</s>PAGE TWO 100-106670 OFFICE SERIAL NUMBER IN ORDER THAT THE DEPARTMENT CAN MAKE A COMPLETE CHRONOLOGICAL ACCOUNTING OF EACH FIELD OFFICE SRIAL. END: NOTE: Reference teletype instructed all offices, except those to be visited by the Department Task Force, to Xerox serials in its Murkin investigation and forward to FBH(O) by 8/9/76. The Department has requested Murkin files to continue its review as directed by the Attorney General. Since the Task Force has reviewed Murkin Files at FBHQ duplication can be avoided by having the field office Xerox only the first page of serials in cases where a copy of that serial was furnished FBI(O). This process has been coordinated with Fred Polson Office of Professional Residency Department of Justice, who is leader of the TaskForce. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents span multiple time periods (1965–1976) and detail FBI surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike, subsequent legal reviews by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and allegations of FBI involvement in his assassination. Key elements include:  
- **FBI Informant Networks**: The agency monitored civil rights activists, including members of the Invaders militant group in Memphis, with informants reporting on their activities but not directly participating in violence.  
- **Legal Access Requests**: Attorneys for the King family (e.g., Michael E. Shaheen Jr.) sought access to FBI files under FOIA and Privacy Act provisions, prompting debates over transparency versus national security exemptions.  
- **Les Payne’s Allegations**: A journalist claimed FBI informants influenced or participated in violence during the 1968 strike, though DOJ refuted these claims, citing no evidence of direct involvement.  
- **Otis H. Moore’s Claims (May 1965)**: Moore reported an unknown man at a bar in Temple, Texas, discussing an assassination plot against King. His account included inconsistencies and claims of being beaten by a company group, with FBI interviews revealing confusion about the incident.  
- **Military Background**: Moore served in the U.S. Army (assignments to Germany, Vietnam, Thailand) and retired in 1974, with his wife noting his mental health history.  
- **Secret Service Involvement**: A Secret Service representative noted Moore’s plans to meet Senator Edward Kennedy but did not confirm the validity of his claims.  

Key People  
- **Martin Luther King Jr.**: Central figure in civil rights movement; subject of FBI surveillance and assassination investigation.  
- **FBI Agents (San Antonio, Fort Hood CID)**: Conducted interviews with Otis H. Moore and reviewed informant reports.  
- **Les Payne**: Journalist who alleged FBI complicity in King’s assassination through the Invaders group.  
- **Michael E. Shaheen Jr.**: Counsel for DOJ OPR advising on legal access to sensitive materials.  
- **Otis H. Moore**: Army veteran who reported an assassination plot against King; his wife, Lydia Moore, provided context about his behavior.  
- **Senator Edward Kennedy**: Allegedly planned to meet with Moore regarding the case.  
- **Secret Service Representative**: Noted Moore’s travel plans and claims but did not verify their accuracy.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of the 1968 sanitation strike and King’s assassination.  
- **S & S Club, Temple, Texas**: Bar where Otis H. Moore reported an alleged assassination plot discussion.  
- **San Antonio, Texas**: FBI office where Moore initially reported the incident.  
- **Fort Hood, Texas**: Location of Moore’s military unit; site of later FBI interviews.  
- **Coppers Cove, Texas**: Moore’s residence.  
- **Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Washington, D.C.**: Locations referenced in Moore’s alleged travel plans to meet Kennedy.  

Key Events  
- **May 14–26, 1965**: Otis H. Moore reported an assassination plot against King at the S & S Club; FBI interviews revealed inconsistencies in his account and claims of being threatened.  
- **1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike**: FBI monitored civil rights activists, including the Invaders group, with informants reporting on their activities.  
- **FOIA Requests (1970s)**: Legal disputes over access to FBI files related to King’s assassination, balancing transparency and national security exemptions.  
- **DOJ OPR Reviews (1976)**: Assessments of FBI compliance with laws and ethical standards during the investigation.  
- **Les Payne’s 1976 Article**: Alleged FBI involvement in violence during the strike; DOJ disputed these claims.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted surveillance on King and reviewed informant activities.  
- **U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)**: Oversaw OPR reviews and addressed legal access requests for sensitive materials.  
- **Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR)**: Evaluated FBI conduct during the investigation.  
- **Church Committee (1975–1976)**: Congressional inquiry into intelligence abuses, influencing debates on transparency and accountability.  
- **Secret Service**: Noted Moore’s travel plans but did not confirm his allegations.  
- **Army Criminal Investigation Detachment (CID)**: Involved in interviewing Moore at Fort Hood.

MLK Declassified Files

190-hq-709_bulky_231_sec_001_ser_231_only-part_03_of_12.pdf

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