A sixteen-year veteran of federal law enforcement, Mike German served as a special agent with the FBI, where he specialized in domestic terrorism and covert operations. Mr. German is also fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice’s Liberty and National Security Program, which seeks to ensure that our government respects human rights and fundamental freedoms in conducting the fight against terrorism. Prior to joining the Brennan Center, Mr. German served as the policy counsel for national security and privacy for the American Civil Liberties Union. He is the author of Disrupt, Discredit, and Divide: How the New FBI Damages Democracy.

“The FBI very quietly put out on its website that its primary mission was no longer law enforcement, but rather protecting national security and conducting domestic intelligence. And that is a very broad mandate that isn’t well-defined and allows for an awful lot of abuse.”