</s>APPROVED FOR RELEASE 2025 UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 14176 OCA KRCD2A CONFIDENTIAL Central Intelligence Agency +4-0DA 47-0-2-3-5 Washington,D.C. 2005 OCA 97-1463 19 May 1997 Mr. John Millis Staff Director Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence House of Representatives Washington, D.C ., 20515 Dear John: SUBJECT: Notification COUNTRY: United States ISSUE: (C) Identification of a CIA Employee (Marrell McCollough) in Time Magazine (U) Forwarded hereinith is a background paper regarding the subject mentioned above. (U.) If you have any further questions regarding this issue, please do not hesitate to call. Sincerely, John H. Moseman Director of Congressional Affairs Enclosure CY BY: 710712 CL REASON: 1.5(c) DECL ON: X1 DRV FROM: COV 1-82 CONFIDENTIAL

Summary  
The document consists of multiple notifications from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to various congressional oversight committees regarding the identification of CIA employee Marrell McCollough in an April 14, 1997, article in *Time Magazine*. The article allegedly linked McCollough to conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., though the CIA clarified that McCollough was not involved in any plot. The notifications detail McCollough’s employment history with the CIA (June 23, 1974–1991) and his subsequent retirement. The CIA emphasized that he was not hired until six years after the assassination of Dr. King occurred on April 4, 1968, thereby ruling out his involvement in the event. The documents also reference an episode of ABC’s *Prime Time Live* from April 3, 1997, which mentioned McCollough and prompted media inquiries to the CIA’s Public Affairs Staff.  

Key People  
- **Marrell McCollough**: CIA employee identified in *Time Magazine*; served as a covert operative from 1974–1991; retired after 1991.  
- **Jack L. White**: Acting Director of the CIA, confirmed McCollough’s employment timeline and denied his involvement in conspiracy theories.  
- **John H. Moseman**: Director of Congressional Affairs at the CIA, responsible for notifying oversight committees.  

Key Locations  
- **Washington, D.C.**: Headquarters of the CIA and locations of congressional committees (House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence).  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: McCollough’s reported location during his undercover work in the late 1970s/early 1980s; associated with police investigations.  

Key Events  
- **April 14, 1997**: *Time Magazine* article linked McCollough to conspiracy theories about Dr. King’s assassination.  
- **April 3, 1997**: ABC’s *Prime Time Live* episode mentioned McCollough, prompting media inquiries to the CIA.  
- **May 19, 1997**: Notifications sent by the CIA to House and Senate intelligence committees regarding McCollough’s identification in the *Time Magazine* article.  

Key Organizations  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)**: Provided background on McCollough’s employment and clarified his lack of involvement in conspiracy theories.  
- **House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence**: Recipient of notifications about McCollough’s identification.  
- **Senate Select Committee on Intelligence**: Also notified of the CIA’s findings regarding McCollough.  

Additional Content  
The document includes unrelated text referencing a "King Conspiracy Update" notebook, which contains fragmented mentions of conspiracy theories involving James Earl Ray (the alleged assassin of Dr. King) and speculative claims about McCollough’s role in covering up the plot. These sections include redacted or unclear references to SSNs and other sensitive information, as well as unrelated topics such as product promotions and symbolic references to Coca-Cola. The text appears to be a mix of administrative notifications and fragmented, possibly non-official, content.

MLK Declassified Files

07166995_identification_of_a_cia_e.pdf

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