Maryland State Police

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The Maryland State Police could lose as much as $4.5 million in federal funding if an ongoing investigation reveals that its use of a criminal database to track peaceful activists violated federal rules, the Washington Times reports.

While the surveillance of the anti-death penalty and peace activists appears legal under state law, legal analysts tell the Times that "entering a Baltimore activist's name in the drug-trafficking and terror suspect database without apparent justification could violate 1970s-era regulations stemming from revelations of domestic spying by national intelligence agencies." Such a violation could cost the state its federal funding for police.

State Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chairman Brian Frosh (D-Bethesda) will hold a Sept. 16 hearing for testimony on the legality of the practice. Frosh says that if the practices are legal under state law, he will introduce legislation to outlaw them.