</s>APPROVED FOR RELEASE 2025 UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 14176 ISS 79-021/4 SECRET- 6 NOV 1979 MEMORANDUM FOR: General Counsel FROM: Thomas H. White Chief, Information Services Staff, DDA SUBJECT: Records Management Procedures re Meeropolis Case Dan: I. I was somewhat concerned that this office had remiss in its responsibilities when I read in your "Recent Legal Developments" of 18 October 1979 to the records management problem with respect to the Meerophon. Danny May also somewhat upset that perhaps we had goofed. As a result of your note, we went to considerable effort to develop the facts of the case and we find that they are at variance with your note. 2. Attached hereto are copies of two memorandum we prepared in response to your note: I thought I would would this opportunity in share them with you. I think that if this kind of thing occurs in the future, it would be more appropriate to discuss the matter before going to press. 3. Also, returned herewith is your publication. /3/ Tom Thomas H . White Attachments: A. Memo for DC/ISS from C/IPD dtd 30 Oct 79 B. Memos for DC/(ISS from CD/IND dtd 26 Oct 79 C. Recent Legal Developments, OGC, dtd dtd 18 Oct 79 Distribution: Original - Addresseo w/atts 1 - DDA w/o atts 1 - C/PID w/O atts 1 - I/C/RD W/o atts 1 - IS Subject watts ABB 1 - ISS Chrono UNCLASSIFIED When Separated C/ISS:White:ydc (6 Nov 79) SECRET

Summary  
The documents detail a collection of legal cases, investigative inquiries, and administrative records related to U.S. government activities, including references to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). Key entries include investigations into MLK’s assassination, involving individuals such as James Earl Ray, Coretta Scott King, and alleged conspirators like Randy Brooks and Jerry William Ray. The text also references legal actions against federal agencies, including the CIA, FBI, and Department of Justice, for alleged surveillance violations, mail intercepts, and covert operations. Cases tied to MLK’s assassination are categorized under designations such as "LC" (likely a classification code), with mentions of congressional inquiries, FOIA requests, and disputes over national security records. Other entries reference broader historical events, including the Kennedy assassination, CIA activities in Chile and Korea, and civil rights-related legal challenges by organizations like the Black Panther Party and Socialist Workers' Party.  

Key People  
- **Martin Luther King Jr.** (subject of assassination investigation)  
- **Coretta Scott King** (wife of MLK, referenced in cases)  
- **James Earl Ray** (alleged assassin of MLK; linked to multiple legal actions)  
- **Randy Brooks (Randolph Edwin Rosenson)** (associated with MLK assassination probe)  
- **L. Patrick Gray** (CIA Director, defendant in lawsuits)  
- **Richard Helms** (CIA Director, involved in intelligence operations)  
- **John Mitchell** (Former Attorney General, tied to surveillance claims)  
- **E. Howard Hunt** (linked to JFK and MLK investigations)  
- **Flora Gladwin, Robert Elizabeth Higgins** (involved in Black Panther Party cases)  
- **Martin Bishop** (referenced in MLK assassination context)  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee** (site of MLK’s assassination)  
- **Washington, D.C.** (CIA headquarters, congressional inquiries, DOJ records)  
- **California** (State of California v. Leroy Eldridge Cleaver)  
- **South Korea** (references to Korean probes and CIA operations)  
- **Mexico City** (Kennedy assassination cable traffic mentioned)  
- **Chicago** (Socialist Workers' Party legal actions)  

Key Events  
- Investigation into MLK’s assassination by the House Assassination Committee  
- Legal proceedings against James Earl Ray for MLK’s murder  
- Congressional inquiries into CIA activities, including Project CHAOS and foreign operations in Chile and Korea  
- FOIA requests related to national security records, surveillance programs, and covert actions  
- Civil rights-related cases involving the Black Panther Party, Socialist Workers' Party, and National Lawyers Guild  
- Mail intercept claims and allegations of government overreach in monitoring civil rights organizations  

Key Organizations  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)** – central to multiple investigations, including mail intercepts, covert operations, and foreign policy activities  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)** – involved in legal actions and surveillance claims  
- **Department of Justice (DOJ)** – referenced in investigations and lawsuits against federal agencies  
- **Black Panther Party** – engaged in legal disputes with the Attorney General over alleged civil rights violations  
- **Socialist Workers' Party** – part of FOIA-related cases against the CIA  
- **National Lawyers Guild** – involved in legal actions against government surveillance programs  
- **House Assassination Committee** – investigated MLK’s assassination and related conspiracies  
- **U.S. Attorney General’s Office** – defendant in lawsuits alleging rights violations  
- **Freedom of Information & Privacy Law Division (FP)** – referenced in record retention disputes  
- **General Law Division (GL)** – part of administrative records management processes

MLK Declassified Files

02341731_records_management_proced.pdf

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