Everything Secret Degenerates: The FBI's Use of Murderers as Informants

Everything Secret Degenerates: The FBI's Use of Murderers as Informants

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What happened in New England over a forty year period is, without doubt, one of the greatest failures in federal law enforcement history. It began with the development of Jimmy and Stephen Flemmi as federal criminal informants, and with the prosecution of six individuals for the murder of Edward “Teddy” Deegan. Evidence obtained by the Committee leads to the conclusion that the death penalty was sought against innocent men regardless of compelling evidence of an injustice. In all probability, this happened because informants were being protected and some members of the FBI adopted an "ends justifies the means" approach to law enforcement.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on May 16th 2009 by Ian McLean]

A fascinating document has surfaced on Wikileaks, a report from the US House Committee on Government Reform. It deals with FBI corruption, including murder, from the 1960s through 2000. This is an internal version of a report original written in 2004. There is also an extensive chronology available. More excerpts from the report:

Former U.S. Attorney Jeremiah O’Sullivan testified that there were fundamental problems between federal prosecutors and FBI investigators. O’Sullivan stated, for example, “[I]f you go against [the FBI], they will try to get you. They will wage war on you. They will cause major administrative problems for me as a prosecutor.”

In excess of two billion dollars in civil lawsuits were filed as the direct result of federal law enforcement decisions to use Jimmy Flemmi, Stephen Flemmi, and James Bulger as criminal informants. From the outset, the Department of Justice has used litigation tactics to defeat these lawsuits that, at best, can be characterized as contrary to respect for the rule of law.

Not only is this a great read about organized crime and the FBI's often questionable methods in pursuit thereof, but it also shows how the age-old question "who watches the watchmen?" is still of vital importance, especially in an era of increasing Federal powers. Read about how easily the Justice Department thwarted Congressional attempts at oversight, at the highest levels!


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(visit the link for the full news article)

In a related story...

Former FBI Agent Indicted In Mob Case

BOSTON - One of the FBI's former top organized-crime investigators was arrested Wednesday on charges of conspiring to arrange payoffs from two notorious gangsters while protecting them from arrest and helping them extort real estate from a young South Boston couple.

In a lengthy racketeering indictment, retired FBI Special Agent John Connolly in effect was charged with going to work for James "Whitey" Bulger and Steven "The Rifleman" Flemmi - two informants he was supposed to be handling for the FBI's Boston division.

And, in a followup:

Ex-FBI agent indicted in 1982 killing

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- An ex-FBI agent serving 10 years for tipping off a reputed crime boss was indicted on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy Wednesday, CNN has learned.

The charges against former FBI agent John Connolly stem from the killing on August 1, 1982, of accountant John Callahan, who was said to be linked to the Irish underworld's James "Whitey" Bulger and his Winter Hill gang in Boston, Massachusetts.

[edit on 16-5-2009 by jsobecky]