Frank Church's Motivation and Background

Frank Church, a liberal Democrat from Idaho, led the Senate committee in 1975 that investigated CIA covert activities, including assassinations, spying on Americans, and mind control. Church became radicalized by the Vietnam War and saw the intelligence community as a part of a growing militaristic empire. He wanted to be the first to conduct oversight and expose the intelligence community's rogue actions. At the time, there was no oversight, and leaders of Congress didn't want to be responsible for knowing any secrets. Church's goal was to create permanent intelligence oversight, and the Church Committee's investigations led to significant reforms and changes in laws, including the creation of the Senate Intelligence Committee, FISA, the ban on political assassinations, and banning the use of journalists by intelligence agencies. The Church Committee investigations revealed bizarre stories, such as CIA's collaboration with the mafia to kill Fidel Castro and the CIA's MK Ultra mind control program.