Did Clay Shaw Get the Help He Deserved?, Part Five
- Fred Litwin
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
Wegmann Goes Back to Washington with Irvin Dymond
In mid-September 1967, Wegmann and Dymond flew north to Washington D.C. They enlisted the help of Herbert 'Jack' Miller, a former assistant attorney general, who had been hired by Robert Kennedy in 1961.
They told Miller that they waned to meet with someone at the CIA who can "steer them to the true facts and circumstances," of the various allegations being made by Garrison. Miller agreed to take their request to the CIA, and he spoke with the CIA's General Counsel Lawrence Houston:
Houston told Miller that he had been advised by the DOJ that, if anybody from the CIA were subpoenaed in connection with Garrison's investigation, that they would claim executive privilege. Houston said he would have to get advice from the DOJ to see if talking to Shaw's attorneys would jeopardize "the executive privilege claim." Houston then talked with Nathaniel Kossack of the Criminal Division who tells him that "it is rather dangerous" to talk with Shaw's lawyers.
Houston told the group of "the desire of Shaw's lawyers to make contact with the Agency." While Rocca felt that Garrison would "indeed obtain a conviction of Shaw," it was not because of the evidence. As we have seen, the CIA consistently wrote in internal memos that Garrison's allegations were wrong. However, Rocca understood that Garrison had considerable power in New Orleans.
Pratt advises that Shaw's attorneys go study the Warren Report. That's not the kind of help that they really needed.
On September 21, 1967, Wegmann and Dymond meet with Nathaniel Kossack, the first assistant in the Criminal Division of the DOJ.
Wegmann and Dymond told Kossack that "confidence throughout the world in the United States government will be undermined," if Shaw is convicted. They also told Kossack that Garrison "is a dangerous, irresponsible man" who "must be stopped." Unfortunately, they have been forced "to play with a stacked deck," and thus need "investigative assistance" to refute some of Garrison's charges.
Shaw's attorneys ask for information from the FBI and the CIA on a variety of people. Because there is no discovery in the Louisiana courts, Shaw's attorneys have had to hire private investigators to check every lead they happen to notice in the press.
Here is an excerpt from a letter that Wegmann sent to Elmer Gertz, a lawyer in Chicago who was suing Playboy Magazine for libel on behalf of Gordon Novel, whom Garrison had accused of being a CIA agent:
Wegmann and Dymond told Kossack they might file a civil rights complaint against Garrison and he referred them to John Doar or Robert Owen for comment on the federal civil rights statutes.
Ultimately Kossack told them that the Department of Justice would be in contact but refused to give any "pledge of assistance."
Janney writes that "Justice did not want the Agency to contact Shaw's lawyers, but rather to maintain the safety of our executive privilege." Patricia Lambert noted that "the door to the CIA slams shut."
Wegmann then wrote a letter to John Doar:
Here is the article from the States-Item that Wegmann referenced in his letter:
Wegmann filed a change of venue motion in March of 1968 which was ultimately denied.
Patricia Lambert writes:
Edward Wegmann is undeterred, however, The problem, it seems, is that those in Washington don't grasp the extent of Garrison's malfeasance. Wegmann sets out to enlighten them. He begins drafting a civil rights complaint that will make it unmistakably clear what Garrison is doing.
NEXT: Wegmann Files a Civil Rights Complaint with the Department of Justice.
The Clay Shaw Series
The setting in New Orleans
The DOJ is told not to get involved. The FBI follows suit.
Ed Wegmann goes to Washington.
The CIA gets involved.
Wegmann goes back to Washington with Irvin Dymond.