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a“ ae RILY ters eorTion 2 Sea rr Erm vont gg “JNITED STATES GO. OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10 <NMENT or 4” Memorandum ° Director . > To * Federal Bureau of Investigation pare: JAN 1) 276 . . Stanley Pottinger mK, Assistant Attorney General & JSP:WLG:vap DJ 144-1-906 ivil Rights Division hy C coy Koko Subjects; i mbing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, ZA LO rane Alabama, September 15, 1963, | BOMBING MATTERS f an ° Reference is made to your memorandum dated December 23, 1975. We have reviewed your above referenced memorandum concerning the request by Mayor David Vann of Birminghan, Alabama for access to FBI files in the above captioned matters. Our view with respect to this request is similar to the one we expressed with respect to the request of Alabama Attorney General Baxley, although we note that be- cause Mayor Vann is not a law enforcement official he has far less of a legitimate claim for access to these materials. It is our view, however, that the Bureau is in the best posi- tion to determine whether disclosure of your files would * “compromise confidentialities, identify confidential sources . and disclose confidential investigative techniques." Accord- ingly, we defer to your Bureau on this question. Let me add - that it appears that the Mayor's request was made prior to ; your disseminating any information to Attorney General Baxley, —~ Perhaps if you can advise the Mayor of your cooperating inal Mr. Baxley, the Mayor would withdraw 7o9. request By 7 Ss Rigg “°G Boon | 7 (rinco mT MOE NO |)» Teletype WB sa, Bram ing ltn Lr ~ thofr —— a ——er co BM aby OS egeemeatt c G 7 2, (Buy U.S. HT nds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan So10-110