AI Snips
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Photographer Access Became Intelligence Access
- Ernest Withers built unparalleled access to Civil Rights events by being a trusted local photographer and former Memphis police officer.
- His pictures placed him inside strategy meetings and hotel rooms, giving the FBI intelligence-grade proximity they lacked otherwise.
Investigation Started From A Tip Then FOIA Eureka
- Mark Perrusquia traced the Withers-FBI link after an off-the-record tip and a Freedom of Information Act request revealed source code ME 338R.
- He then obtained handwritten notes from the handler's daughter that named Withers directly, proving the relationship.
Code Numbers Tracked Political Shifts
- The FBI classified Withers under evolving informant codes: PCI then confidential source then ME 338R, later ME 338E for extremist informant.
- These code changes mirrored national panic (riots, ghetto informant program) and shifted his targets toward Black Power groups.