Frank Donner (lawyer) facts for kids

Frank Donner (born November 25, 1911 – died June 10, 1993) was a civil liberties lawyer and writer. He worked to protect people's basic rights and freedoms. Donner also directed a special project at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). This project looked into how the government watched its own citizens. Some of his well-known clients included Morton Sobell and William Albertson.

Early Life and Education

Frank Donner was born in Brooklyn, New York. He studied at the University of Wisconsin, where he earned two degrees. Later, he got his law degree from Columbia University.

A Career Helping Others

Donner started his career working for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from 1940 to 1945. This government agency helps make sure workers' rights are protected.

After that, he started his own law practice. He mainly represented groups that helped workers, like the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America and the United Steelworkers of America.

Donner also started a law firm in New York with other lawyers, Arthur Kinoy and Marshall Perlin. Their firm helped clients who had different political ideas. During the 1950s, they defended many people, including union leaders. These individuals had refused to talk about their memberships in certain groups or take loyalty pledges.

Facing Challenges

Frank Donner himself was called before a government committee called the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1956. He was accused of being part of a group with communist ideas while working at the NLRB. Donner chose not to answer their questions, using his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. He was also a board member for the National Lawyers Guild, a group of lawyers who work for justice.

Fighting for Rights

In 1977, Donner helped the widow of William Albertson seek damages. This led to a lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Eventually, the government settled the case, paying $170,000.

Starting in 1970, Donner led the Project on Political Surveillance for the ACLU. This project investigated how the government watched its citizens. He wrote several books about how government agencies used programs like COINTELPRO and "Red Squads" to secretly watch groups they thought might cause trouble. Donner was especially interested in how these groups watched organizations like Veterans Against the Vietnam War. He found that some of these policing groups even had their own members join and become leaders in the groups they were watching.

Donner also pointed out that the government sometimes used "scapegoats." This means they would blame other political groups to distract from criticism against the government itself.

Books by Frank Donner

• (1961) The Un-Americans
• (1971) "Theory and Practice of American Political Intelligence", in The New York Review of Books
• (1980) The Age of Surveillance: The Aims & Methods of America's Political Intelligence System
• (1991) Protectors of Privilege: Red Squads and Political Repression in Urban America

See also

• Morton Sobell
• William Albertson
• National Lawyers Guild
• Arthur Kinoy
• Marshall Perlin