The story of the 1971 break in of the FBI office in Media and its lessons for government surveillance

Hour 2
Guests: Betty Medsger, Bonnie Raines and John Raines

On March 8, 1971, Philadelphians BONNIE AND JOHN RAINES were two of eight people who broke into the FBI’s Media, PA, office and stole files about the bureau’s surveillance programs. The documents, which offered proof that the agency was engaged in an extensive counterintelligence program to target and harass anti-war and civil rights activists, were sent anonymously to several reporters and government officials including BETTY MEDSGER, a writer for the Washington Post. Incredibly, the crime went unsolved and it was only recently, with the publication of Medsger’s new book, The Burglary, that the names of people responsible for the break-in were revealed. Joining us to talk about the story, the burglary and the lessons it offers when it comes to the government’s current surveillance programs are Bonnie and Howard Raines and author Betty Medsger.