Documents released yesterday show that state police spying of nonviolent protest groups took place in 2007, more than a year after law enforcement officials said much-criticized surveillance of death-penalty activists had ended.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which brought the spying to light this year, also determined that some political activists who appear never to have set foot in Maryland were included in databases that list them as potential terrorists.
Activists say they still aren't getting complete information from state police about 53 people identified as possible terrorists during a covert operation in 2005 and 2006, despite pledges of cooperation from the O'Malley administration. They say they'll keep demanding documents and are considering legal action.
"We are nowhere near full disclosure of what they did, why they did it and who they did it to," ACLU attorney David Rocah said.
The spying was first disclosed this summer, after the civil liberties group obtained documents revealing surveillance of anti-death-penalty activists and peace protesters.
Police had no evidence of potential illegal acts by the protesters, which is the legal standard for launching such an investigation. Names of protesters were entered into a terrorist database that was shared with other agencies.
A review commissioned by Gov. Martin O'Malley determined that police disregarded the civil rights of protesters. The investigation recommended that the 53 spying targets receive the reports that state police kept on them, and that the records then be destroyed.
But the ACLU said yesterday that the heavily redacted documents leave out basic information and other details that could reflect unfavorably on police.
"It's information that is potentially politically embarrassing ... but it is not legally withheld," Rocah said.
The civil liberties group was able to compare less-heavily redacted documents released in July to those given to activists more recently.
State police spokesman Greg Shipley said the agency "redacted information that may relate to police techniques or other investigative issues."
A key point of contention is whether the spying operation extended beyond anti-death-penalty activists. Documents show that state police kept records on members of environmental groups, animal-rights proponents, peace activists and some organizations not operating in Maryland.
