</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 the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) investigation into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on FBI records, informants, and counterintelligence operations. The HSCA requested access to FBI files on James Earl Ray, informants linked to the National States Rights Party (NSRP), and electronic surveillance related to MLK’s activities. FBI records confirmed no counterintelligence efforts against MLK or the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during specified periods. Informants such as SL 1495-E provided information on NSRP activities, while FBI agents like William F. Kusch and Robert Nichols were interviewed regarding their involvement in monitoring civil rights groups. The HSCA sought access to files on individuals like Richard Geppert, Lester Lee E.Kell (SSN redacted), and others associated with extremist organizations. FBI case files referenced COINTELPRO operations targeting Black nationalist groups, racial matters, and communist infiltration. Requests included photographs of agents, surveillance logs, and personnel records from 1965–1972.  

Key People  
- **James Earl Ray**: Suspected in MLK’s assassination; mentioned by informants and linked to NSRP activities.  
- **Jerry Ray**: Brother of James Earl Ray, reported as present at NSRP office in Savannah, Georgia.  
- **G. Robert Blakey**: HSCA director and chief counsel overseeing investigations.  
- **Robert L. Keuch**: Deputy Assistant Attorney General, FBI liaison for HSCA requests.  
- **William F. Kusch**: FBI agent interviewed regarding New Orleans 1968 investigations.  
- **Lester Lee E.Kell** (SSN redacted): Individual linked to FBI files and NSRP activities.  
- **Richard Geppert**: Subject of Springfield FBI investigations; mentioned in HSCA requests.  
- **Joseph C. Hester**: Retired FBI agent interviewed by HSCA about Ray’s activities.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of MLK’s assassination and FBI surveillance operations.  
- **Savannah, Georgia**: NSRP office where informant SL 1495-E reported activities.  
- **New Orleans, Louisiana**: FBI field office involved in COINTELPRO files on civil rights groups.  
- **Washington, D.C.**: HSCA and DOJ headquarters; FBI headquarters for file reviews.  
- **St. Louis, Missouri**: FBI SAC office and locations of informants like SL 1495-E.  
- **Alton, Illinois**: Site of the 1967 bank robbery investigated by FBI (unrelated to MLK).  

Key Events  
- **HSCA requests for FBI records**: Seeking photographs of agents, surveillance logs, and files on MLK’s security operations (1965–1972).  
- **Interviews with FBI agents**: Including William F. Kusch, Robert Nichols, and Joseph C. Hester regarding COINTELPRO and Ray’s activities.  
- **Review of COINTELPRO files**: No evidence found of counterintelligence actions against MLK or SCLC in Memphis, Chicago, and New Orleans files.  
- **Informant reports**: SL 1495-E provided details on NSRP activities and Ray’s alleged involvement in MLK’s assassination.  
- **Closure of Alton Bank Robbery case (1972)**: Unrelated to MLK, with no link to James Earl Ray.  

Key Organizations  
- **House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)**: Conducted the investigation into MLK’s assassination and requested FBI records.  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Managed COINTELPRO operations, provided surveillance logs, and reviewed files on civil rights groups.  
- **National States Rights Party (NSRP)**: Hate group mentioned in informant reports linked to Savannah, Georgia activities.  
- **Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)**: Civil rights organization investigated by FBI for potential communist infiltration.  
- **Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)**: Provided records on individuals associated with extremist groups and civil rights activities.

JFK Declassified Files

124-10180-10323_multirif.pdf

Document Summary

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