This for the most part, from Indymedia.
The attorney for a retired special agent with the U.S. Coast Guard has filed a motion to dismiss a federal lawsuit alleging that the agent spied on members of an Olympia anti-war group. The motion, filed on Sept. 30, argues that the Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law barring the military from engaging in domestic law enforcement duties, does not apply to the Coast Guard.
Mark Bartlett, a Seattle attorney representing former U.S. Coast Guard special agent Clint Colvin, argues in his motion that the U.S. Coast Guard is specifically tasked with carrying out law enforcement functions. Just not posing as “John Towery”.
Clinton Donald Colvin was served with legal process in this case on the evening of January 27, 2010 at his home, while he was still an employee of the US Coast Guard. In May 2007, he was present at Aberdeen Washington during a briefing of Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office agents and US Army personnel, including John Towery (according to documents released by the Aberdeen Police Department). The subject of that briefing was, in part, infiltration of activist meetings. This would suggest that the United States Coast Guard did indeed have some experience taking part in activist meetings prior to First Amendment events, since it was they who briefed the GHSO and the US Army DES.
John Towery is seen in photos taken by the Grays Harbor Sheriffs Office or Aberdeen Police Department taking part in the protests there dressed as a protester, and carrying a protest sign. He also clearly crossed the line Colvin claims not to have crossed, in that he took part in private meetings and also helped administer the group's web based communications listservs. But until we know what fake name Colvin used, we can't say for sure that he was not added to those same email based lists at the time he 'joined' Olympia PMR, and thus what exposure he continued to subject our organizing to.
- KBOO