Letter from Assistant Director William N. Baker to Senator Alan Cranston (July 19, 1985)

FBI File No.: 62-116151-7¹

July 19, 1985

Honorable Alan Cranston
United States Senate
Washington, D. C. 20510

Dear Senator Cranston:

Your July 11th inquiry on behalf of [redacted] who is concerned about allegations that the Federal Government is attempting to disrupt the activities of the Church of Scientology, has been received.

We have received other inquiries on this subject, and I want to assure you that the FBI is not involved in any attempt 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 prosecutive merits of the case.

The film referenced by [redacted] has been provided by the Church of Scientology as an exhibit to various pleadings filed in litigation with the Department of Justice, and it fails to substantiate claims of a counterintelligence program directed against this group.

I hope this situation will assist you in corresponding with your constituent. Your enclosure is being returned as requested.

Sincerely,

William M. Baker
Assistant Director
Office of Congressional and Public Affairs

Enclosure

1- Sacramento – Enclosures (2)

1 – Congressional Affairs Office

NOTE: [redacted] wrote to Senator Cranston and a number of other members of Congress expressing her concern that the FBI and IRS are engaged in a COINTELPRO based on her viewing of a film and reading a story in the “Freedom News Journal”, which is a publication put out by the Church of Scientology. She requests an investigation of this alleged action. The film was made by the Church of Scientology itself and 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. Above response has previously been used in reply to similar inquiries from other citizens to members of Congress and was coordinated with SA [redacted] CID, and [redacted] LCD. [Redacted] is not identifiable in Bufiles.