◆ SpookStack

Regardless of the propriety of the overall COINTEL Program, the federal defendants' involvement with State personnel here was confined -to the supplying of information to the local authorities. Certainly, there was no reason for an FBI agent in the field to believe that his activities in supplying information were illegal because of the existence of the COINTEL Program. Indeed, the COINTEL Program was given to the field offices as a program the primary purpose of which was to prevent violence. See Slip Opinion, p. 10. An FBI Memorandum of March 4, 1968, stated as the program's priniary purpose: 3.. Prevent violence on the part of black nationalist groups. This is of primary importance, and is; of course, a goal of: our investigative activity; it should also be a goal of the Counter- intelligence Program. Through counterintelligence it should be possible to pinpoint potential trouble- makers and neutralize them before they exercise their potential for violence. [Pl. Ex. 2, p. 3.] 8/ 8/ The Church Committee Report recognized-that the objective was proper, saying: The prevention of violence is clearly not, in itself, an improper purpose; preventing vio- dence is the ultimate goal of most law enforce- ment. Prosecution and sentencing are intended to deter future criminal behavior, not only of the subject but also of others who might break the law. In that sense, law enforcement legiti- Mately attempts the indirect prevention of possible violence and, if the methods used are proper, raises no constitutional issues. ... [Final Report of Select Committee to Study- Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelli- gence Activities, Senate Report No. 94-755, 94th Cong.,:2d Sess., Book III, p. 6.] With respect to the various targets of the program, the Church Com- mittee Report noted: Some of the targets of COINTELPRO were law-abiding citizens merely advocating change [cont'd] oe he ee