FBI: Letter from Director William N. Webster to Senator Lawton Chiles (June 4, 1985)

FBI File No.: 62-116151-7¹

June 4, 1985

Honorable Lawton Chiles
United States Senator
Federal Building
Lakeland, Florida 33801

Dear Senator Chiles:

I received your May 31st correspondence forwarding letters you received from a number of your constituents expressing their concern over allegations that the Federal Government is attempting to disrupt the activities of the Church of Scientology. The interest which prompted you to bring this to my attention is appreciated.

We have received other inquiries on this subject, and I want to stress that the FBI is not involved in any attempted to destroy the Church of Scientology. In those cases where a violation of Federal law falling within the FBI’s jurisdiction has occurred, we always strive to investigate such situations with complete fairness to all parties involved. The facts are then presented to the appropriate United States Attorney’s Office which determines the prospective merits of the case.

The videotape referenced by many of those who wrote to you on this subject has been provided by the Church as exhibits to various pleadings filed in litigation with the Department of Justice, and it fails to substantiate claims of a counterintelligence program directed against that group.

I hope this reply will assist you in responding to your constituents, and I am returning your enclosures as you requested.

Sincerely yours,

William H. Webster

William H. Webster
Director

NOTE: Senator Chiles wrote to Judge Webster on behalf of 28 of his constituents seeking information concerning allegations that the Federal Government was attempting to discredit and disrupt the management of the Church of Scientology. Reply coordinated with SA [?] CID, and SA [?] LCD, who advised that the videotape referenced by many of the constituents was made by the Church of Scientology itself. Transcripts of it which were provided by the Church as exhibits to various pleadings filed in litigation with the Department of Justice fail to substantiate the claims of a counterintelligence program directed against them.