Was Activist Richard Aoki an FBI Informant?

Posted on Aug 23, 2012

Democracy Now!

Richard Aoki.

Richard Aoki was respected as a “pioneering political activist and revolutionary in the Asian-American community” for his involvement in the civil rights struggle in the 1960s and beyond. Seth Rosenfeld’s new book “Subversives” presents evidence that Aoki was an FBI informant. Scholar Diane Fujino, author of a biography on Aoki, disagrees.

Rosenfeld cites former FBI agent Burney Threadgill as saying he hired Aoki to supply information on the activities of leftist groups to the FBI. Threadgill contacted Rosenfeld when he heard that Rosenfeld was doing research on the FBI’s suppression of political groups.

—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.

“Democracy Now!”:

New and Improved Comments

If you have trouble leaving a comment, review this help page. Still having problems? Let us know. If you find yourself moderated, take a moment to review our comment policy.