aron pieman kay sues the fbi for jfk document

8/13/2019 ARON PIEMAN KAY SUES THE FBI FOR JFK DOCUMENT

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTEASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

-------------------------------------- XARON KAY

P l a i n t i f f

- a g a i n s t -

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION,

Defendant .

--------------------------------------X

VERIFIED COMPLAINT

JURY TRIAL DEMANDED

P l a i n t i f f by h i s a t t o r n e y s Levy, Gutman, GoldbergKaplan, r e s p e c t f u l ly a l l e g e s a s and f o r h i s v e r i f i e d compla in t a s

fo l l ows :

I . JURISDICTION

FIRST: This i s an a c t i o n under t h e Freedom o f In fo rma t ion

Act [FOIA] 5 U . S.C. §552 e t . ~ a s amended, t o o r d e r t h e

produc t ion o f a s i n g l e two page document i n t h e p o s s e s s i o n o f t h e

Defendant Fede ra l Bureau o f I n v e s t i g a t i o n . P l a i n t i f f seeks

d e c l a r a t o r y and i n j u n c t i v e r e l i e f . Thi s Cour t has j u r i s d i c t i o n

p u r s u a n t t o 5 u.s .c . §552 and 28 u.s .c . §1331. Venue i s p r o p e r

i n t h i s d i s t r i c t pur suan t t o 5 u.s.c. §552 a 4) (B) and 28 u.s .c .

§1391.

I I . PARTIES

SECOND: P l a i n t i f f i s a c i t i z e n o f t h e Uni t ed S t a t e s

i n t e r e s t e d i n Amer i can h i s t o r y and , i n p a r t i c u l a r t h e

a s s a s s i n a t i o n o f P r e s i d e n t John F. Kennedy. P l a i n t i f f r e s i d e s a t

424 Br igh ton Beach Avenue, . Brooklyn, NY 11235 w i t h i n t h e



j u r i s d i c t i o n o f t h i s C o u r t .

THIRD: Defendan t i s an agency o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s and t

h a s p o s s e s s i o n o f and c o n t r o l ov e r t h e r e c o r d t h a t P l a i n t i f f

s e e k s .

I I I . AS AND FOR A CAUSE OF ACTION

FOURTH: On o r a b o u t February 15 , 1992, P l a i n t i f f mai l ed t o

Defendan t a r e q u e s t u n d e r t h e Freedom o f I n f o r m a t i o n Act f o r

a c c e s s t o a c e r t a i n two page FBI t e l e t y p e da t ed November 26,

1963. [A copy o f t h e r e q u e s t i s annexed a s E x h i b i t A.]

FIFTH: The r e q u e s t was r e c e i v e d by Defendan t on F e b r u a r y

20, 1992. [A copy o f t h e c e r t i f i e d m a i l r e t u r n r e c e i p t i sannexed a s E x h i b i t B.]

SIXTH: Defendan t acknowledged r e c e i p t o f t h e r e q u e s t

( 357579) on March 2 , 1992. [A copy o f t h e Acknowledgement i s

annexed a s E x h i b i t C.]

SEVENTH: More t h a n t e n days have p a s s e d s i n c e D e f e n d a n t s

r e c e i p t o f P l a i n t i f f s r e q u e s t and no s u b s t a n t i v e r e s p o n s e o f any

k i n d h a s been r e c e i v e d .

EIGHTH: P l a i n t i f f h a s a s t a t u t o r y r i g h t t o t h e r e c o r d he

s e eks and t h e r e i s no l e g a l b a s i s f o r D e f e n d a n t s r e f u s a l t o

d i s c l o s e t t o him.

WHEREFORE P l a i n t i f f p r a y s t h a t t h i s c o u r t :

A. D e c l a r e t h a t D e f e n d a n t s r e f u s a l t o d i s c l o s e t h e r e c o r d

r e q u e s t e d by P l a i n t i f f i s u n l a w fu l ;

B. E n j o i n P l a i n t i f f f rom f u r t h e r r e f u s i n g t o d i s c l o s e t h e

r e c o r d t o P l a i n t i f f ;

2



c. Award P l a i n t i f f h i s c o s t s a n d r e a s o n a b l e a t t o r n e y I s

f e e s i n t h i s a c t i o n ;

f u r t h e r a n d d i f f e r e n t

r l i f a s t h i s C o u r t may d e e ~j u s t a ~ dp r o p e r ;

D a t e d : New Yo r k , New Yor kMay , 1992

3

J e r e m i a h S . GutmanL e v y Gutman G o l d b e rg K a p l a nA t t o r n e y s f o r P ~ a , c i n t i f f

7 5 t h Avenue , .S1,t:i,te. 1776New. Y o r k A ~ N ¥ * · ~ I o o i h :

... . . .

(212) 807 -9733



) · - .

STATE OF NEW YORKs s . :

COUNTY OF

ARON KAY be ing d u l y sworn d e p o s e s and s a y s :

I am t h e P l a i n t i f f i n t h e w i t h i n a c t i o n . I h a v e r e a d t h e

f o r ego i n g C O ~ P L I N Tand know t h e c o n t e n t s t h e r e o f and I know t h e

same t o . be. t r u e t o my own knowledge excep t a s t o ma. t t e r s t h e r e i n

m a t t e r s I b e l i e v e them t o b e t r u e .

Sworn t o b e f o r e me t h i sday o f May, 1992

N o t a r y P u b l i c

ARON KAY



~ - . ....

. ; . .

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTEASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK------------------------------- ·-xARON KAY,

P l a i n t i f f ,

- a g a i n s t -

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ,.

Defendan t .---- --------------------------- x

I n d e x No.92 c i v . 2438KORMAN)

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMARYMEMORANDUM OF LAW '

Having j u s t been n o t i f i e d em February 8 , 1993 t h a t t h e Cour t

w i s h e s a s t a t u s c o n f e r e n c e on t h e a f t e r n o o n o f F e b r u a r y 12 , 1993,

t h e und:ers igned a t t o r n e y f o r t ~ P l a i n t i f f has had o c c a s i o n o n l y

c u r s o r i l y t o examine P u b l i c Law 102-526 [S. 3006] e n t i t l e d

P r e s i d e n t John F. Kennedy Assc ts s i n a t i o n Records C o l l e c t i o n Act

o f 1992 11• now appea r i n g a t 106 S t a t . 34 4 3 , 11 u.s . Code

C o n g r e s s i o n a l A d m i n i s t r a t i v e e w s J a n u a r y , 1993. The Sena t e

Repor t a p p e a r s a t 11(A) u.s. Code C o n g r e s s i o n a l A d m i n i s t r a t i v e

News 2965 ( January, 1993) .

The P r e s i d e n t J o h n F. Ke n n e d y A s s a s s i n a t i o n Records

C o l l e c t i o n o f Act o f 1992 (Records C o l l e c t i o n Act) was approved

on October 26, 1992 and i s now J.n e f f e c t . 28 Weekly C o m p i l a t i o n

o f P r e s i d e n t i a l Document s ( 1 9 9 2 ) : O c t . 26 , P r e s i d e n t i a l

S t a t e m e n t .

.

In r e l e v a n t p a r t t prov ide : ; , among o t h e r t h i n g s :

S e c . 2 (a) (2) a l l Government r e c o r d s c o n c e r n i n g t h ea s s a s s i n a t i o n o f P r e s i d e n t John F. Kennedy s h o u l d c a r r ya p r e s u m p t i o n o f immedia te d i s c l o s u r e , and a l l r e c o r d ss h o u l d be e v e n t u a l l y d i s c l o s e d t o e nab l e t h e p u b l i c t obecome f u l l y i n fo rmed a b o u t t h e h i s t o r y s u r ro un d ing t h ea s s a s s i n a t i o n ;



Sec. 2 (a) (5) l e g i s l a t i o n i s n e c e s s a r y b e c a u s e t h eFreedom o f I n f o r m a t i o n Act , a s implemented by t h ee x e c u t i v e branch , has p reven t ed t h e t i m e l y p u b l i cd i s c l o s u r e o f r e co rds r e l a t i n g t o t h e a s s a s s i n a t i o n o fP r e s i d e n t John F. Kennedy;"

Sec . 2 (a) (7) "most Df t h e r e c o r d s r e l a t e d t o t h e

a s s a s s i n a t i o n o f Pres i .dent John F. Kennedy a r e a lmos t30 y e a r s o l d , and only i n t h e r a r e s t c a s e s i s t h e r e anyl e g i t i m a t e need f o r c o n t i n u e d p r o t e c t i o n o f s u c hr e c o r d s .

The Records C o l l e c t i o n Act by Sec . 3(2) ( I ) s p e c i f i c a l l y

i n c l u d e s "a r e c o r d t h a t i s r e l a t e d t o t h e a s s a s s i n a t i o n o f

P r e s i d e n t John F. Kennedy, t h a t was c r e a t e d o r made a v a i l a b l e f o r

u s e by, · ob ta ined by, o r o t h e r w i s e came i n t o t h e p o s s e s s i o n o f

any E x e c u t i v e agency" and t h e r e f o r e ; beyond argument , i n c l u d e s

t h e m a t e r i a l which P l a i n t i f f s e e k s i n t h i s a c t i o n t o have

d i s c l o s e d .

S e c t i o n 6 p r o v i d e s t h e grounds f o r pos tponement o f p u b l i c

d i s c l o s u r e o f r e c o r d s only i f t h e r e i s c l e a r and convinc ing

e v i d e n c e t h a t -

(1) t h e t h r e a t t o t h e m i l i t a r y de fen s e , i n t e l l i g e n c eo p e r a t i o n s , o r conduc t o f f o r e i g n r e l a t i o n s o f t h e U n i t e dS t a t e s posed by t h e p u b l i c d i s c l o s u r e o f t h e a s s a s s i n a t i o ni s o f such g r a v i t y t h a t t ou twe ighs t h e p u b l i c i n t e r e s t ,and such p u b l i c d i s c l o s u r e would r e v e a l -

A) a n i n t e l l i g e n c e a g e n t whosec u r r e n t l y r e q u i r e s p r o t e c t i o n ;

i d e n t i t y

B) "an i n t e l l i g e n c e sou r c e o r method which i sc u r r e n t l y u t i l i z e d ; o r r e a s o n a b l y e x p e c t e d t o beu t i l i z e d , by t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s Government and which hasn o t been o f f i c i a l l y d i s c l o s e d , t h e d i s c l o s u r e o f whichwould i n t e r f e r e w i t h t h e conduc t o f i n t e l l i g e n c ea c t i v i t i e s ; o r

C) "any o t h e r m a t t e r c u r r e n t l y r e l a t i n g t o

- 2



· ·

m i l i t a r y d e f e n s e , i n t e l l i g e n c e o p e r a t i o n s o r conduc t o ff o r e i g n r e l a t i o n s o f ~ h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , t h e d i s c l o s u r eo f w h i c h w o u l d demons t rab ly i m p a i r t h e n a t i o n a ls e c u r i t y o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s ;

2) t h e p u b l i c d i s c l o s u r e o f t h e a s s a s s i n a t i o n r e c o r dwould r e v e a l t h e name o r i d e n t i t y o f a l i v i n g p e r s o n who

p r o v i d e d c o n f i d e n t i a l i n f o r m a t i o n t o t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s andwould p o s e a s u b s t a n t i a l r i s k o f harm t o t h a t p e r s o n ;

3) t h e p u b l i c d i s c l o s u r e o f t h e a s s a s s i n a t i o n r e c o r dc o u l d be r e a s o n a b l y e x p e c t e d t o c o n s t i t u t e an unwar ran tedi n v a s i o n o f p e r s o n a l p r i v a c y, and t h a t i n v a s i o n o f p r i v a c yi s so s u b s t a n t i a l t h a t i t outweighs t h e p u b l i c i n t e r e s t ;

4) t h e p u b l i c d i s c l o s u r e o f t h e a s s a s s i n a t i o n r e c o r dwould compromise t h e e x i s t e n c e o f an u n d e r s t a n d i n g o fc o n f i d e n t i a l i t y c u r r e n t l y r e q u i r i n g p r o t e c t i o n between a

o v e r n ~ e n tagen t and a c o o p e r a t i n g i n d i v i d u a l o r a f o r e i g ngovernment , and p u b l i c d i s c l o s u r e would be so harmfu l t h a ti t outweighs t h e p u b l i c i n t e r e s t ; o r

5) t h e p u b l i c d i s c l o s u r e o f t h e a s s a s s i n a t i o n r e c o r dwould r e v e a l a s e c u r i t y o r p r o t e c t i v e p r o c e d u r e c u r r e n t l yu t i l i z e d , o r r e a sonab ly e x p e c t e d t o be u t i l i z e d , by: t h eS e c r e t . S e r v i c e o r a n o t h e r Government agency r e s p o n s i b l e f o rp r o t e c t i n g Government o f f i c i a l s , and p u b l i c d i s c l o s u r e wouldbe so harmfu l t h a t i t outweighs t h e p u b l i c i n t e r e s t .

Sec . l l o f t h e Records C o l l e c t i o n Act p r o v i d e s t h a t i t

s h a l l t a k e p r e c e d e n c e o v e r any o t h e r law , j u d i c i a l d e c i s i o n

c o n s t r u i n g such law, o r common law d o c t r i n e t h a t would o t h e r w i se

p r o h i b i t s u c h t r a n s m i s s i o n o r d i s c l o s u r e C l e a r l y,

t h e r e f o r e , r e l i a n c e by t h e F e d e r a l Bureau o f I n v e s t i g a t i o n i n

t h i s c a s e upon t h e p r o v i s i o n s o f t h e Freedom o f I n f o r m a t i o n Act

i s o v e r r i d d e n by t h e Records C o l l e c t i o n Act .

Examina t ion o f t h e S e n a t e R e p o r t Number l 0 2 - 3 2 8 l l A ) U.S.

Code c o n g r e s s i o n a l A d m i n i s t r a t i v e News 2965) makes c l e a r t h a t

t h e p u r p o s e o f t h e Records C o l l e c t i o n Act i s , among o t h e r

- 3 -



c o n s i s t e n t o b j e c t i v e s , t o a c h i e v e speed o f r e co rd s d i s c l o s u r e ,

and e n f o r c e a b i l i t y . At 2966, t h e t h r u s t o f t h e Act i s t o

p rov i d e f o r t h e most comprehens ive d i s c l o s u r e o f r e c o r d s r e l a t e d

t o t h e a s s a s s i n a t i o n o f P r e s i d e n t Kennedy. i d . The S e n a t e

found ( a t 2969) t h a t t h e Freedom o f I n f o r m a t i o n A c t , a s

implemented by t h e E x e c u t i v e Branch, h a s impeded t h e t i m e l y

p u b l i c d i s c l o s u r e o f t h e a s s a s s i n a t i o n r e co rds and t h a t o n l y i n

t h e r a r e s t c a s e s i s t h e r e any l e g i t i m a t e need f o r c o n t i n u e d

p r o t e c t i o n o f such r e c o r d s . I n d e a l i n g w i t h S t a n d a r d s f o r

pos tponement ( a t 2976) , t h e S e n a t e R e p o r t s t a r t s w i t h a

presumpt ion o f d i s c l o s u r e e s t a b l i s h e d by t h e A c t , b u t c o n t i n u e s

t h a t even pos tponement ( n e v e r permanen t concea lment ) r e q u i r e s

t h a t t h e r e be c l e a r and c o n v i n c i n g e v i d e n c e t h a t p a r t i c u l a r

s t a n d a r d s f o r postponement a r e t r i g g e r e d .

I n t h i s ca se , t h e FBI r e l i e s upon p r o t e c t i n g t h e anonymity

o f a 30 y e a r o l d s o u r c e b u t t h e S e n a t e R e p o r t ( a t 2977)

r e q u i r e s t h a t c o n s i d e r a t i o n b e g i v e n t o w h e t h e r t h e s o u r c e o r

method i s i n h e r i t e n t l y s e c r e t , o r w h e t h e r t was t h e i n f o r m a t i o n

c o l l e c t e d t h a t was s e c r e t . I n t h e i n s t a n t c a s e , t h e i n f o r m a t i o n

c o l l e c t e d has a l r e a d y been r e v e a l e d and t h e name o f an i n d i v i d u a l

has been r edac t ed . C l e a r l y t h e name o f t h a t i n d i v i d u a l , i n t h e

c o n t e x t o f t h e t e x t o f t h e documents so f a r r e l e a s e d , c a n n o t meet

t h e C o n g r e s s i o n a l s t a n d a r d o f i n h e r e n t s e c r e c y n o r r e q u i r e

s e c r e c y t o p r e v e n t harm t o t h a t p e r s o n . S e c t i o n 6 ( 2 ) .

4 . -



;., :0

·, ;

Sec t ion 5 (2) (b) (G), a s a mp l i f i e d i n t h e S e na t e Repor t a t

page 2978, d e a l s w i t h c a s e s such a s t h i s which a r e t h e s u b j e c t o f

l i t i g a t i o n under t h e Freedom o f I n f o r m a t ion Act on t h e d a t e o f

enac tment (Oct. 26, 1992) . The Repor t c a l l s f o r immediate and

d i l i g e n t e f f o r t t o d i s c l o s e t h e p e r t i n e n t r e c o r d s t o t h e s e

r e q u e s t o r s s i n c e c on t i nu e d de l ay i n r e l e a s e o f such r eco rds

w i l l o n ly s e rve t o undermine c o n f i d e n c e by t h o s e members o f t h e

p u b l i c whose p a s t i n t e r e s t r e s u l t e d i n t h e Freedom o f I n f o rma t ion

Act l i t i g a t i o n .

t i s r e s p e c t f u l l y su b mi t t e d t h a t , t h e i s s u e having been

t e n d e r e d by t h e c r o s s - m o t i o n s now pending be fo re t h e Cour t , and

t h e FBI now having had months t o c o n s i d e r t h i s sma l l r e d a c t i o n ,

t h e m a t t e r should n o t be remanded t o t he r FBI f o r more

c o n s i d e r a t i o n and t hen s u b j e c t e d t o t h e i n e v i t a b l e de l ays o f t h e

A s s a s s i n a t i o n M a t e r i a l s Review Board t o be e s t a b l i s h e d under t h e

Act , b u t t h a t , g iven t h e p u b l i c p o l i c y enunc i a t ed i n t h e new

l e g i s l a t i o n and t h e c l a r i t y o f t h e m a t t e r a l r e a d y b e f o r e t h e

Cour t , e i t h e r t h e Fede ra l Bureau o f I n v e s t i g a t i o n s h o u l d submi t

t o t h e w i l l o f Congress

Cour t t o do so .

C--

Dated: New York, New o rkFebruary 11, 1993

now a r t ~ ~ c r r l a t eo r be o rde r ed ~ h~ ~/· / / ~ <0

Resp. e · f u l z : ; · subnn ed· · /,/.:::-;/I ~ · ~ / · ~. ._ / / L · · / /

· · · r A f i s ~ T M N ··

,... evy, Gutman,· Goldberg Kaplan· t t o r n e y s f o r l a i n t i f f

275 Seventh Avenue S u i t e 1776New York, New York 10001(212) 807-9733

5

aron pieman kay sues the fbi for jfk document

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