General Information

Description

Pennsylvania's office of homeland security has been found to be tracking legitimate protest groups that

pose no danger to public safety. Governor Ed Rendell reacts angrily to the disclosure, saying he was

"appalled" at the revelation.

Keywords

Spying, Pennsylvania, Governor, Ed Rendell, Democracy, Homeland, Security, Intelligence, Information,

Surveillance, Domestic, Department, State, Protest, Groups, Public, Safety, Local, Law, Enforcement,

Peaceful, Citizens, Constitutional, Rights, Natural, Gas, Project, Gay Rights, BP, Gulf Oil, Animal Rights

, Trigger, Events, Enemy of the State, Washington Post, Dana Priest

Citation

Spying in America: Pennsylvania's Homeland Security Office TracksProtest Groups, Gov. Rendell Shocked

https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/browse/?cuecard=50869

Source: NBC Nightly News Resource Type: Video News ReportCreator: Brian Williams/Pete

WilliamsCopyright: NBCUniversal Media,

LLC.Event Date: 09/16/2010 Copyright Date: 2010Air/Publish Date: 09/16/2010 Clip Length 00:02:52

Page 1 of 3© 2008-2018 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

MLA

"Spying in America: Pennsylvania's Homeland Security Office Tracks Protest Groups, Gov. Rendell

Shocked." Pete Williams, correspondent. NBC Nightly News. NBCUniversal Media. 16 Sep. 2010. NBC

Learn. Web. 8 September 2018

APA

Williams, P. (Reporter), & Williams, B. (Anchor). 2010, September 16. Spying in America:

Pennsylvania's Homeland Security Office Tracks Protest Groups, Gov. Rendell Shocked. [Television

series episode]. NBC Nightly News. Retrieved from https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-

12/browse/?cuecard=50869

CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE

"Spying in America: Pennsylvania's Homeland Security Office Tracks Protest Groups, Gov. Rendell

Shocked" NBC Nightly News, New York, NY: NBC Universal, 09/16/2010. Accessed Sat Sep 8 2018

from NBC Learn: https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/browse/?cuecard=50869

Transcript

Spying In America: Pennsylvania's Homeland Security Office Tracks Protest Groups, Governor. Rendell

Shocked

BRIAN WILLIAMS, anchor:

When the '60s were over and the files of that era were finally thrown open, we learned about all kinds of

domestic surveillance, some of it illegal, on Americans who pose zero threat to our democracy or our way

of life. And it has apparently happened again. It's a sign of our times that the state of Pennsylvania has its

own office of homeland security, and the governor of Pennsylvania is reacting with shock and anger that

they have been found to be tracking legitimate protest groups that pose no danger to public safety. Our

justice correspondent Pete Williams is in Philadelphia tonight.

Pete, good evening.

PETE WILLIAMS reporting:

Brian, this has turned out to be a big embarrassment for Pennsylvania, and some of those groups targeted

for intelligence gathering by the state are already talking about suing. Keep an eye out, warns a

Pennsylvania state intelligence bulletin, for the screening of movie critical of natural gas drilling.

(Clip from "Gasland")

P. WILLIAMS: The showing of the movie "Gasland" was among events on a list called "dates of interest"

in an official intelligence bulletin from the Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security sent to local law

enforcement statewide. But the discovery that the state was keeping tabs on a long list of peaceful groups

stunned Pennsylvania's governor, who ordered an immediate stop to it.

Governor ED RENDELL (Democrat, Pennsylvania): The fact that they disseminated this to state holders,

Page 2 of 3© 2008-2018 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

to local law enforcement, on what were legitimate protests, citizens exercising their rights under the

constitution, it's especially embarrassing because this is Pennsylvania.

This is where the constitution was written. This is where the country started.

P. WILLIAMS: Along with environmentalists protesting this huge natural gas project in Pennsylvania, the

state was tracking gay rights events, demonstrations against BP for the gulf oil spill, and animal rights

groups protesting rodeos.

Mr. ERIC EPSTEIN (Pennsylvania Activist): Frankly, I was under the impression that enemies of the

state were Iran, Libya and North Korea. I don't know when Lassie, mother nature and granola bars

became enemies of the state.

P. WILLIAMS: The list was drawn up by a private contractor hired by the state. In a written statement the

contractor says protests can be trigger events for radicals and that some environmentalists are becoming

more violent. But a Washington Post reporter says it's part of a huge growth in what she calls secret

America.

Ms. DANA PRIEST (The Washington Post): And, in fact, there's very little oversight at the state level on

what state government is collecting on their citizens. And if anything, this example shows us a need to get

a hold of that.

P. WILLIAMS: Pennsylvania's contract with the company responsible for that intelligence bulletin

expires in a few weeks and the state now says it will not be renewed. Brian:

B. WILLIAMS: Pete Williams in Philadelphia for us tonight. Pete, thanks.

Page 3 of 3© 2008-2018 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.