Governor Martin O’Malley blasted the administration of former Gov. Robert Ehrlich Friday for allowing a police investigation of peace activists to continue for 14 months.

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., also called Friday for a “full accounting” of surveillance activities by federal, state and local officials.

The Maryland State Police spied on members of anti-war and anti-death penalty organizations from March 2005 to May 2006 even after numerous reports of legal activities, according to records released by the Maryland American Civil Liberties Union Thursday.

“The Maryland State Police, under the O'Malley-Brown Administration, does not and will not use public resources to target or monitor peaceful activities where Maryland citizens are exercising their First Amendment rights,” O’Malley said in a statement. “Where there is no evidence of a potential public threat, illegal activity or criminal wrongdoing, all investigatory or intelligence gathering activities shall cease.”

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The state police released public records documenting its surveillance of peace activists from March 2005 to May 2006, after the ACLU filed a lawsuit in June in Baltimore County Circuit Court, claiming the police refused to release these documents.

“If there is no indication that anyone’s done anything illegal, why in the world would you continue an investigation?” said Michael German, policy counsel for the ACLU.

The documents were made available to the public at a news conference Thursday in Baltimore City.

State police said in a statement that they did not impede civil liberties.

“No illegal actions by state police have ever been taken against any citizens or groups who have exercised their right to free speech and assembly in a lawful manner,” according to the police.

“Only when information regarding criminal activity is alleged will police continue to investigate leads to ensure the public safety.”

The documents detail the daily findings of a 14-month, 288 hour undercover operation, in which undercover state police from the Homeland Security and Intelligence division attended protests and meetings.

They shared the information they gathered, from such groups as the Coalition to End the Death Penalty and the peace organization Baltimore Pledge of Resistance, with various federal, state and county agencies.

ACLU representatives said they sent a letter to Gov. Martin O’Malley demanding the state police’s actions be investigated.

If not, they said, the ACLU will continue to lobby for an investigation.

Police were on the lookout for civil disobedience, but found none and closed the case, according to the records.

“Although most death penalty protests in the past have not been violent, the potential for disruptions and problems continue to exist due to the strong emotions the issue elicit from people on both side of the debate,” the records state regarding a planned protest in November 2005 against an execution.

Max Obuszewski, mentioned repeatedly in the records for his actions as head of Pledge of Resistance, said he first suspected he was being monitored in 2004 after a trial of two peace activists, Cindy Farquhar and Marilyn Carlisle, in his organization.

During the trial, he said, security guards indicated they were monitoring his group.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

carrie.wells@baltimoreexaminer.com