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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Snow settles on passes as cold front hits Southern Oregon ... DUIIs not all from a bottle ... Mail Tribune 100, Nov. 15, 1915 ... Snow settles on passes as cold front hits Southern Oregon ... DUIIs not all from a bottle ... Mail Tribune 100, Nov. 15, 1915 ... OREGON ATTORNEY GENERAL Oregon AG says investigators targeted Black Lives Matter Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Nov. 11, 2015 at 4:45 PM By The Associated Press Posted Nov. 11, 2015 at 4:45 PM » Social News PORTLAND — Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum says one of her investigators has been put on paid leave after she learned he had searched for social media hashtags used by the Black Lives Matter movement as part of a threat-assessment program. Rosenblum said Tuesday she was "shocked and appalled" when she learned of the allegations, The Oregonian reports. Her comments, including the promise of an independent investigation, came after a letter from the Urban League of Portland accused the Department of Justice of digital surveillance of people involved in the racial justice movement. The Urban League's director, Nkenge Harmon Johnson, accused the department of targeting those who used the phrase "Black Lives Matter" on social media. She wrote that the surveillance snared her husband Erious Johnson — the director of the department's civil rights division. The letter was signed by Oregon labor officials and civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon. "We are concerned that such unwarranted investigations are racially motivated, and create a chilling effect on social justice advocates, political activists and others who wish to engage in discourse about the issues of our time," Harmon Johnson wrote. In an interview with The Oregonian, Rosenblum confirmed that an investigator in the department's criminal justice division used an online search tool to look up social media hashtags, including the one used by the Black Lives Matter movement, as part of threat-assessment work. She declined to identify the investigator and said "there may be others." She said she has hired a special investigator to examine the data collection by the Justice Department's Criminal Justice Division. "I need to get to the bottom of this," Rosenblum said. Rosenberg told the paper she learned about the allegations two weeks ago. Rosenblum said the criminal justice team's overall work on threat assessment was a "legitimate area." "They were looking for anti-police sentiments — potential threats to police," she said. Mat dos Santos, legal director for the ACLU in Oregon, urged Rosenblum to reveal the "full extent of the state's involvement in this illegal and racially based surveillance." By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Nov. 11, 2015 at 4:45 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501