</s>104-10142-10203 Chum Washington, D.C. 26305 2.8 NOV 1877 OLC. 76-3402 Honorable Thomas N. Downing, Chairman HSCA Select Committee on Assassinations House of Representatives House of Representative Washington, DC. 20515 77-0012 Dear Mr. Chairman: Mr. Lyle Miller, of my staff, has relayed to me the interest of your Chief Counsel, Mr. Richard Sprague, that records of importance in the investigation of the deaths of John P. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. or, not destroyed once the mora- importance of the investigation on the deaths by John P." Kennedy assure you there is no agreement for records is lifted. Let me The "moratorium" was imposed on the destruction of CIA records in 1975 Gurthing the investigation by the Senate Select Committee to Study Government Operation on 10 December 1976. to Intelligence Activities and will express on December 1976, At that time regular document destruction will begin in accordance At that Time regular document Destruction will begin with the United States and subject to review and will return to the Senate select Committee on Intelligence. Within the next week we will publish in the Federal Register, the Agency's policy in regard to the lifting of the deadline to the orderly and application of records. control schedules to the orderly disposition of Agency records. It is to be CIA's policy to fully support investigative bodies of the Executive, Legislative, or medical staff and will control schedules for the investigation, or to be listed with will contribute to do so. Once the investigation is listed will destroy no materials relating to on-going Freedom of Information requests, cases subject to litigation, or cases under current investigation, I assure you to your no documents which we are investigation. I assure that you no documents will be destroyed. APPROVED FOR RELEASE 1953 CIA HISTORICAL-REVIEW PROGRAM Sincerely, JFK ACT George Bush RELEASE Distribution ion: 1 - DIA - Attn: H. Bean Distribution: 1-DIA - ADL'e 1- DIA-1-DV/SST RELEASE Orig-1 - ADI'e 1 - OIC-Subject 1 - 1- DIO-1 1 - 0IC- Subject 1- 1-0IC-1 1 - DOY/1 1-1 <loc_201><loc_889>1 - 01C-Chiroo <loc_415><loc_891><loc_415><loc_904><loc_338><loc_904>1-0C-CHiroo 1- 0IC - DIV/1- 1 - DRY/Y/2

Summary: The document is a letter dated 2 November 1977 from George Bush, then Director of Central Intelligence (CIA), to Honorable Thomas N. Downing, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA). It addresses the status of CIA records related to the investigations into the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The letter clarifies that a moratorium on the destruction of CIA records was imposed in 1975 during the Senate Select Committee to Study Government Operation involving Intelligence Activities (1976). This moratorium was lifted on 10 December 1976, allowing regular document destruction to resume under controlled schedules. The CIA asserts its policy to support investigative bodies and ensure records are available for ongoing investigations, litigation, or Freedom of Information requests. It assures that no documents related to current investigations will be destroyed.  

Key People: George Bush (CIA Director), Honorable Thomas N. Downing (HSCA Chairman), Richard Sprague (Chief Counsel, HSCA).  
Key Locations: Washington, D.C.; CIA headquarters (implied by reference to "CIA Historical-Review Program").  
Key Events: Lifting of the 1975 moratorium on CIA record destruction (December 1976); ongoing investigations into JFK and MLK assassinations; Senate Select Committee to Study Government Operation involving Intelligence Activities (1976).  
Key Organizations: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA), Senate Select Committee to Study Government Operation involving Intelligence Activities.

MLK Declassified Files

00435999_letter-_cia_records_destr_104-10142-10203.pdf

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