</s>many nerds of specific instances of infiltration. Now you want to load the field down with more coverage in spite of your recent movage in the past. in racial movement. I don't intend to waste time and money until you can make up your minds what the situation really ist (idem). In commenting on a cover memo to the above Sullivan request, Director Hoover also stated, "I have certainly been misled by previous memos which clearly showed communist penetration of the racial movement." The attached is contradictory of all that. We are wasting manpover and money investigating C effect in racial movement if the attached is correct? (Memo for the Director from Tolson, September 18, 1963, App. A. Ex. 10). By now the Domestic Intelligence Division was feeling the full weight of Mr. Sullivan's dissatisfaction with their work product. Mr.Sullivan again replied on September 25, 1963. In a humble manner that Division 5 had failed in its interpretation of communist infiltration in the Negro movement (Momo from Sullivan to Belmont, September 25. 1963, app. A Ex. 11). The Assistant Director asked the Director's 1963, APP. A, Ex. and requested the oppor- unity to approach this grave matter in the light of the Director's interpretation. Director Hoover sanctioned this request but again reprimanded Mr.ullivan for stating -118- 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document outlines FBI surveillance operations targeting Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) from 1963–1968, authorized under technical surveillance directives. It details internal FBI disputes over claims of communist infiltration within the civil rights movement, including Director J. Edgar Hoover’s reprimands of Assistant Director Clyde Tolson for mischaracterizing such threats. COINTELPRO tactics are described as used to discredit King and his associates, involving leaks about personal life, unauthorized entries into SCLC premises, and informant networks. Post-assassination (April 4, 1968), the Bureau attempted to influence congressional decisions regarding a national holiday in King’s honor. A later internal review (1977) criticized COINTELPRO as unlawful under 18 U.S.C. 241/242 and recommended reforms, including stricter Department of Justice oversight. Financial records of James Earl Ray, linked to the assassination, are included, showing expenditures between 1967–1968, including hotel stays, vehicle purchases, and travel to locations such as Chicago, Montreal, San Francisco, Acapulco, and Guadalajara. The autopsy report confirms King’s death from gunshot wounds, with specific injuries detailed.  

Key People  
- Martin Luther King Jr. (subject of surveillance, investigation, and post-assassination scrutiny)  
- James Earl Ray (suspected assassin; financial records detailed)  
- J. Edgar Hoover (FBI Director; central figure in surveillance and COINTELPRO activities)  
- Clyde A. Tolson (Assistant FBI Director; involved in internal disputes)  
- Ralph Abernathy (SCLC leader targeted by FBI)  
- Andrew Young (SCLC leader under scrutiny)  
- Coretta King (wife of MLK; scrutinized for travel and personal life)  
- Attorney General (oversight responsibilities highlighted in 1977 review)  
- Bureau personnel (involved in surveillance, investigations, and administrative decisions)  

Key Locations  
- New York City (sites of technical surveillance installations)  
- Atlanta (FBI field office involved in surveillance and COINTELPRO activities)  
- Washington, D.C. (FBI headquarters; sites of internal memos and oversight reviews)  
- Memphis, Tennessee (location of MLK’s assassination)  
- Birmingham, Alabama (autopsy protocol location)  
- Chicago, Illinois (Ray’s expenditures noted)  
- Montreal, Canada (Ray’s expenditures noted)  
- San Francisco, Acapulco, Guadalajara (travel locations mentioned in Ray’s records)  

Key Events  
- Technical surveillance of King’s residence and SCLC offices authorized in October 1963  
- Internal FBI disputes over communist infiltration claims (e.g., Sullivan’s criticisms of Division 5)  
- COINTELPRO activities targeting MLK’s associates, including leaks about personal life and family  
- Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (April 4, 1968)  
- Autopsy of Dr. King (April 4, 1968)  
- Post-assassination efforts by the Bureau to prevent a national holiday in King’s memory  
- Financial transactions and expenditures linked to James Earl Ray (1967–1968)  
- Internal FBI review and recommendations for reform (1977), including legal reforms and oversight measures  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI; subject of surveillance, COINTELPRO activities, and 1977 internal review)  
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC; target of FBI surveillance and discrediting tactics)  
- United States Department of Justice (involved in surveillance authorizations and oversight recommendations)  
- National Archives (proposed storage/destroction of surveillance materials)  
- Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (recommended oversight body for FBI activities)

MLK Declassified Files

66-me-2189_sec_001_ser_1-part_4_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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