What did the declassified documents reveal?

Document: FBI Files – Cold War Era Released: 2021-02-24 The Black Vault Entry: https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/fbi-files-cold-war/ Canonical PDF: https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/fbifiles/role.pdf This is a collection of FBI files from the Cold War era, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The documents were released in 2021, providing insight into the FBI's activities during this time. The first letter, dated May 5, 2004, is from the FBI's Record/Information Dissemination Section. It acknowledges receipt of a FOIPA request from John Greenewald Jr. regarding the role of the Communist Party USA in Soviet intelligence. The FBI assigns a FOIPA number, 0997068-000, and requests additional information to facilitate the search. The second letter, dated September 13, 2004, is from the same section. It informs Mr. Greenewald that the FBI has reviewed the documents under the Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts and made deletions to protect exempt information. The exemptions used are noted on the pages next to the excisions. The document explains that 58 pages were reviewed, and 58 pages are being released. It also mentions that some information was referred to other government agencies for review and direct response. The FBI will correspond with Mr. Greenewald regarding this information when the consultation is finished. The document provides an explanation of exemptions under Titles 5 and 28 of the United States Code, Section 552a. It also discusses the limitations of releasing information, citing the need to protect human sources and the potential consequences of releasing sensitive information. Context: The FBI's handling of FOIPA requests during the Cold War era is a topic of interest for researchers and historians. The release of these documents provides a glimpse into the FBI's activities during this time and highlights the challenges of balancing transparency with national security concerns. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. To learn more, visit storyflo.com.

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process.

Case · DAILY-065

FBI Files – Cold War Era

JUL 6 · 2026Narrated by daily-declassified-fbi-files-cold-war-era3 minLast updated July 6, 2026

The short version

pdf This is a collection of FBI files from the Cold War era, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The documents were released in 2021, providing insight into the FBI's activities during this time. The first letter, dated May 5, 2004, is from the FBI's Record/Information Dissemination Section.

Date: JUL 6 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)

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Document: FBI Files – Cold War Era Released: 2021-02-24 The Black Vault Entry: https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/fbi-files-cold-war/ Canonical PDF: https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/fbifiles/role.pdf This is a collection of FBI files from the Cold War era, obtained through…

Questions about this case

What was FBI Files – Cold War Era about?: pdf This is a collection of FBI files from the Cold War era, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The documents were released in 2021, providing insight into the FBI's activities during this time. The first letter, dated May 5, 2004, is from the FBI's Record/Information Dissemination Section.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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