Reading Room Document
Legality and Propriety of FBI Acquisition of Private Papers
This document is a memorandum opinion addressing the legality of the FBI's acquisition of personal papers from the estate of a deceased Communist Party member. The conclusion reached is that the FBI's action was authorized by law. The document presents legal questions regarding the Fourth Amendment and the Privacy Act, specifically whether the FBI's acquisition of the papers and maintenance of records violated these laws. The summary of the questions presented for review includes whether the Fourth Amendment permitted the FBI to obtain the papers and whether the Privacy Act prohibited the FBI from obtaining, analyzing, and retaining copies of the records.
The OLC's Opinions
Opinions published by the OLC, including those released in response to our FOIA lawsuit