</s>104-10151-10168 ER 8 76-4021 Welchry (D.C. 2015) 5 DEC 1976 Honorable Thomas N. Downing, Chairman Select Committee on Assassinations House of Representatives APPROVED FOR RELEASE 1993 Washington, D.C ., 20515 CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM Dear Mr. Chairman: Mr. Lytle Miller, of my staff, has relayed to me the interest. of.your Chief Counsel, Mr. Richard Sprague, that records related to the investigation of the deaths of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. or, Jr. is destroyed once the "moratorium" on the destruction of Agency records is lifted. Let me measure you that there is no cause for concern. . The "moratorator" was imposed on the Destruction of CIA records in 1975 during the investigation was imposed by the Senate Select Committee of Study Governmental Operations with Respect for Intelligence Activities and will expire in 10 December 1976. At that time regular document destruction will begin in accordance with records control schedules approved by the Archivist on the United States and subject to review by the Senator Select Archivist of the Intelligence. The Agency's policy is regarding the lifting Commission on Intelligence. This agency's policy in regard to the Senate Secret schedule to the orderly disposition of the application of records control the Federal Register, a copy of which is enclosed. It is CIA's policy to fully support, investigative bodies of the Executive, Legislative, or Judicial Branch, and we continue to do so. Once the investigation, or judicial branch, we will be no longer to do would appeal to relate to your life, if you are not to be any materials which Committee, Further, we'll make available for your interest to your disposition of records prepared for the Archivist at the same time lists for lists are submitted to the State Select Committee for the Intelligence, Material designated for destruction in the lists will not be destroyed until your Committee notices the Agency that it has completed not review, and has no objection. I/C date, 15 days have been furnished to its Senate Select Committee notices, and they will be made available for its review. immediately. 2/1828

Summary  
The document outlines CIA policy regarding the destruction of records related to the assassination investigations of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It clarifies that a moratorium on destroying CIA records, imposed in 1975 by the Senate Select Committee on Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities, will expire on December 10, 1976. After this date, regular record destruction will proceed according to approved schedules. The CIA asserts it will not destroy documents related to investigations by the Senate Select Committee on Assassinations or other authorized bodies until those committees confirm they have completed their reviews and have no objections. The Agency emphasizes its policy of supporting investigative entities across executive, legislative, and judicial branches and provides details on procedures for submitting and reviewing records disposition lists.  

Key People  
- Honorable Thomas N. Downing (Chairman, Select Committee on Assassinations)  
- Richard Sprague (Chief Counsel, Select Committee on Assassinations)  
- George Bush (CIA official)  
- Senate Select Committee on Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities  

Key Locations  
- Washington, D.C.  
- CIA headquarters (implied through reference to Agency policies)  

Key Events  
- Imposition of the moratorium on CIA record destruction (1975)  
- Expiration of the moratorium (December 10, 1976)  
- Initiation of regular record destruction procedures post-moratorium  
- Review process for records disposition by investigative committees  

Key Organizations  
- Senate Select Committee on Assassinations  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)  
- Office of the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI)  
- Office of the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (DDI)  
- Office of the Director of Administration (DDA)  
- Office of the Inspector General (IG)  
- Office of Legal Counsel (OLC)

MLK Declassified Files

00507403_lettermr_lyle_miller_of_104-10151-10168.pdf

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