Yesterday, I posted an article by Art Kevin from his website regarding Jim Garrison's case against Clay Shaw. It was a text version, with a few changes, from an article in The Assassination Chronicles, a newsmagazine from JFK Lancer:
Several important points stick out about this article. Whenever I post an article from the so-called mainstream media, conspiracy theorists like James DiEugenio cry foul because he believes their journalists are all tainted. But Art Kevin was not a journalist from the mainstream media; he was a big supporter of Jim Garrison and wrote often for the L.A. Free Press, which was a big booster of Garrison.
"What is so dumb about this is that Kevin did not use any of the declassified files on the New Orleans case when he wrote this dumb article. By this time there were many of them, which as Garrison always said, would prove his case. Remember, Newman published his book before this which has a focus on New Orleans and AMSPELL, and Bill Davy had published his monograph on Clay Shaw based on the declassified record of the ARRB. Both of those pieces of work showed that what Garrison was saying was correct: Oswald was in Banister's office, Shaw was CIA, and they knew each other. Weird, if Oswald was a commie as Litwin says he was. Further, that the FBI and CIA had covered up evidence that showed the DA was right about what was happening with Oswald, Ferrie and Banister in New Orleans. So Mr. Kevin obviously was not doing due diligence, and Litwin says, hey, OK with me. What do you think, I am a real journalist or something?"
Art Kevin didn't have to use any ARRB documents because he was in New Orleans speaking to Garrison and to his staff. His first-hand story is devastating, and thus DiEugenio has to ignore what he writes.
For instance, Garrison also brought up the issue of homosexuality to Kevin:
"Lee Harvey Oswald was dead of course but I heard constant reminders from Garrison that Oswald was likely bi-sexual which is what brought him into contact with David Ferrie. Even Jack Ruby who'd killed Oswald on national TV was allegedly gay or at the very least bi-sexual! As for Ferrie, he had been fired from a major airline for homosexual activity."
This mirrors what Jim Garrison told Hugh Aynesworth, James Phelan, Merriman Smith, and Jack Anderson. It also mirrors the QUICK article that we have discussed over the past two weeks.
In New Orleans, Kevin met with Jack Martin:
"I also tracked down a private investigator who'd allegedly given Garrison names and "hot tips." He turned out to be an alcoholic and tried to get me to pay for his story."
It didn't take Art Kevin long to realize that Garrison had no case and that his witnesses were suspect:
"When I pointed out to Sciambra that the witness list seemed shaky at best, he went quiet. "Why can't Russo remember without medical and psychological help?" I asked. Wouldn't his questioning under hypnosis be suspect because of the possibility of recall being implanted? Wouldn't the drug addict [Vernon Bundy] be suspected of trying to deal down for a lighter sentence? Wouldn't it seem Garrison went after Dean Andrews for perjury because Andrews refused to cooperate? And what about Andrews refusal to tie Shaw and Bertrand together as the same man? And what about the disparity of Bertrand-Shaw's physical appearance as Andrews told the WC? Sciambra, clearly looking as if a ton of bricks had come down on his shoulders, told me to take it up with Garrison. I did."
He then confronted Garrison who told him he had "some things up my sleeve." All Garrison had was the Zapruder Film. Back and to the Left. Back and to the Left. Looking back, Kevin realized that the Garrison cupboard was bare:
"I knew in my heart that had the Warren Commission Report been on trial, the verdict would have been "guilty." But it was Clay Shaw who was on trial and based on the evidence presented, there was no doubt he was innocent. I have often wondered if, in his heart of hearts, Jim Garrison didn't know the same thing and decided to gamble anyway?"
All of this was ignored by DiEugenio. Instead, he has to fall back on this belief that the ARRB rescued Garrison's sham investigation. It didn't.
Let's have a look at DiEugenio's claims. First, was Oswald in Banister's office? The only witnesses that DiEugenio presents in his book Destiny Betrayed in support of his theory are Delphine Roberts, Vernon Gerdes, and Jack Martin. Here are links that debunk each one of these witnesses:
But Clay Shaw "was CIA," no?
If you don't have a case against Clay Shaw, well, tie him to the CIA. That'll do, no? You can say the same about Hugh Aynesworth and James Phelan. Can't rebut their damning stories about Jim Garrison? Well just tie them to the FBI. Conspiracy theorists love this sleight of hand.
The Art Kevin article included two pages from a CIA document on Clay Shaw and his role as a domestic contact:
Clay Shaw was a domestic contact of the CIA, just like many other businesspeople, There's just nothing nefarious here.
DiEugenio's last claim is that Clay Shaw knew David Ferrie. Over the last several months, I have systematically debunked every witness that DiEugenio claims tied Ferrie and Shaw together:
Art Kevin realized what was obvious to the Clay Shaw jury - Jim Garrison had no case.