Missouri Law Enforcement issues formal apology to patriots Dr. Ron Paul, Bob Barr, and Pastor Chuck Baldwin

March 23, 2009
Rep. Ron Paul
203 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Mr. Bob Barr
900 Circle 75 Parkway, Suite 1280
Atlanta, Georgia 30339

Mr. Chuck Baldwin
6800 Mobile Highway
Pensacola, Florida 32526

Dear Rep. Paul, Mr. Barr and Mr. Baldwin:

As head of the state agency responsible for oversight of the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC), I want to respond to your letter of March 20, 2009, regarding a report by the MIAC on the militia movement. Portions of that report may be easily construed by readers as offensive to supporters of certain political candidates or to those candidates themselves. I regret that those components were ultimately included in the final report issued by the MIAC.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety places the utmost value on the safety and well-being of Missouri’s law enforcement officers –a value I am certain we share with you and your supporters. Officers of the law do the most dangerous job of anyone in our society and regularly put themselves in the path of great danger, bodily harm and death in order to protect innocent citizens. As such, it is our regular practice to provide as much information as we can to law enforcement agencies and their officers so they are fully cognizant of any situational hazard which they may encounter.

Unfortunately, in the course of preparing this report, some regrettable information was included in the report on militia groups in Missouri. While the intent of the report was only to identify certain traits that are sometimes shared by members of militia organizations, this report is too easily misinterpreted as suggesting that militia members may be identified by no other indicator than support for a particular candidate or political organization. That is an undesired and unwarranted outcome. Upon review and reflection, it is the judgment of the Department of Public Safety that the report should have made no reference to supporters of Ron Paul, Bob Barr, Chuck Baldwin or of any other third-party political organization or candidate.

In recognition of the mistaken inclusion of this information by the MIAC in its February 20, 2009, report on the militia movement, I have ordered that the offending report be edited so as to excise all reference to Ron Paul, Bob Barr or Chuck Baldwin and to any third-party political organizations. Additionally, you may rest assured that the report is not posted on any website maintained by the State of Missouri.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety regrets any inconvenience or issues caused inadvertently by the unnecessary inclusion of certain components by MIAC in its militia report.

Respectfully,
John M.Britt
Director