Did The National Guard Spy On 'Raging Grannies'?

ABC7
May. 15, 2006

Feb. 28 - KGO - Did the California National Guard engage in domestic spying? The legislature is investigating, but one lawmaker has already decided what happened and is offering legislation to prevent such spying.

They call themselves the Peninsula chapter of the Raging Grannies, an anti-war group the California National Guard, at one time, seemed interested in.

Gail Sredanovic, Raging Grannies: "It seems that they're using our intelligence energy and funds to spy on peaceful Americans, rather than do things that would really protect us from the threat of terrorism."

Now one state senator wants to ban the National Guard from being able to spy on Californians without permission.

St. Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Garden Grove: "What I simply ask is that before the National Guard goes into activities that are previously unauthorized, they simply seek the appropriate authorization."

It was a Mother's Day rally against the Iraq war at the State Capitol that sparked the proposed ban on domestic spying. The Guard has said its two-person surveillance team was used to monitor news reports of the protest, not to spy. Amid pressure, that unit was disbanded months later and today, a Guard spokesman said the state ban is not necessary.

Col. David Baldwin, California National Guard: "I know the senator has interest in ensuring that no surveillance could be conducted in the future. We stand by the fact that we follow federal law."

The Guard has always been coy about whether it, in fact, spied on Californians.

A hard drive with key information was mysteriously erased. And the boxes and boxes of Guard documents subpoenaed have large sections blacked out because of confidentiality concerns.

Senator Dunn says one file shows at least ten other states engage in domestic spying.

Gail Sredanovic: "It's very dangerous. It sets a very dangerous precedent."