ACLU of Southern California files lawsuit against FBI

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the Council on American Islamic Relations talked Wednesday about a federal class action lawsuit filed Tuesday against the FBI.

The lawsuit is being filed on behalf of three plaintiffs who said their 1st amendment rights were violated. The plaintiffs said they feel betrayed by the government, according to the ACLU.

Ex-FBI informant Craig Monteilh allegedly entered a local mosque pretending to be a Muslim.

The lawsuit alleged that Monteilh violated Muslims’ constitutional rights of freedom of religion when he infiltrated an Orange County mosque. 

Monteilh was allegedly instructed to collect phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and other information from the community members.

The suit instructs the FBI to destroy or return all the information Monteilh collected.

Ali Malik is one of the three plaintiffs who said he and his wife feel paranoid the FBI might still still be bugging their phones.

“Without assuming the FBI is monitoring that conversation, without assuming that the FBI is sitting there listening to everything that we have to say. I can’t have a conversation with my boss, I can’t have a conversation with anyone,” said Malik.

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said she could not comment, but stressed that the agency “does not investigate houses of worship or religious groups, but people who are alleged to be involved in criminal activity, regardless of their affiliations.”