</s>File #: 66-MM-33446 Serial Scope: 1-17, 19-27, 30-32 Released under the John R. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 992 (44 USC 210) Note; Case:NW 88008 Date: 03.18.2024 NW-88608-Doc:d:32989820-Page1

Summary  
The documents detail extensive FBI operations and internal discussions from the 1960s through the 1970s, focusing on counterintelligence programs, informant networks, and interactions with congressional committees. Key topics include the use of informants in monitoring domestic groups such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), civil rights organizations, and political movements like the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW). The FBI’s legal frameworks for surveillance, including warrant requirements, Fourth Amendment considerations, and distinctions between criminal investigations and intelligence operations, are frequently discussed. References to historical programs like COINTELPRO (discontinued in 1971) and the FBI’s role in monitoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s activities are highlighted. The Bureau also addressed congressional inquiries about its oversight mechanisms, legal boundaries for domestic surveillance, and the handling of sensitive information, including electronic surveillance tapes and informant records.  

Key People  
- **James B. Adams**: Assistant Director of the FBI, testified on informant operations and legal frameworks.  
- **WARD A. PAUL**: Former FBI Director, discussed legislative reforms for intelligence jurisdiction and oversight.  
- **Frank Church**: Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Activities, oversaw hearings on FBI practices.  
- **Clarence M. Kelley**: FBI Director (1973–1978), testified about counterintelligence protocols and informant use.  
- **Joseph G. Degan**: Section Chief for Extremist Investigations, referenced in discussions of KKK monitoring.  
- **John A. Mintz**: Assistant Director, Legal Counsel Division, addressed legal guidelines for informants.  
- **Gary Rowe**: Informant who provided testimony about planned violence against Martin Luther King Jr.  
- **Senator Walter Mondale**, **Senator Wayne Morse**, **Senator Hart (Michigan)**: Congressional members questioning FBI practices and oversight.  

Key Locations  
- **Washington, D.C.**: Headquarters of the FBI and Senate Select Committee hearings.  
- **Miami, Florida**: FBI Field Office involved in KKK surveillance and informant operations.  
- **New York City**: Mentioned in context of mail interception and legal proceedings.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**, **Macon, Georgia**: Locations associated with KKK activities and past FBI investigations.  
- **Puerto Rico** and **Cuba**: Sites of mail interception efforts targeting Cuban intelligence agents.  

Key Events  
- **Senate Select Committee hearings (1975)**: Testimonies by FBI officials on informant use, COINTELPRO programs, and legal oversight.  
- **COINTELPRO operations (1960s–1971)**: Discontinued FBI counterintelligence efforts targeting civil rights groups and political movements.  
- **FBI surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr.**: Discussed in congressional hearings, including electronic monitoring and informant activities.  
- **Ku Klux Klan infiltration (1965)**: FBI deployed 2,000 informants to monitor KKK activities, though later estimates suggest only ~6% were actual members.  
- **Mail interception operations (1960–1966)**: FBI collaborated with postal authorities to screen mail for Cuban intelligence agents using secret ink and microdots.  
- **Legal debates over warrant requirements**: Discussions on balancing Fourth Amendment protections against national security needs in domestic surveillance.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Central agency discussed for its counterintelligence, informant networks, and legal frameworks.  
- **Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Activities**: Oversaw hearings on FBI practices and oversight mechanisms.  
- **Department of Justice**: Involved in legal reviews of FBI operations and informant guidelines.  
- **U.S. Postal Service**: Cooperated with FBI on mail interception efforts targeting Cuban intelligence agents.  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)**: Mentioned in context of historical communications regarding mail-opening operations.

JFK Declassified Files

124-10185-10193_multirif.pdf

Document Summary

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