this?
    A story from the 1920’s ?

    When did this become breaking news?

    • Suzanne McFly January 31st, 2017 at 20:13

      Amazing how history continues to repeat itself.

      • StoneyCurtisll January 31st, 2017 at 20:19

        Indeed…
        The more things change….
        The more they stay the same.

  6. amersham1046 January 31st, 2017 at 20:16

    Just taking their cue from a lot of elected officials .

  7. StoneyCurtisll January 31st, 2017 at 20:24

    How much damage can the new president do in one week?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuSDet45aKI

  8. Mensa Member January 31st, 2017 at 21:00

    Anyone who has followed the Oathkeeper movement knows about this.

  9. Mike January 31st, 2017 at 21:14

    Newsflash … white supremacists have always been around in every police dept in the country.

    • Mensa Member January 31st, 2017 at 21:43

      Yeah, but now that we have one as president, it’s emboldened them.

  10. Tommie February 1st, 2017 at 01:08

    No offense but that has been going on since America’s beginnings!!

  11. William February 1st, 2017 at 11:24

    Take it from an ex cop. Here’s a hint. Shaved heads and completely inappropriate combat boots.

    • burqa February 1st, 2017 at 22:29

      In po-lice work, would a swastika forehead tatoo be considered a “clue”?

  12. burqa February 1st, 2017 at 22:29

    The reason the FBI knows white supremacists have infiltrated law enforcement is because the FBI has infiltrated the white supremacists.
    There have been times where FBI penetration agents have risen to senior positions in white supremacist organizations, the Klan, etc. Thes groups tend to self destruct anyway and most of the people they end up hurting are each other.

    …………and let’s not let any false stereotypes of law enforcement take root.

  13. allison1050 February 2nd, 2017 at 10:09

    So is this really supposed to be news to Comey and the FBI??

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