COINTELPRO

Cointelpro comes from the abbreviation of the phrase counterintelligence program which originated in 1956. This system was a program that committed illegal actions that were organized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, better known as the FBI. The program focused on the increasing of factionalism within the Communist Party USA.


During the beginning of the 20th century, Communist Party USA rose in an attempt to fight for democratic rights and the conflict of unintegrated workplaces. This group was better known for its impact on the labor movement since they founded most of the unions and their opposition to racism. This was one of the first political parties to be racially integrated with most of their members consisting of anarchists and radicals who believed in the left-wing part of politics (ex. social equality and global justice).
 
To complete the goal of Cointelpro they began using tactics like surveillance and discrediting their publications to discourage potential members from joining. They would also disrupt the tasks of the targeted organizations including the Black Panther Party and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. With the authorization od the FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover, they would plan IRS audits, drop anonymous calls, and would try to create a division within the group with infiltration strategies. The Cointelpro first prepared their fixation on activists including Bayard Rustin, who fought for social movements and nonviolence, and Martin Luther King with the approval of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Yet, Hoover broadened their limit and also moved on to other important individuals like Stanley Levison, who was a lawyer and advisor to MLK Jr., and Malcolm X. They began to bug the hotel and home of King to try to gain any information they saw as worthy. In addition to these tricks, the FBI would also publish false claims using the identity of the intentioned group, use police authorities to harass members to display a criminal tendency, and have break-ins to search areas. Luckily this operation ended in 1971, but shortly after there were comparable buggings done without notice or warrant.