The Monkees' Micky Dolenz sues the FBI over their surveillance file on the band
Micky Dolenz — the last surviving member of the iconic 1960s-era, made-for-TV pop band the Monkees — is suing the FBI over the surveillance files they collected on the band during its early years.
Dolenz is making his request under the Freedom of Information Act. One version of the FBI's file on the band is available on the agency's public website, but it is heavily redacted. Dolenz and his lawyer, Mark Zaid, want full details about the surveillance.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images The Monkees in their '60s prime
Originally formed in 1966 as part of a TV show by producers Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson (who just died in July), The Monkees had several huge pop hits like "I'm a Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville." The latter song contains vague references to the Vietnam War, but nothing on the level of the antiwar sentiment expressed by The Monkees' contemporaries like John Lennon (who was definitely surveilled by the FBI as well). So there's some mystery as to why the FBI would've been interested in The Monkees, and Dolenz wants to clear up that mystery.
According to the lawsuit, the FBI confirmed receipt of Dolenz's FOIA request on June 23, but has not responded further. The lawsuit asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to make the files available to Dolenz "promptly."
"If the documents still exist, I fully expect that we will learn more about what prompted the FBI to target the Monkees or those around them," Zaid told The Washington Post.
Representatives for Dolenz did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment. The FBI declined to comment.
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