Wiener v. FBI : Citizens' Victory
Historical Context
"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one." |
1981: FOIA Request and Suit
"Well, this whole thing started shortly after Lennon was killed. In December 1980 I was a Lennon fan, I was a historian. I wanted to do something, write something about his role in the peace movement in the United States, which I thought was being neglected...I filed a Freedom of Information request for F.B.I. files on John Lennon. The F.B.I. told me they had about 400 pages of files on John Lennon, all dating from 1971 and '72, when Lennon had just moved to New York City, joined up with the peace movement, singing "Give Peace a Chance" at anti-war rallies. The Vietnam War was still going strong. Nixon was preparing to run for reelection. So it was all about kind of Lennon's engagement with the anti-war movement in New York in ’71 and ’72."
- Jon Wiener
May 25, 2000
Interview with Democracy Now
However, the FBI withheld over 60% of the files and declassified files contain major redactions.
"[The documents contain] national security information provided by a foreign government under an explicit promise of confidentiality. [Their release] can reasonably be expected to...lead to foreign diplomatic, economic and military retaliation against the United States."
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
Government Brief, 1983
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Skype Interviews with Dr. Jon Wiener, Professor of U.S. History at U.C. Irvine
Plaintiff-Appellant in Wiener v. FBI (1991)
March 27, 2014
Plaintiff-Appellant in Wiener v. FBI (1991)
March 27, 2014
Wiener and the ACLU sued the FBI for the files.
1991-1992
In court, FOIA was used to balance rights and responsibilities. It was ruled that citizens had the right to know about the FBI surveillance and required to FBI to fulfill their responsibility to provide them with it.
The government also fulfilled their right and responsibility to withhold certain information, by continuing to withhold some files justified by FOIA Exemptions.
The government also fulfilled their right and responsibility to withhold certain information, by continuing to withhold some files justified by FOIA Exemptions.
December 19, 2006
"After twenty-three years of litigation, on December 19 the FBI [finally released all 400 pages of files] on John Lennon...The newly released documents contain only well-known information about Lennon's ties to New Left leaders and antiwar groups in London in 1970 and 1971...Why did four administrations fight in court to prevent the release of information that was already public...in the end this turns out to be a story not about Lennon but about excessive government secrecy."
- Jon Wiener
December 20, 2006
"The Last Lennon File" article for The Nation
(Credit for all images- Lennon FBI Files)