Darlene Ka-Mook Nichols body wire recordings

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

The audio files created when Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant Darlene Pearl Nichols (also known as Ka-Mook or Kamook Nichols) wore a body wire and recorded conversations related to the 1975 Anna Mae Aquash murder case. Ms. Nichols covertly interviewed at least 10 people associated with the case in the late 1990s/early 2000s, including Arlo Looking Cloud, Troy Lynn Yellow Wood, and Dennis Banks. I request any and all audio material created by Ms. Nichols as well as any documents related to her work as an informant on the Aquash case (including, but not limited to: correspondences, transcripts, emails, reports, notes, memoranda, faxes, files).

Background on the Anna Mae Aquash murder case:
Anna Mae Aquash (Also known as Annie Mae Pictou) was a Canadian Mi'kmaq Indian and high-ranking member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), the prominent radical Native American civil rights group in the 1970s. Her 1975 murder on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation was unsolved until the early 2000s, when, in response to pressure from friends, family members, and Native American activists, the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) intensified their stalled investigation. In 2003, a federal grand jury indicted Arlo Looking Cloud and John Graham, two low-ranking AIM members, for Ms. Aquash's murder. There are still unanswered questions about the murder, with many former AIM members expressing the belief that Looking Cloud and Graham must killed Aquash on orders from leaders higher up in the organization.

Nichols recordings:
Darlene Nichols's romantic relationship with AIM leader Dennis Banks made her privy to upper-level discussions in the organization. She did not cooperate with law enforcement on the Aquash case until her split with Banks in 1989. Shortly after the separation, she contacted the Minneapolis FBI office and began to intermittently provide information to case manager Jim Graff. With the FBI's prompting and financial backing, she wore a wire and recorded several conversations with witnesses to the Aquash murder. The existence of these tapes is publicly known- a 2014 New York Times Magazine article by Eric Konigsberg about the case (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/27/magazine/who-killed-anna-mae.html) mentions them, and Ms. Nichols referenced them in her testimony at Arlo Looking Cloud's 2004 trial. Her testimony also revealed that the FBI had reimbursed her some $42,000 during her time as an informant. I request access to the tapes Nichols made and any other documents related to her work with the FBI.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Meg Showalter