Meese Urged to Call for FBI Probe of Series of Break-Ins at Churches
Two congressmen asked U.S. Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III late Friday to authorize an FBI investigation into a series of several dozen burglaries of churches and political groups opposed to Reagan Administration policies in Central America.
FBI Director William H. Webster said on Thursday he had no evidence of a link between the burglaries in about 15 cities in the last two years, and said the FBI had no jurisdiction to investigate.
In their letter, Rep. Don Edwards (D-San Jose), chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on civil and constitutional rights, and Rep. Edward F. Feighan (D-Ohio) asked Meese to consider whether the most recent break-in, which occurred last weekend at the International Center for Development Policy in Washington, violated federal civil rights statutes.
They said center Director Robert White, who was ambassador to El Salvador during the Carter Administration, had testified before Congress and that the center had helped Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) investigate the private supply network to aid the Nicaraguan rebels.
A spokesman said Meese would have no immediate comment.
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