FBI Guidelines Resources

Under Construction.

In the wake of political spying abuses documented by the Church Committee in the mid 1970s, such as the surveillance of Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights and anti-war activists, the Attorney General (AG) set guidelines that governed FBI investigations. First adopted in 1976 by AG Edward Levi, these guidelines have been changed several times since, including by AG William French Smith in 1983 and AG Richard Thornburgh in 1989.

The guidelines outline when the FBI may open investigations of individuals and groups, and were originally intended to prevent the FBI from spying on lawful political and religious activities and groups.

In 2002, in the wake of 9/11, AG John Ashcroft again weakened the guidelines’ protections against abuse. These changes, combined with those made by AG Michael Mukasey in 2008, drastically weakened the protections against the FBI’s spying on Americans’political and other First Amendment-protected activities.

Selected CNSS Analysis & Congressional Testimony

CNSS Statement before the Senate Committee on Intelligence: “Revisions to the Attorney General Guidelines for FBI Investigations” (September 23, 2008)

CNSS Statement before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution: “Restoring the Rule of Law” (September 25, 2008)

Coalition Letter to the Attorney General urging release of the draft forthcoming revised FBI investigative guidelines (August 12, 2008)

“Statement of Principles Regarding Constitutional Law Enforcement,” (2002; signed by CNSS and over 70 other organizations)

“Terrorism Law Is Major Setback for Civil Liberties,” First Principles, (Vol. 20, No. 2, June 1996, 1, 3).

“Counterterrorism Proposals Threaten Civil Liberties,” First Principles , (Vol. 20, No. 1, May 1996, 1-3).

“Federal Court Rules FBI CISPES Investigation Illegal in Chicago,” First Principles , (Vol. 16, No. 4, December 1991, 5).

“Bush Administration Proposes Secret Trials to Deport ‘Terrorists’,” First Principles, (Vol. 16, No. 2, June 1991, 1, 3-6).

“ Critics of FBI Become Targets of Probe,” First Principles , (Vol. 14, No. 4, February 1990, 3).

2008 Attorney General’s Guidelines for FBI Investigations

The Attorney General’s N ew G uidelines for FBI Operation s , m ade p ublic October 3, 2008

à “The Attorney General’s Guidelines for Domestic FBI Operations” (signed September 29, 2008) oj.gov/ag/read i ngroom/guidelin es.pdf .

à Attorney General’s Memorandum for Heads of Department Components: “The Attorney General’s Guidelines for Domestic FBI Operations” (September 29, 2008) oj.gov/ag/readingroom/guidelines-memo.pdf .

à Joint Statement of Attorney General Mukasey and FBI Director Mueller on the Issuance of the Attorney General Guidelines for Domestic FBI Operations (October 3, 2008) oj.gov/opa/pr/2008/October/08-opa-890.html.

à Department of Justice Fact Sheet: “Attorney General Consolidated Guidelines for FBI Domestic Operations” (October 3, 2008) .gov/pressrel/pressrel08/agg_factsheet100308.htm.

à Transcript: Briefing with Department of Justice Officials on Consolidated Attorney General Guidelines (September 12, 2008)

Other Attorney General’s Guidelines That Remain in Effect

à “The Attorney General's Guidelines Regarding the Use of FBI Confidential Human Sources” (December 13, 2006)

à “The Attorney General’s Guidelines on Federal Bureau of Investigation Undercover Operations” (May 30, 2002) oj.gov/olp/fbiundercover.pdf

Congressional Responses to the Changes made in the 2008 FBI Guidelines

September 23, 2008 Hearing : Senate Committee on Intelligence

ate.gov/hearing s .cfm?hearingId=3588

à Transcript of Hearing

à Statement of Assistant Attorney General Elisebeth Collins Cook and FBI General Counsel Valerie Caproni

ate.gov/080 9 23/cook-caproni.pdf

September 23, 2008: Letter to A ttorney General Mukasey from Senators Durbin, Kennedy and Feingold

ate.gov/showRelease.cfm?releaseId=304117

September 17, 2008: Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Oversight of the FBI

ate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=3530

à Transcript of Hearing

à Statement of FBI Director Robert S. Mueller

.gov/congress/congress08/mueller091708.htm

September 16, 2008: House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Oversight of the FBI

se.gov/hearings/hear_090916.html

à Transcript of Hearing

à Statement of FBI Director Robert S. Mueller

.gov/congress/congress08/mueller091608.htm

August 20, 2008: Letter to Attorney General Mukasey from Senators Feingold, Kennedy , Durbin and Whitehouse

nnancenter.org/page/-/Justice/20080820.Letter.from.Senators.to.AG.Mu k asey.re.FBI.Guidelines.pdf

August 18, 2008: Letter to Attorney General Mukasey from Senators Leahy and Specter

ate.gov/press/200808/081808a.html

Government Reports on FBI Operations

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Compliance with the Attorney General’s Investigative Guidelines,” U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (September 2005)

oj.gov/oig/special/05 0 9/final .pdf

Congressional Research Service Report: “FBI Intelligence Reform Since September 11, 2001: Issues and Options for Congress” (April 6, 2004; updated August 4, 2004)

Earlier Guidelines S uperseded by the 2008 FBI G uidelines

à “The Attorney General’s Supplemental Guidelines for Collection, Retention, and Dissemination of Foreign Intelligence” (November 29, 2006 – not publicly released*)

à “The Attorney General’s Guidelines for FBI National Security Investigations and Foreign Intelligence Collection” (October 31, 2003) (version declassified on August 2, 2007; superseded with respect to domestic operations)

oj.gov/archive/olp/ag-guidelines-10312003.pdf

à “The Attorney General’s Guidelines on General Crimes, Racketeering, Enterprise and Terrorism Enterprise Investigations” (May 30, 2002) oj.gov/olp/generalcrimes2.pdf

à Attorney General’s memorandum: “Procedures for Lawful, Warrantless Monitoring of Verbal Communications (May 30, 2002) (superseded with respect to the FBI but not other agencies)

oj.gov/olp/lawful.pdf

à “The Attorney General’s Procedures for Reporting and Use of Information Concerning Violations of Law and Authorization for Participation in Otherwise Illegal Activity in FBI Foreign Intelligence, Counterintelligence or International Terrorism Intelligence Investigations” (August 8, 1988) (superseded with respect to domestic operations)

à “Reporting on Civil Disorders and Demonstrations Involving a Federal Interest” (April 5, 1976)

Earlier Versions of the Attorney General’s Guidelines

à “The Attorney General’s Guidelines Regarding the Use of Confidential Informants” (May 30, 2002) oj.gov/olp/dojguide l ines.pdf

à “Department of Justice Guidelines Regarding the Use of Confidential Informants” (January 8, 2001) oj.gov/ag/readingroom/ c iguidelines.htm

à “Procedures for Lawful, Warrantless Monitoring of Verbal Communications” (January 20, 1998)

ess.gpo.gov/lps1220/lps1220/www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/7mcrm.htm#9-7.302

à “Attorney General Guidelines for FBI Foreign Intelligence Collection and Foreign Counter-Intelligence Investigations” (May 25, 1995)

à Memorandum for the Attorney General: “Attorney General Guidelines on General Crimes, Racketeering Enterprise and Domestic Security/Terrorism Investigations” (March 2, 1994) (amending guidelines of March 21, 1989) oj.gov/ag/read i ngroom/generalcrime.htm

à “Undercover and Sensitive Operations Unit: Attorney General's Guidelines on FBI Undercover Operations” (November 13, 1992)

oj.gov/ag/readingroom / un d ercover.htm

à “Attorney General Guidelines for FBI Foreign Intelligence Collection and Foreign Counter-Intelligence Investigations” (October 13, 1989)

à “The Attorney General’s Guidelines on General Crimes, Racketeering Enterprise and Domestic Security/Terrorism Investigations” (March 21, 1989)

oj.gov/ag/read i ngroom/generalcrimea.htm

à “Attorney General Guidelines for FBI Foreign Intelligence Collection and Foreign Counter-Intelligence Investigations” (June 19, 1987)

à “The Attorney General’s Guidelines on General Crimes, Racketeering Enterprise and Domestic Security/Terrorism Investigations” (March 7, 1983)

à “Attorney General Guidelines for FBI Foreign Intelligence Collection and Foreign Counter-Intelligence Investigations” (April 18, 1983)

à “The Attorney General’s Guidelines on Criminal Investigations of Individuals and Organizations” (December 2, 1980)

à Attorney General’s Guidelines on “Domestic Security Investigations,” the “Levi Guidelines” (April 5, 1976)

Historical Perspective: A rticles from First Principles , a CNSS Publication

Published by the Center for National Security Studies for two decades, the periodical First Principles: National Security & Civil Liberties provided commentary and analyses of major national security and civil liberties issues from 1976 to 1996. The articles below include discussions of FBI guidelines and investigations from 1976 to 1988.

“Probing Dissent: A Review of the FBI's 27-month Investigation of CISPES”, First Principles, (Vol. 13, No. 4, December 1988):

“FBI Political Spying Stems from Failure to Enact Statutory Reforms , ” First Principles, (Vol. 13, No. 1, June February/March 1988):

“Political Surveillance in the Reagan Era, ” First Principles, (Vol. 10, No. 4, May/June 1985):

“Failed Reform: FBI Political Surveillance, 1924-1936 , ” First Principles, (Vol. 7, No. 7, September/October 1981):

“Chicago FBI Settlement: Best Limit Yet on Surveillance and Description on Lawful Political Activities , ” First Principles, (Vol. 6, No. 8, June 1981):

“Why Reagan's Pardon of FBI Officials Errs in Fact and Fairness , ” First Principles, (Vol. 6, No. 8, June 1981):

“The BREITEL Report: New Light on FBI Use of Informants , ” First Principles, (Vol. 6, No. 1, October 1980):

“New Supreme Court Decision Strengthens Right to Sue: What Implications for Charter , ” First Principles, (Vol. 5, No. 9, July 1980):

“The National Intelligence Act & the Rights of Americans , ” First Principles, (Vol. 5, No. 6, March/April 1980):

“Chartering the FBI , ” First Principles, (Vol. 5, No. 2, October 1979):

“Improving the FBI Charter - ACLU Recommendations , ” First Principles, (Vol. 5, No. 2, October 1979):

“A Summary of the Proposed FBI Charter , ” First Principles, (Vol. 5, No. 1, September 1979):

“The First COINTELPRO Damage Award: $48,000 , ” First Principles, (Vol. 5, No. 1, September 1979):

“Informants & Political Surveillance: The Hampton Case , ” First Principles, (Vol. 4, No. 10, June 1979):

“Informers & First Amendment Organizations , ” First Principles, (Vol. 4, No. 7, March 1979):

“Domestic Intelligence Reform: A Court Order Against a Red Squad , ” First Principles, (Vol. 4, No. 2, October 1978):

“The FBI and the Civil Rights Movement , ” First Principles, (Vol. 4, No. 2, October 1978):

“COINTELPRO: FBI Lawbreaking & Violence , ” First Principles, (Vol. 3, No. 10, June 1978):

“FBI Charter Legislation: Reforming the Basis for Investigations , ” First Principles, (Vol. 3, No. 10, June 1978):

“FBI Charter Legislation: Controlling Informer and Record Searches , ” First Principles, (Vol. 3, No. 9, May 1978):

“The Government's Attitude Toward Political Surveillance: No Change , ” First Principles, (Vol. 3, No. 8, April 1978):

“Lawsuits Against Red Squads: The Socialist Workers Party Lawsuit , ” First Principles, (Vol. 2, No. 5, January 1977):

“The SWP & the FBI: Wh o Was Actually Breaking the Law? , ” First Principles, (Vol. 2, No. 1, September 1976):

“Protecting First Amendment Rights in FBI Criminal Investigations , ” First Principles, (Vol. 1, No. 10, June 1976):

“The Case for a Legislated FBI Charter , ” First Principles, (Vol. 1, No. 10, June 1976):