Charles Allen

U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Mechanicsville) is asking Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to reveal further information about the Maryland Surveillance Program, under which the state police kept records on non-violent activists.

Hoyer pointed to a letter sent to Chertoff and DHS Under Secretary of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Charles Allen.

The letter, written by U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security, requested DHS provide the committee with a full account of the surveillance actions and further information regarding the funds used.

“The politically-motivated surveillance of dissident domestic groups that have neither a link to terrorism nor promote violence is not only a deplorable use of taxpayer funds but also violated the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and association,” wrote Thompson in the letter.

Hoyer responded in a statement, “The state surveillance program conducted under the Ehrlich Administration that secretly monitored law-abiding citizens exercising their constitutional rights raises serious concerns that merit further investigation."