</s>44-H2-38861 6218 E5F 44-1C-30861-2E2C4 XTO NOT DESTROY NATIONAL VALUE. ANATIONAL ARCHIVES 2023 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

The document contains an FBI internal memo from May 16, 1977, addressing Mark Lane’s allegations of FBI involvement in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. It references Lane’s book *Code Name "Zorro"*, co-authored with Dick Gregory, which claims the FBI conducted surveillance and counterintelligence operations against King, including monitoring his activities during the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike. The text notes allegations that James Earl Ray was an unwilling participant in a larger conspiracy and critiques the FBI’s role under J. Edgar Hoover. It also mentions Senate Select Committee findings on the FBI’s investigation, the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA), and claims about obstructed views of the assassination scene and inconsistencies in evidence. A separate section discusses FBI investigations into Ray’s financial background, noting uncertainties about his sources of funds. It references criticisms of the Office of Personnel Management (OPF) report by Lane, including OPF’s reliance on Julie’s book and limited public access to portions of the report. The text also includes appendices detailing King’s funeral eulogy by Benjamin O. Mays, Senator Robert C. Byrd’s speech criticizing King’s Poor Peoples Campaign, Percy Foreman’s letter regarding Ray’s royalties, and CIA documents under POIA revealing efforts to counter critics of the Warren Commission through propaganda.  

Key People  
- **Mark Lane**: Author of *Code Name "Zorro"*, alleged FBI involvement in King’s assassination, claimed to have spoken with individuals in Memphis about the FBI’s role.  
- **Dick Gregory**: Co-author of *Code Name "Zorro"*, civil rights activist, and associate of Martin Luther King Jr.  
- **J. Edgar Hoover**: Former FBI Director, central figure in allegations of FBI surveillance and counterintelligence activities against King.  
- **James Earl Ray**: Convicted killer of Dr. King, accused by Lane of being an unwilling participant in a conspiracy.  
- **Arthur Murtaugh**: Former FBI agent who worked on the King investigation, discussed in the book as part of the FBI’s counterintelligence efforts.  
- **Benjamin O. Mays**: Clergyman and civil rights leader who delivered a eulogy for King at his funeral.  
- **Carl T. Rowan**: Civil rights journalist and editor of *The Chicago Defender*, mentioned in context of King’s assassination.  
- **Senator Robert C. Byrd**: U.S. Senator who criticized King’s Poor Peoples Campaign in a speech.  
- **Percy Foreman**: FBI agent involved in the trial of James Earl Ray, referenced in Percy Foreman’s letter about financial terms for a guilty plea.  

Key Locations  
- **Memphis, Tennessee**: Site of the 1968 sanitation workers strike and King’s assassination at the Lorraine Motel.  
- **Atlanta, Georgia**: Home to the FBI’s Atlanta office, where agents like Arthur Murtaugh worked on the King investigation.  
- **Lorraine Motel**: Location of Dr. King’s assassination on April 4, 1968.  
- **Washington, D.C.**: Site of Senate and House Select Committee meetings related to assassination investigations.  
- **Missouri Penitentiary**: Mentioned in context of James Earl Ray’s incarceration.  

Key Events  
- **1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike**: Triggered King’s return to Memphis, leading to his assassination.  
- **FBI Surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr.**: Alleged counterintelligence operations, including bugging and monitoring, detailed in the book *Code Name "Zorro"*.  
- **Trial of James Earl Ray (1969)**: Convicted of King’s murder, with Lane questioning the evidence and alleging a conspiracy.  
- **Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities**: Investigated the 1968 assassination, with findings critiqued by Lane.  
- **House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)**: Established in 1975 to re-examine Kennedy and King assassinations, referenced as a response to calls for new investigations.  
- **King’s Funeral Eulogy**: Delivered by Benjamin O. Mays at Morehouse College in Atlanta.  
- **Senator Robert C. Byrd’s Speech**: Criticized King’s Poor Peoples Campaign during the 1968 legislative session.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Central to allegations of surveillance, counterintelligence, and involvement in King’s assassination.  
- **Office of Personnel Management (OPF)**: Criticized by Mark Lane for its report on James Earl Ray’s financial background.  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)**: Mentioned in documents under POIA, revealing efforts to counter critics of the Warren Commission through propaganda.  
- **Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities**: Investigated the 1968 assassination and related activities.  
- **House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)**: Established to re-examine Kennedy and King assassinations.

MLK Declassified Files

44-hq-38861_hs1-233652821_30-06.pdf

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