Oregon Appeals Court Revives Lawsuit Over TITAN Fusion Center Surveillance
The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled on October 21 that the Marion County Circuit Court improperly dismissed a lawsuit alleging that the state's intelligence fusion center surveilled environmental activists without first establishing a connection to criminal activity, reviving the case. The plaintiffs allege that the TITAN Fusion Center, housed in the Oregon Department of Justice, collected, retained and shared information about environmental activists, Indigenous rights advocates and other political organizers involved in challenging the Jordan Cove natural gas pipeline project. TITAN has operated in Oregon since 2004 and is one of 80 fusion centers nationwide. The lawsuit was filed in 2021 by two environmental organizations, 350 Eugene and Rogue Climate, and four longtime social justice activists. At the center of the case is whether the Department of Justice may operate a program that investigates all crimes and all threats without authorization from the legislature or direction from the governor. Presiding Judge James C. Egan wrote that the statutes cited by the department do not conclusively establish its authority to conduct the alleged information-gathering and dissemination, and that reliance on legislative appropriations as evidence of authority is misplaced. The Department of Justice said it is evaluating the opinion and considering how to proceed, including whether to seek review by the Oregon Supreme Court.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，作者 M.O. Stevens，公有领域。图为 Salem 的俄勒冈州议会大厦实拍。
