Letter: FBI Director Clarence M. Kelley to [?] (August 4, 1977)

Your communication to President Carter was referred to the FBI for acknowledgement and was received on August 1st.

I readily understand the concern you expressed if you based it upon the belief that the FBI arbitrarily conducted a raid on a religious institution without due cause. Let me assure you this was not the case.

Pursuant to duly authorized Federal search warrants, Special Agents of the FBI searched the premises of the Church of Scientology in Washington, D. C., and the Los Angeles area in July, 1977. As publicly announced to the press, the search warrants were issued for the purpose of recovering stolen Government property. Our investigation of alleged violations of criminal statutes is continuing. Litigation is presently pending in Federal courts concerning this matter, and, in view of this, I am unable to comment further.