Statement on John Brennan's Admission to CIA and NYPD's Arrangement on Spying on American Muslims

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February 8, 2013, New York - In response to John Brennan's admission to the CIA and NYPD's arrangement to spy on American Muslims, Muslim Advocates and the Center for Constitutional Rights issued the following statement:

We are deeply concerned by John Brennan's admission that he was aware of the arrangement between the CIA and NYPD, which has led to widespread unlawful spying on innocent American Muslims in New York, New Jersey, and other locations throughout the northeast.  Mr. Brennan was the deputy executive director of the CIA at the time the NYPD-CIA collaboration was developed.  His admission raises even more questions that should be immediately probed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, including what Mr. Brennan knew, when he knew it, and what steps, if any, he took to stop the discriminatory surveillance program.  In April 2012, after a number of news stories revealed the program, Mr. Brennan issued conflicting statements that initially suggested he believed the NYPD acted consistent with the law, even as a congressional request to the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the NYPD's unconstitutional conduct was - and still is -- pending.  Government officials who knew about the discriminatory program, yet condoned it, should be held accountable.

The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1966 by attorneys who represented civil rights movements in the South, CCR is a non-profit legal and educational organization committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change.