An independent review of the Maryland Surveillance Program released its findings on Wednesday.

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Baltimore) joined former state Attorney General Stephen H. Sachs, and state police Colonel Terrence B. Sheridan to release the findings of the controversial spying program conducted by state police from March 2005 through May 2006.

O'Malley named Sachs to head the review after the American Civil Liberties Union released documents over the summer showing state police had been conducting undercover surveillance on anti-war protestors and death penalty opponents during O'Malley's tenure as mayor and then-Gov. Bob Ehrlich's time in office.

Sachs submitted a 149 page report detailing the findings to the governor. In it, Sachs recommended four safeguards to protect civil liberties, which the state police have agreed to adopt.

"[Maryland State Police] surveillance revealed essentially no evidence of proposed criminal conduct or unlawful activity of any kind," wrote Sachs.  "MSP's principal purpose was to prepare for any civil disturbance that might occur in connection with the then-planned executions of death row inmates Wesley E. Baker and Vernon L. Evans, Jr., including any disturbance that might be caused by rival individuals or groups who support the death penalty."

According to Sachs, the surveillance of the anti-war protestors most likely overlapped with that of the death penalty opponents, since certain members belonged to both groups.

Sachs noted in the report that O'Malley claimed "no knowledge of MSP's undercover investigation until the investigation was publicly revealed in July 2008."

Ehrlich declined an interview with Sachs during the review process.

On Tuesday, The Maryland Chapter of the ACLU said it had filed public information requests to determine if state police had been spying on an additional 32 organizations.