◆ SpookStack

Memorandum C. D. Brennan to Kr. . C. Sulliv. RE:ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCES 66-8160 "As you are aware, in the case of the FBI we do. not request phone taps except in cases involving Kidnaping and espionage. This has been predicated upon my theory that when the life of an individual or the Iife of the Nation is in peril a phone tap is justified for intelligence purposes asany infor mation obtained over a phone tap cannot be used in the trial of a criminal case." On July 30, 1965, FBI representatives and Departmental attorneys conferred regarding a Presidential memorandum, dated June 30, l965, which dealt with technical and microphone sur-. veillances. This memorandun, addressed to all heads of executive_departments and agencies,established strict_guide- Hines for,the use of technical surveillances, .principally the. obtaining of approval from the Attorney General.. It also required the~submission of a complete Inventory of all mechanical and electronic equipment capable of intercepting telephone conversations. Because the Bureau obtained authority from the Attorney General and consulted with the Department regarding the use of these surveillance techniques, the Departmental representatives stated that the Bureau was already complying with the Presidential memorandum and that it would not be. necessary to submit an inventory of equipment.. In early l965, the Senate Subcommittee on Administra tive Practice and Procedure, headed by Senator Edward V. Long of Missouri and popularly known as the Long Committee, began inquiries into Federal encroachments on citizens' privacy... In view of these inquiries, it was necessary to severely restrict and, in many instances, eliminate the Bureau'g use of these techniques. Since the Bureau's heavy responsibilities for investigative results continued, the Director, in a memo- randum dated September 14, 1965, expressed to the Attorney General concerntst andue limitations on special investigative techniques would make it far more difficult to combat sub-. version and organized crime. The Attorney General, in a memorandum dated September 27, l965, agreed with the Director and authorized the resumption of several special investigative. techniques. In this memorandum the Attorney CONTINUED - OVER