Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: HQ
To: WIDMER, ANTON
Document date: 07/23/1998
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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

DATE: 11-14-2017

JFK Assassination System

Date:

3/31/201

Identification Form

Agency Information

• AGENCY :

RECORD NUMBER :

FBI

124-10378-10357

RECORD SERIES: HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER : 62C-HQ-1029205-3955 -

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM: HQ

TO : [Restricted]

TITLE :

DATE: 07/23/1998

• PAGES:

SUBJECTS :

JFKARCA OF 1992

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 3;4

CURRENT STATUS : Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 05/19/1999

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS : INC LET

v9.1

DocId: 32322199

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

DATE: 11-14-2017

July 23

, 1998

Director Anton Widmer

Bundesamt Fur Polizeiwesen

Bundesrain 20

3003 Bern

Switzerland

Dear Director Anton Widmer:

I am writing to you about a matter that I believe to be important to the FBI and to the

United States people.

The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act, 44

U.S. C. §2107(Supp. V 1994) (the Act) (copy enclosed) was enacted by the United States Congress

and signed into law by President George Bush on October 26, 1992. The purpose of the Act is to

preserve and maintain all United States governmental documents in one area, the National Archives

and Records Administration (Archives), for access to those individuals interested in the history

surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Act states that, "[a]ll government

records concerning the assassination of President John F. Kennedy should carry a presumption of

immediate disclosure," and requires all United States government agencies to find all documents

related to the assassination and to review and release the identified documents to the maximum

extent possible to the public. The FBI has been working diligently since 1993 to fulfill our

responsibilities under the Act.

The purpose of this letter is: (I) to inform you that the FBI's assassination records contain

information originating with your agency or your original documents, (2) to respectfully request

that your agency review your information for maximum disclosure to the fullest extent possible, and

(3) to explain the provisions for your request to protect your information from disclosure.

To achieve maximum disclosure of assassination records, the Act established the JFK

Assassination Records Review Board (the Board). The Board is an independent Federal agency

charged with overseeing the identification and release of records related to the assassination from

the other Federal agencies. The FBI has assured the Board of our continued dedication of

cooperating with them to meet the objectives of the Act. In that spirit, the FBI would appreciate

G21 19040461

1 - Mr. R. Bucknam 1 - Mr. P. Kelley 1 - Ms. Gawley

1 - Ms. Keeley

1 - Mr. Collingwood 1 - Mr. Campbell 1- Ms. Wilkins

1 - Ms. Sifford

• List of additional foreign agency addressees attached

Dep. Dir.

Chief of

Statt

Off. of Gen.

Counsel

Asst. Dir.:

Crim. Inv.

CJIS

Finance

Info. Res.

Insp.

Lab.

National Sec.

Personnel

Training

Off. of EEOA

Off. of Public

& Cong. Affs.

Director's Office

1 - Director

1 - Mr. Bryant

mall

4/308

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HAIL ROOM

Page

F BI/ DOJ

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

DATE: 11-14-2017

Director Anton Widmer

your agency's review of the enclosed assassination records and consideration of whether the

information can be released.

If your agency has no objection to the release of its information in the enclosed records, please

notify the FBI so that we may take steps to release the records to the Archives. If your agency

determines that the information cannot be released, please provide an explanation that the FBI may

present the evidence to the Board for their approval. The Act requires the FBI to present "clear and

convincing evidence" of a harm that would outweigh the need for public disclosure to the Board for any

in formation that predic di solosure of the assisatio reced into compromi in firexist ise plained

understanding of confidentiality currently requiring protection between a Government agent and a

cooperating individual or a foreign government, and public disclosure would be so harmful that it

outweighs the public interest." Upon receipt of your instructions and explanation for the protection from

disclosure; the FBI will provide the information to the Board and request that they sustain the request for

withholding the information from disclosure.

Please be aware that the Act requires that all information in the assassination collection at

Archives (even in the closed section) be released to the public in the year 2017, including information

that the Board agrees to protect. The Act has provisions to extend postponements (protection of

information from disclosure) past 2017 with the certification of the President of the United States that the

information continues to meet the requirements for postponement. The FBI will periodically review the

postponed material for the need of this certification.

As you know, the FBI normally protects information from your agency pursuant to applicable

Executive Orders and the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts exemptions. However, the Act is a

unique Federal law that applies only to JFK assassination records. Please note, it is our opinion that

release of information in the JFK assassination records should not in the future affect the FBI's standard

policy of protecting your agency's information in other investigations or in other contexts.

The FBI is committed to the opening of all information related to the assassination to the United

States public, but appreciates that certain information is sensitive and not proper for release. Therefore,

the FBI requests your consideration and understanding of this matter and the continuance of your

outstanding association with our agency.

Thank you, in advance, for your cooperation. Please direct any questions to our Legat Office

representative or to Carol L. Keeley, Acting Unit Chief of the Historical and Executive Review Unit of

the FBI, 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20535, (202) 324-0671.

Sincerely yours,

Louis J. Freeh

Director

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (11 USC 2107 Mote) .

DATE: 11-14-2017

Assassination Records Review Board

600 E Street NW • 2nd Floor • Washington, DC 20530

(202) 724-0088 Fax: (202) 724-0457

July 21, 1998

Director Anton Widmer

Bundesamt Fur Polizeiwesen

Bundesrain 20

3003 Bern

Switzerland

Re: United States Federal Bureau of Investigation Records Relating to the

Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Dear Director Widmer:

The Assassination Records Review Board, which is an independent agency of the

United States government, is honored to present to your government a request on

behalf of the people of the United States of America.

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was one of the great tragedies for the

American people in this century. Since the time of his assassination, a majority of the

American people have believed that all relevant information has not become publicly

known. In order to respond to this concern, the United States Congress passed

legislation, signed into law by President Bush, that created the Assassination Records

Review Board. This law is known as the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records

Collection Act of 1992, 44 U.S.C. § 2107 (Supp. V 1994). The five members of the

Assassination Records Review Board are citizens of high standing who were appointed

by President Clinton and confirmed by the United States Senate.

The principal mission of the Review Board is to transfer records in government files to

the United States National Archives so that they can be examined by historians,

scholars, and researchers. As a part of its mission, the Review Board has been working

with U.S. government agencies during the past three years - including the FBI -- to

declassify records to the greatest extent possible. The FBI has notified us that some

information in its files on the assassination originated with your government. FBI

officials have copies of these records that they will make available for your

examination.

The Review Board respectfully requests that your government take all reasonable steps

to help make the information in these records available to the United States National

Archives. Accordingly, we request that your government consent to the release of its

information in these records to the greatest extent possible.

BOARD MEMBERS: JOhn R Tunheim Chait • Henry f Graff. Kermitt. Hall • William L. Joyce • Anna K. Nelson

Execurive DinectoR: & Jeremv Oue • Deputy DirectoR: Thomas E. Samoluk

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

DATE: 11-14-2017. • *

Director Anton Widmer

July 21, 1998

Page 2

Thank you for your time and attention to these records. It you would find it helpful,

someone from our agency would be pleased to meet with a representative of your

government to discuss these issues further.

Sincerely,

DI. I. Jeremy Gunn

Executive Director

Enclosures

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