December 27, 2025
Heists, Hoover & hot takes
How We Found Out About COINTELPRO (2014)
The break‑in that exposed FBI dirty tricks — and readers say the playbook never ended
TLDR: In 1971, activists stole FBI files and exposed COINTELPRO, a secret campaign to sabotage dissent. Commenters say the same tactics linger today: some label the burglars heroes, others call it terrorism by modern standards, and many think protests are muted by infiltration and fear — which is why this history matters.
Forget dusty history: the comments are having a field day with the 1971 activist heist that blew open COINTELPRO — the FBI’s secret plan to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit” civil rights and anti‑war groups. During the Ali‑Frazier fight, a small crew snuck into an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania and mailed stolen files to reporters, revealing what one journalist later called “two FBIs: the public and the secret.” That secret side? Deception, informers, even spying on officials. If you need a refresher, COINTELPRO stands for Counter Intelligence Program, and “SI” referred to a security watchlist. See COINTELPRO and Betty Medsger’s book The Burglary.
The community’s vibe is pure trust issues. One top comment shrugs, “Nothing changed,” and it gets echoed like a chorus. Another hot take frames the burglars’ tactics as something that could be branded “terrorism” under UK rules today — cue the ethics brawl. A detail about an informer being “immediately hired” sparks debates about how protest movements get hollowed out from the inside. The spiciest thread? Claims it all mutated into modern “gangstalking” via fusion centers, with names and tragic anecdotes — while skeptics push back with “extraordinary claims need evidence” replies. Humor slips in: quips about choosing Ali‑Frazier as the perfect alibi, and the American Legion acting like neighborhood watch on steroids. It’s drama, suspicion, and a whole lot of side‑eye.
Key Points
- •In March 1971, the Citizens Committee to Investigate the FBI burglarized the FBI’s Media, Pennsylvania office and removed files.
- •Documents sent to news outlets, including the Washington Post, revealed a secret FBI apparatus using illegal tactics to suppress dissent.
- •Memos labeled “COINTELPRO” and “SI” were found; subsequent lawsuits, reporting, and hearings clarified their meanings and scope.
- •COINTELPRO targeted civil rights and Black organizations (e.g., CORE, SNCC, SCLC) for “neutralization” via exposure, disruption, misdirection, and discrediting.
- •The FBI relied on extensive informant networks, including agreements with American Legion posts and members, and even enlisted KKK members as informers.