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Electronic Reading Room
Read FBI Records of Interest Online
 

What do Jackie Kennedy, the Beatles, Albert Einstein, Gracie Allen, Thurgood Marshall, and Walter Winchell have in common?

Give up? They are all part of historical FBI records... though for a variety of different reasons. One had a background investigation for government service. One received extortionate threats. One had open communist affiliations. One needed security for a family trip abroad. One actively helped FBI investigations. One tried to smuggle jewelry into the U.S. And not necessarily in that order.

Under our alphabetical listing, below, you can access hundreds of documents like these from our FBIHQ Reading Room that have been scanned from paper into digital copies so you can read them in the comfort of your own home.

Please be advised: the quality of these copies is often poor, because the original files are in fragile condition. These are the best reproductions available. Please also note that portions of the documents have been marked out and small codes appear in the margins or alongside the deletions. These codes may be matched up to our Explanation of Exemptions sheet. The deletions are made, in general terms, to protect national security, personal privacy interests, the identity of confidential sources, and law enforcement techniques.

For a COMPLETE listing of our available digital files, please see our:

If you are new to the site, you might want to browse a sampling of files in the following categories:

New cases will be added to the Alphabetical Listing as time and resources permit, so please check back often!

Introduction

Reading Room Index
- A   B   C   D   E    F   G
- H   I    J    K   L   M   N   
- O   P   Q   R   S   T   U
- V   W   X   Y   Z   

Electronic Reading Room

- Alphabetical Listing
- Espionage
- Famous Persons
- Gangster Era
- Historical Interest
- Unusual Phenomena
- Violent Crime
FBI File Fact Sheet
FOIA Request Instructions
- FOIA Request Form
- Privacy Waiver and Certificate of Identity Form
Privacy Act Instructions
- Privacy Act Request Form
DOJ Reference Guide
U.S. DOJ FOIA
Search
Link - Get Acrobat Reader

All of these publications are in PDF (Portable Document Format). To view them you will need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in installed on your computer. The Reader can be downloaded at no cost from Adobe's site on the World Wide Web.

If you have difficulty accessing any material on this site because of a disability, please contact us in writing or via telephone and we will work with you to make the information available.

Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Section
202-324-5520