</s>File #: 602-HQ-116396 Serial Scope: 11416, 1148-1151, 1163-1156, 1157, 1158-1165 Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 992 (44 USC 2107 Note) Case#NV 2898 Date: 03.18.2023 NV-88806 Docid:32899550 Page 1

Summary  
The documents detail FBI and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSC) investigations into Communist Party USA (CPUSA) infiltration of civil rights organizations, informant management, and counterintelligence activities. Key topics include Stanley Levison’s secret CPUSA membership, his role in facilitating communication between CPUSA officials and Martin Luther King Jr., and financial transactions involving informants like Gary Thomas Rowe. The FBI monitored CPUSA’s influence over the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and tracked interactions with figures such as Hunter O’Dell and Barrett George Kemp. The SSC requested documents on informants, including Rowe and Mary Jo Cook, prompting responses from the FBI regarding confidentiality agreements and interview logistics. A correction was made to records indicating J. Edgar Hoover’s briefing to President Kennedy on November 5, 1958, rather than the National Security Council. The FBI also addressed wiretaps authorized by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in 1962 and 1965, as well as investigations into leaks of classified information.  

Key People  
- **Martin Luther King Jr.**: Central to CPUSA infiltration investigations; his interactions with Levison and CPUSA officials were monitored.  
- **Stanley Levison**: Secret CPUSA member who facilitated communication between the party and SCLC leadership.  
- **Gary Thomas Rowe**: Former FBI informant linked to Ku Klux Klan activities; negotiated financial compensation for testimony in Viola Luizzo’s murder case.  
- **Mary Jo Cook**: Informant whose documents were requested by the SSC, with details on her interactions with the FBI.  
- **J. Edgar Hoover**: FBI Director whose 1958 briefing to President Kennedy was corrected in records.  
- **Robert F. Kennedy (Attorney General)**: Authorized wiretaps on journalists and investigated leaks of classified information.  
- **John Doar**: Assistant Attorney General who negotiated with Rowe for testimony conditions.  
- **James McGovern**: Inspector overseeing Rowe’s case and coordinating FBI responses to congressional inquiries.  

Key Locations  
- **Washington, D.C.**: Headquarters for the FBI, Department of Justice, and Senate Select Committee operations.  
- **New York City**: Site of FBI field offices and mail-opening investigations.  
- **Montgomery, Alabama**: Location of Viola Luizzo’s murder trial and related FBI activities.  
- **Tampa, Florida**: Site of Rowe’s family visit during Thanksgiving 1965.  
- **Providence, Rhode Island**: Mentioned in context of FBI resident agency operations.  

Key Events  
- **1962–1965 Wiretaps**: Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy authorized wiretaps on journalists (e.g., Hanson Baldwin) and investigated leaks of classified information.  
- **Viola Luizzo’s Murder Trial (1963)**: FBI coordinated Rowe’s testimony, including financial compensation and travel arrangements to Montgomery.  
- **Senate Select Committee Requests (1975)**: Formal inquiries into informants like Rowe and Cook prompted FBI responses on confidentiality agreements and document handling.  
- **Correction of Hoover’s Briefing Records**: Clarified that Hoover briefed President Kennedy on November 5, 1958, not the National Security Council.  
- **CPUSA Infiltration Investigations**: FBI tracked CPUSA’s influence over SCLC, including Levison’s financial contributions and O’Dell’s voter registration efforts in Louisiana.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Central to managing informants, counterintelligence operations, and responding to congressional inquiries.  
- **U.S. Department of Justice**: Coordinated legal actions and responses to Senate Select Committee requests.  
- **Senate Select Committee on Intelligence**: Requested documents on informants and counterintelligence practices, influencing FBI protocols.  
- **Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)**: Mentioned in context of Martin Luther King Jr.’s activities and CPUSA surveillance records.

JFK Declassified Files

124-10238-10331.pdf

Document Summary

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