[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 2057 of the FBI’s RYMUR release. The FBI deleted one name from this serial. It is denoted below in red type.
[The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1979STATE073947_e.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
UNCLASSIFIED FBB 207
PAGE 01 STATE 073947
ORIGIN DRC-01
INFO OCT-01 ARA-15 ISO-00 L-03 OCS-06 FBIE-00 JUSE-00 /026 R
DRAFTED BY FADRC/DR/PAS:SBKOTOK:TB
APPROVED BY FADRC/DR:FMMACHAK
L/M:LAHUMMER
ARA/CAR:RAMCCOY
CA/OCS:AGISE
——————067544 250740Z /21
R 242357Z MAR 79
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
UNCLAS STATE 073947
FBI FOR DANIEL SHAFFER
E.O. 12065: NA
TAGS: AINF
SUBJECT: PRIVACY ACT–RELEASE OF INFORMATION TO FBI
1. As you know, FBI is conducting extensive investigation into facts surrounding the death of Congressman Leo Ryan. In order to conduct as thorough investigation as possible, FBI needs full access to all relevant documents maintained by Department and Amembassy Guyana.
2. FBI has sent us a letter signed by Director Webster requesting the Department “to make available for review by special agents of the FBI any correspondence your Department may possess relating to the Peoples Temple Disciples of Christ’. This letter allows for a legitimate disclosure of information under the (b)(7) provision of
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 STATE 073947
the Privacy Act. Embassy is thus authorized to fully cooperate with FBI throughout the entire investigation by releasing all information concerning the Peoples Temple.
3. Subsection (c) of the Privacy Act requires agencies to account for all disclosures of information. The accounting must contain the date, nature, and purpose of each disclosure, and the name and address of the agency to whom the information was disclosed. Post need not mark each document that is disclosed, but rather needs only to annotate the file that information was disclosed to FBI pursuant to law enforcement investigation.
4. Should post have any questions on Privacy Act matters, please notify FADRC.
Vance [Cyrus Vance, Secretary of State]
UNCLASSIFIED