What you've found in Ronald Reagan's FBI file so far

What you’ve found in Ronald Reagan’s FBI file so far

So far, we’ve received nearly 100 submissions to our crowdsource, with finds ranging from COINTELPRO memos to killer mimes

Written by
Edited by Beryl Lipton

Last month, we kicked off a crowdsourcing campaign to explore Ronald Reagan’s 30,000-page Federal Bureau of Investigation file. So far we’ve received nearly 100 submissions, and we wanted to highlight a few of the most interesting finds so far.

Going in chronological order, this 1965 memo uncovered by J. Adler contains an allegation from an informant that Communists in Hollywood are pushing for “non-socialists” like Reagan to be cast as villains.

A 1966 airmail from the San Francisco Field Office to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover found by Paul Galante warned of a potential assassination plot involving a troupe of pinko mimes.

And, finally, this 1975 memo picked out by Jack shows a fast-tracked background check for Reagan ahead of an appointment to the President’s Commission on CIA Activities Within the U.S.

Thanks again to J Adler, Paul Galante, and Jack - you’re all getting free request bundles and MuckRock swag packs!

Want to help unearth more hidden history? Take a deep dive through the Reagan crowdsource below!


Image via Reagan Presidential Library