FBI/Nixon Intelligence Letter Program (INLET)

Description

FBI Nixon INLET Program: Timeline and Key Figures

FBI/Nixon Intelligence Letter Program (INLET) Timeline (1969-1972)

This timeline is based solely on the information provided in the “FBI/Nixon Intelligence Letter Program (INLET) FBI Files” description.

• 1969: The FBI initiates the “Intelligence Letter Program,” codenamed “INLET,” for President Richard Nixon. The program’s stated purpose is to provide the President with concise and timely information regarding domestic and international security issues under FBI jurisdiction.
• 1969 – 1972: The INLET program operates, generating intelligence letters for President Nixon. These letters cover a range of topics, including security matters and information concerning prominent personalities, sometimes bordering on gossip, deemed to be of special interest to the President or containing an “unusual twist.”
• 1969 – 1972 (Ongoing): The FBI, through the INLET program, gathers and reports information on various individuals and groups. These include:
• Jane Fonda
• Abbie Hoffman
• Bobby Seale
• Adam Clayton Powell
• William Kunstler
• Black Panther Party
• Ku Klux Klan
• Nation of Islam
• Students For A Democratic Society (SDS)
• Weather Underground (Weathermen)
• 1972: The FBI’s Intelligence Letter Program (INLET) concludes.

Cast of Characters

This is a list of the principal individuals mentioned in the “FBI/Nixon Intelligence Letter Program (INLET) FBI Files” description, with brief bios based only on the provided text and general public knowledge.

• Richard Nixon: The President of the United States during the operation of the INLET program (1969-1974). The program was specifically designed to provide him with intelligence information.
• Jane Fonda: An actress and political activist who was apparently of interest to the FBI and included in the INLET reports.
• Abbie Hoffman: A social and political activist, co-founder of the Youth International Party (“Yippies”), whose activities were seemingly monitored and reported on through INLET.
• Bobby Seale: Co-founder and chairman of the Black Panther Party, an African American revolutionary political organization. His activities were a subject of interest for the FBI and the INLET program.
• Adam Clayton Powell Jr.: A prominent African American civil rights leader and long-serving Congressman. His mention suggests the INLET program covered politically significant figures.
• William Kunstler: A radical attorney known for defending controversial figures and groups, including those associated with the civil rights movement and anti-war protests. His inclusion indicates the program’s interest in individuals involved in contentious social and political issues.

Note: The description also mentions several groups. While they are not “characters” in the traditional sense, they were key subjects of the intelligence gathering efforts:

• Black Panther Party: An African American revolutionary political organization founded in 1966.
• Ku Klux Klan: A white supremacist hate group with a long history in the United States.
• Nation of Islam: A religious and political organization focused on the Black community.
• Students For A Democratic Society (SDS): A major student activist movement in the 1960s, known for its involvement in the anti-war and civil rights movements.
• Weather Underground (Weathermen): A radical left-wing organization that emerged from SDS, known for its use of violence and bombings.

FBI/Nixon Intelligence Letter Program (INLET)

530 pages of files copied from FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., covering the FBI’S intelligence letter program for President Richard Nixon. The 1969 to 1972 intelligence letter program, code named “INLET”, according to a bureau memorandum, was not only intended to provide the president with domestic and international security issues, but also, “items with an unusual twist or concerning prominent personalities which may be of special interest to the President.” Often information contained in the reports approached the level of gossip. The FBI contended that the Inlet program was nothing more than an administrative device to insure that information would reach the president in a concise and timely manner, concerning ongoing investigations within its jurisdiction.

Individuals and groups mentioned in the files include Jane Fonda, Abbie Hoffman, Bobby Seale, Adam Clayton Powell, William Kunstler, Black Panther Party, Ku Klux Klan, National of Islam, Students For A Democratic Society (SDS), and Weather Underground (Weathermen).