I appreciate the rights of the public to engage the political process. However, it has come to my attention very recently that anyone engaged in political organizing of any kind may have been actively profiled by United States intelligence agencies. 3rd Party candidates and Progressives, specifically, have been singled out in the past.

ARTICLE: http://beatthechip.blogspot.com/2010/03/suspicious-activity-reporting-sar.html

At the recommendations of many privacy and civil liberties groups and their counsels, I have been encouraged to submit a personal Freedom of Information Act request with the FBI, the agency responsible for US domestic intelligence gathering, because I am actively engaged in the political process. I have also been encouraged to ask anyone actively involved in the political process to do the same.

I write this because I am not unique and because this is very broad sweeping US domestic intelligence policy.

I do not know how long or under what circumstances I would have a non-criminal FBI research file. However, as a citizen I have the right to know the extent of how I am being surveilled while active in political processes. I want to know so I am submitting a request to the FBI.

Linked below is a copy how to file a FOIA request. Filing the FOIA itself is free, however there may be a cost to retrieve the printed information. You may request a fee waiver.

HOW TO SUBMIT A FOIA REQUEST:
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/foia/howtofoia.html

Please consider this for your personal and party wide use to evaluate how members civil liberties are affected.

Best,

Sheila Dean
511Campaign.org
Philip Berg for Congress, (L) CA-8th District