Federal Bureau of Investigation's Conduct of Domestic Intelligence Operations under the Attorney General's Guidelines

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) domestic intelligence operations have changed significantly in scope, level of effort, and investigative controls under the Attorney General's domestic security guidelines which went into effect on April 5, 1976. The guidelines and the accompanying oversight and review by the Department of Justice have played a vital role in redirecting and narrowing the scope of the FBI domestic intelligence operations. The number of groups and individuals being investigated and the extent of FBI agent and informant resources being devoted to domestic intelligence have declined substantially. Justice and FBI have better control over intelligence activities because current policies more clearly distinguish preliminary from full investigative phases in terms of permissible techniques and duration and scope of investigation and require regular reporting by field offices to FBI headquarters and Justice. However, in order to prevent erosion of the present controls, Congress should clearly mandate what the objectives and scope of domestic intelligence activities should be and what controls should exist. Coupled with diligent congressional oversight, management controls by Justice and FBI, and citizens' access to records, such a mandate would go a long way toward preventing a recurrence of past abuses.