Missouri Highway Patrol rescinds controversial militia report

Although this is an important development, the anti-militia, anti-patriot conditioning will merely continue in Missouri via a number of other avenues.

By Roseann Moring | ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH | 03/26/2009

Jefferson City — A report about modern militia activity will no longer be distributed to Missouri law enforcement officers after receiving nationwide criticism that it contains political profiling.

The decision came Wednesday, hours after Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder called for Department of Public Safety Director John Britt to be placed on leave because of the report, which said followers of third-party political candidates might be militia members.

But the superintendent of the Missouri Highway Patrol said Britt wasn't to blame. Instead, Col. James Keathley said, the issue is a flawed oversight system, which will be revamped. Keathley said the report was sent to highway patrol members without being reviewed by him or Britt.

Since the report was leaked to the public earlier this month, it has been criticized by conservatives and third-party candidates.

The report was produced by the Missouri Information Analysis Center as a guide for state troopers. The center, created by the Department of Homeland Security after Sept. 11, is a means to share security information between different entities.

The report, titled, "The Modern Militia," specifically mentioned 2008 presidential candidates Republican Ron Paul, Libertarian Bob Barr and the Constitution Party's Chuck Baldwin. It said that militia members "most commonly associate with 3rd party political groups."

Britt apologized on Monday to the three candidates for the inartful way in which one section of the report was written.

"Upon review and reflection, it is the judgment of the Department of Public Safety that the report should have made no reference to supporters of Ron Paul, Bob Barr, Chuck Baldwin or of any other third-party political candidates," wrote Britt, who is a former Secret Service agent.

In the letter to the three candidates, he promised to redact the section in question.

Missouri Libertarian Party spokesman Mike Ferguson said his party is happy with Britt's apology, although they support the efforts of other groups to look at other parts of the report.

The response hasn't satisfied Kinder. He criticized the public safety director's apology for not mentioning another aspect of the report, which included militant anti-abortion as an ideology sometimes espoused by militia members. Kinder pointed to other groups, such as eco-terrorists, not mentioned in the report.

"There was no mention of this, because apparently it's more important to focus on pro-lifers," he said.

Kinder spokesman Gary McElyea said Keathley's statement doesn't change Kinder's position. "The buck stops with him (Britt) and the governor, and either the governor or Britt should be willing to sit down and answer these questions," McElyea said.

Keathley didn't make it clear which parts of the report or which complaints his statement addresses. State patrol Capt. Tim Hull said this center produces such reports independently, meaning neither Nixon nor Britt asked for the data.

Nixon spokesman Scott Holste said the first time the governor saw the report was when it showed up in the media, and the office supports Keathley's changes. Holste said the governor would leave the enforcement of the new policies to Britt.

The report first appeared on the website of conservative radio commentator Alex Jones. Jones said a law enforcement officer gave it to him.

Department spokesman Mike O'Connell said the department isn't debating the accuracy of the version online, but wouldn't provide a copy of the report.