</s>File #: 62-11/72 90- SECTION 6 Serial Scope: 353,356,361,366,366.368,369,371,371.372,375,376. 378 424 380 426 382X 428 THRU 431 385 433 390 THRU 395 437 .397. 400 404 THRU 409 413 THRU 415 418 420 429 NW 88608 Docdl: 32897949 Page 1

Summary:  
The documents detail communications between the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) and federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Department of Justice regarding investigations into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The HSCA requested access to FBI files, including records on individuals linked to MLK’s assassination, such as James Earl Ray, Richard Gepert, and others associated with extremist groups like the National States Rights Party (NSRP) and Ku Klux Klan. The FBI provided information on COINTELPRO operations targeting civil rights organizations, including surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr., Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) members, and agents involved in these investigations. Requests for records included photographs of FBI agents, interviews with informants, and access to British police files related to Ray’s case. The HSCA also sought information on electronic surveillance conducted by the FBI on MLK and SCLC affiliates, as well as details on counterintelligence efforts spanning 1965–1968.  

Key People:  
- **G. Robert Blakey**: Chief Counsel and Director of HSCA.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Convicted assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  
- **Richard Gepert**: NSRP member interviewed by the FBI.  
- **Jerry Ray**: Informant reporting on NSRP activities and James Earl Ray’s involvement in MLK’s assassination.  
- **SA Joseph H. Kearney Jr., SA Howell S. Lowe, SA William H. Lawrence**: FBI agents assigned to COINTELPRO operations.  
- **SA Robert F. Fitzpatrick, SA Burl F. Johnson**: Assigned to Memphis FBI files.  
- **Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.**: Assassinated in 1968; subject of FBI surveillance and investigations.  
- **Lester Lee Kell, Charles Joseph Stein, Anthony Decarvelho, Jack Brown**: Individuals linked to MLK’s assassination under investigation.  

Key Locations:  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: FBI offices and case files related to COINTELPRO operations.  
- **Savannah, Georgia**: NSRP office where informant reported activities.  
- **Washington, D.C.**: Headquarters for the FBI, HSCA, and Department of Justice.  
- **London, UK**: British police records referenced in Ray’s case.  
- **Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Birmingham, Miami**: Cities where FBI agents were assigned to COINTELPRO operations.  

Key Events:  
- **HSCA requests for FBI files** on MLK’s assassination, including photographs of agents and interviews with informants.  
- **Informant SL 145-E** reported NSRP activities in Savannah, Georgia, and alleged FBI knowledge of MLK’s assassination.  
- **FBI COINTELPRO operations** targeting hate groups, civil rights organizations, and individuals linked to MLK’s assassination (e.g., File 100-4542, File 157-576).  
- **James Earl Ray’s escape from custody in London (1968)** and subsequent inquiries into his activities.  
- **Electronic surveillance** of Martin Luther King Jr. and SCLC members conducted by the FBI between 1963–1968.  
- **HSCA efforts to interview informants** and obtain records for MLK assassination investigation.  

Key Organizations:  
- **House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)**: Conducted inquiries into assassinations, including MLK’s.  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Provided records, case agents, and coordination for HSCA requests.  
- **National States Rights Party (NSRP)**: Extremist group linked to James Earl Ray and Richard Gepert.  
- **Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)**: Civil rights organization subjected to FBI surveillance.  
- **Counterintelligence Program (COINTELPRO)**: FBI initiative targeting civil rights groups and hate organizations.  
- **Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)**: Provided records on individuals linked to MLK’s assassination.

JFK Declassified Files

124-10180-10217_multirif.pdf

Document Summary

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