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Church Committee
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Church Committee

United States history
Also known as: Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities(Show More)
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The Church Committee, officially known as the U.S. Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities, was established in 1975. Chaired by Senator Frank Church, the committee investigated alleged illegal activities by U.S. intelligence agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the National Security Agency (NSA).12

The committee uncovered abuses such as assassination plots in foreign countries and widespread surveillance and harassment of political activists within the United States. A significant focus of the investigation was the FBI's COINTELPRO program, which used extralegal means to discredit and neutralize organizations deemed subversive. The committee's findings led to reforms, including the creation of congressional committees to oversee intelligence activities and an executive order banning assassinations.13

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. COINTELPRO
  2. Frank Church
  3. Central Intelligence Agency

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