Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: OPCA
To: FINANCE
Document date: 10/1/97
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 444 USC 2107 Hotel.

DATE: 11-14-2017

JFK Assassination System

Date:

3/31/201

Identification Form

Agency Information

AGENCY:

FBI

RECORD NUMBER :

124-10378-10173

RECORD SERIES: HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 62C-HQ-1029205-3572

Document Information

ORIGINATOR:

FBI

FROM: OPCA

TO: FINANCE

TITLE :

DATE: 10/01/1997

•PAGES:

4

SUBJECTS :

JFKARCA OF 1992

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 3

CURRENT STATUS:

Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 05/06/1999

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS :

V9.1

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439

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Hote).

DATE: 11-14-2017

• (12/31/1995)

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

Precedence:

PRIORITY

Date: 10/01/1997

To: Finance Division

National Security Division Attn:

Attn:

Mr. Cordis, Rm. 6851

Ms. Greene, Rm.

6875

Mr. Rother, Rm. 4427

Ms. Buckley, Rm. 4012

Ms. Ruden, Rm. 4825

Ms. Haney, Rm. 4637

From:

OPCA

Historical and Executive Review Unit, Room 11144

(Formerly known

as the JFK Task Force)

Contact:

Carol

Keeley, ext. 0671

Approved By: Collingwood John

Keeley Carol If

Drafted By: Keeley Carol Illik

Wilkins LuAnn M: 1mw

Case ID #: 62A-HQ-1029205

Title: PROCUREMENT OF ASSASSINATION RECORD REVIEW

AND CLASSIFICATION CONSULTATION SERVICES

Synopsis: It is requested that the services of Carl Valentine be

extended for 60 days from October 1, 1997 through November 30,

1997.

National Security Division

(NSD) should review the issues

to decide if consultants are needed to manage the additional

work.

62F-+0-1029205-3512

Details: The Historical and Exec

utive Review Unit (HERU) is

responsible for transferring FBI records covered by the

"President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act

of 1992" (the Act) to the National Archives and Records

Administration (NARA) .

The Act also included the establishment

of an independent Presidential Review Board to oversee the

identification and release of records until October 1997.

However,

President Clinton recently signed legislation

authorizing a one-year extension for the Board. This gives the

Board an additional year till October 1, 1998 to complete their

mission. To date more than 666,000 pages have been transferred

to NARA and at least 180,000 currently identified pages remain to

be finished by that deadline.

Additionally, HERU manages the responsibilities of the

Historical Declassification Review Team (HDRT). A Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) between the FBI and Department of Justice

(DOJ)

established the HDRT when the Executive Order (E.0.)12958

was signed.

The MOU gave the FBI an exception of automatic

declassification, since E.O. 12958 established an automatic

declassification

for documents over 25-years old unless an agency

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Hotej.

DATE 11-14-2017

To: • Finance División

From: OPCA

Re: 62A-HQ-1029205, 10/01/1997

could justify an exemption of their records. As defined in the

MOU the HDRT systematically reviews FBI documents and files for

classification/declassification of information deemed to be of

The systematic review is also time and

volume driven, because the review is scrutinized by Associate

Deputy Attorney General (ADAG) Roslyn A. Mazer. The ADAG's

proposal and opinion is that if the FBI's systematic review is

not up to DOJ's standards. then the FBI should move to a bulk

declassification, since "disclosure of 50-year old techniques

used during and prior to World War II would not appreciably

affect today's national security and if there were a few isolated

instances of sensitive disclosures, this might be a fair price to

pay for bulk declassification."

The opinion continues with

extending this review to material dated up to 1964 with possibly

a sample review for bulk declassification.

The Act and E.O. 12958 both provide criteria for

restricting certain information in records sent to NARA so it is

not open for public inspection. One basis for the restriction is

the demonstrated need to continue to classify specific

information. To meet both Mandates, HERU is attempting to reduce

the amount of postponed information in part by declassifying

information whenever there would not be any damage to the

national security or FBI operational interests.

As already noted

in this communication, both document review projects are subject

to time constraints and high visibility. Therefore, it is

imperative that HERU have operational opinions on a

timely and

daily basis.

The records being reviewed by HERU under the Act and E.

O. 12958 (i.e., CPUSA, VENONA, surveillance on foreign embassies,

etc.) contain a great deal of classified information, relating

chiefly to Russian, Cuban, other foreign counter intelligence

countries, and information gained through intelligence collection

on allied countries.

To classify/declassify issues related to

the Act and the E.O. 12958, consultation has been necessary with

individuals having the institutional knowledge of national

security issues and operations. Mr. Valentine has performed

a co the too. he that rut to ma

these duties over the past three years with three other former

NSD employees, who are no longer available. Mr. Valentine's

previous national security investigative knowledge and the

experience of working on classification matters with this unit

maintained his prior contacts with the operational division.

Currently, he continues to have easy access to the appropriate

contacts when the opinion of the NSD is required.

Beyond the background in NSD, Mr. Valentine assisted in

making the contacts and setting up meetings with Department of

State (DOS) senior officials.

These contacts were necessary in

2

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Aot of 1992 749 05c 2107 Hotel.

DATE: 11-14-2017

TO: Finance Division

From:

OPCA

Re: 62A-HQ-1029205, 10/01/1997

determining the status of foreign relations with certain

countries before the FBI could declassify investigative

information according to the MOU between the FBI and DOS. The

opinion of DOS was important since the material to be released

concerned national security investigations and could have

This is another example of the types

of issues HERU will continue to see in the relevant material.

The unit will need someone with the appropriate

understanding and contacts to decide the classification under the

Act and E.O. 12958. Mr. Valentine has the experience and vast

knowledge in FCI matters and the legislation concerning

classification matters. Beyond the duties mentioned,

with the Office of General Counsel, NSD, and the Litigation Unit

in OPCA on the issue damage and writes the evidence to be

presented to DOJ's Departmental Review Committee.

would 'be very difficult to duplicate and qualifies him as an

expert for the review of this material.

In addition, having the

services of Mr. Valentine will permit the unit to meet its

deadlines and not cause any new burdens or distractions from the

ongoing operational investigations in NSD.

Due to the time constraints placed on HERU under the

Act and E.O. 12958 and Mr. Valentine's unequivocal institutional

knowledge, it is imperative that Mr. Valentine's contract be

extended 60 days.

Therefore, it is requested that

Mr. Valentine's consultation

services be contracted for 60

additional days (10/1/97-11/30/97) at his current hourly rate.

The amount to be budgeted to cover the 60 days is $21,000.

HERU also requests NSD to provide a consultant or

possibly more than one for the 1998 fiscal year to manage all the

national security concerns.

complying with the Act and

eras thenis next year.

This next year will be crucial in

meeting DOJ's standards. It will be

necessary to have at least one consultant available for the

issues listed above.

3

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## Page 5

Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Aot o1 1992 191 U5C 2107 hutey.

DATE: 11-14-2017

To: Finance Division

From:

Re: 62A-HQ-1029205, 10/01/1997

OPCA

LEAD (s) :

Set Lead 1:

FINANCE DIVISION

AT WASHINGTON D.C.

Upon receipt of the communication, it is requested that

Carl Valentine's consultation contract be extended for 60 days

and $21,000 be placed in his account.

Set Lead 2:

NATIONAL SECURITY DIVISION

AT WASHINGTON D.C.

Upon receipt of the communication, NSD review the

issues to consider providing knowledgeable individuals to HERU

for consultation during the next fiscal year.

CC: 2 - Mr. Lavonis, Room 8504

(1 - Attn: Luwanna Greene)

L - Mr. Collingwood, Room 7240

L - Mr. Wilkinson, Room 7244

1 - Mr. McCarron, Room 7262

1 - Ms. Proffitt, Room

7262

1

- Ms. OrI, Room 7262

1

- Ms. Keeley, Room 11144

1

- Mr. Conner, Room 11144

1 - Ms. Wilkins, Room 11144

4

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