Revelations of alleged intelligence community abuses first appeared in the New York Times in late 1974, leading to investigations by the Commission on CIA Activities Within the United States (also known as the Rockefeller Commission) and the congressional Church and Pike Committees. After the Rockefeller Commission presented its report to President Ford in June 1975, he asked his Intelligence Coordinating Group to review the Commission's recommendations and develop a plan of action to reform the intelligence community. They presented a decision book to the President in December 1975 that eventually led to his Executive Order and proposed legislation in February 1976. Through the links below you can view some of the documents involved in this process.

• Rockefeller Commission Report, June 1975
• Intelligence Community Decision Book for the President, December 22, 1975 (PDF File - 5.78 MB)
• Executive Order 11905 on U.S. Foreign Intelligence Activities, February 18, 1976
• Special Message to the Congress Proposing Legislation to Reform the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Community, February 18, 1976
• Statement About the Intelligence Community Reforms from the President Ford '76 Fact Book, September 8, 1976

Here is a link to the collection finding aid describing and listing Rockefeller Commission Files that are currently open to research. For more information about the Library's holdings concerning the intelligence investigations and reforms, please contact the Library.