</s>APPROVED FOR RELEASE 2025 UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 14178 OGC 76-1353 3 March 1978 MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD FROM: Bill Ashbaugh Office of General Counsel SUBJECT: Merrill McCollough -- Contact with House Select Committee on Assassinations 1. Subject, an Office of Security employee under Department of Defense cover, was contacted by a staff member of the House Select Committee on Assas- sinations on 27 February 1978. Mr. Jeremiah Aker arranged a meeting with the subject to take place on March 1978 in order to discuss subject's knowledge of Dr. King assassination. Subject came to work for the Agency in 1974 but Subject has previously been questioned about his knowledge of the Dr.King. assassination by the Department of Justice. 2. Subject Came to the Office of General Council for guidance concerning protection of his cover while dealing with the Committee. It was the initial option of the undersigned that a cover of this Office should accompany the subject to the 2 March meeting in cover of the Office should accept any true employer and ask that such cover to be protected since current employment. was not material to their investigation. 3. The undersigned notified Pat Carpenter of theOffice of Legislative Counsel of subject's meeting of 2 March 1978, Mr. Carpenter's office was acting as the Agency liaison at the House March 1978. Carpenters' office was Gary Cornwell) Coincidentally, present at the time of Mr. Carter's office on Assassinations. who is the Associate Counsel for the House Men Select Committee that the under- After explaining the situation to both men. Select Committee is should stick with signed not not accompany the subject and that their opinion that the officer is his Department of Defence cover during the questioning. Mr." Should stick with award of subject to true employer and feels that this knowledge is sufficient notice to the Committee at this stage of the inquiry. The unsigned passed this advice along to the subject.

Summary:  
The documents detail interactions between government agencies and Merrill McCollough, a Memphis police officer who later worked for an Agency under Department of Defense cover. In February 1978, McCollough was contacted by House Select Committee on Assassinations staff to discuss his knowledge of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. The Office of General Counsel advised against revealing McCollough's cover during the meeting and recommended he maintain his true employer's identity. McCollough later reported being questioned by four attorneys and an investigator from the Committee in March 1978, though no oath was administered. In July 1976, the Department of Justice sought to interview McCollough regarding a reinvestigation of King’s assassination, with the Agency protecting his cover status during the meeting. The documents also reference FBI-CIA communications about King, including an August 1962 memo from John Edgar Hoover and a 1964 FBI memorandum to the State Department on King’s itinerary. No CIA surveillance or requests for reports on King were noted.  

Key People:  
- **Merrill McCollough**: Memphis police officer at the time of Dr. King's assassination; later employed by an Agency under Department of Defense cover.  
- **Bill Ashbaugh**: Office of General Counsel official involved in advising on McCollough’s cover protection.  
- **Edmund Cohen**: Assistant General Counsel who coordinated with House Select Committee on Assassinations regarding McCollough’s testimony.  
- **John Edgar Hoover**: FBI Director referenced in August 1962 correspondence about Dr. King.  
- **James Walker**: DOJ attorney who sought to interview McCollough in 1976.  

Key Locations:  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of the Memphis Police Department where McCollough worked during the assassination.  
- **Washington, D.C.**: Headquarters for federal agencies including the FBI, CIA, and Department of Justice.  
- **Birmingham, Alabama**: Mentioned in a 1963 letter to Dr. King from Hudlak Clark.  

Key Events:  
- **February 27, 1978**: McCollough contacted by House Select Committee on Assassinations staff for potential testimony.  
- **March 2, 1978**: McCollough met with Committee members and reported being questioned about King’s assassination.  
- **July 1976**: Department of Justice requested information from the Agency regarding CIA contacts related to King’s assassination reinvestigation.  
- **August 1962**: FBI Director John Edgar Hoover referenced Dr. King in internal communications.  
- **April 4, 1968**: Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which prompted subsequent government inquiries and investigations.  

Key Organizations:  
- **House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)**: Conducted inquiries into the assassination of Dr. King and other historical assassinations.  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Engaged in communications with the CIA and DOJ regarding Dr. King’s activities.  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)**: Involved in discussions about potential surveillance or reporting on Dr. King, though no records indicated active monitoring.  
- **Department of Justice**: Led reinvestigations into Dr. King’s assassination and coordinated with federal agencies.  
- **Office of Security** (Agency): Managed McCollough’s employment under cover and provided guidance on his interactions with investigative bodies.

MLK Declassified Files

07167599_merrill_mccollough_cont.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search