Wed. September 15, 2010
Philadelphia -
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell says he's sorry and "appalled" that a company under contract to the state Homeland Security Dept. tracked gays, lesbians, anti-BP activists and tax-hike protesters.
"I apologize to the taxpayers protesters," Rendell said on Tuesday. "I apologize to the lesbian and Gay Pride Festival. I apologize to every single name that was on the list."
The Institute of Terrorism Research and Response had been under a $125,000 contract to supply Pennsylvania with thrice-weekly bulletins about possible terrorist activity. A recent bulletin claimed that Jewish holy days and Ramadan could attract "anarchists and Black Power radicals."
The governor learned about the contract from The Patriot News.
"I think I would have said `no' to this contract before we ever spent a dime and before we sent out any information that was wrong and violative of, in my judgment, the constitution," Rendell told the Associated Press.
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