Jefferson Morley's latest Substack post about six assassination files caught my attention. Yesterday I posted an article about supposed redactions in an Operations Northwoods document. Morley also has it wrong on William Harvey. Here is what he wrote : Removing redactions in the testimony of CIA assassination chief William K. Harvey and in the personnel file of Cuba operations chief David Phillips will shed light on their role in the surveillance of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee and the events of 1963. Reiner alleges Harvey and Phillips, along with counterintelligence chief James Angleton, plotted to kill the president. Once again, the redactions have been revealed over time. On page 7 of the document, there is this redaction : Here is another version of the same document with the unredacted text : The next redaction is on page 8: Here is the unredacted text : The next redaction is on page 9 : Here is the unredacted text : There is a small redaction on page 49 : Here is the unredacted text : There are some additional redactions on page 55 : Here is the mostly unredacted text : There is only one word redacted here, and that is the only redaction in the entire document. Here is a copy of the full Harvey deposition. This document has the unredacted text. William Harvey's deposition has absolutely nothing to do with surveillance of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. I should add that Harvey was not "CIA Assassination Chief" and that it's ridiculous to believe he had anything to with the JFK assassination. I covered this in two blog posts: Was Bill Harvey in Dallas in November of 1963?   There is no credible evidence Harvey was in Dallas in November of 1963. A Reply to Jefferson Morley on Bill Harvey   A rebuttal to Morley's response to my post Was Bill Harvey in Dallas in November of 1963? Here is an excerpt from Gus Russo's excellent book, Live by the Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death of JFK : (page 304) Sardinia, Italy Bill Harvey, the CIA’s former Mongoose coordinator, was unconscious. His drinking had progressed from habit to disease after his exile to Italy a year earlier. When the telex noting Kennedy’s murder was received by his deputy, Harvey had to be awakened from a late-day martini stupor. The man who hated the Kennedys, both for their treatment of him and for their naive directives regarding Cuba, staggered to his feet. What he said to his deputy should be taken with Harvey’s condition in mind, and the fact that there is only one witness to his comments, but that witness was so stunned that he wrote it down for posterity. “This was bound to happen,” blustered Harvey, “and it’s probably good that it did.” Soon, when Harvey discovered that his deputy was spending time helping local officials with condolences, he sent the deputy packing for the U.S. “I haven’t got time for this kind of crap,” Harvey told him. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Jefferson Morley Jefferson Morley is Wrong about Operation Northwoods, Again! There are no redactions in the Operation Northwoods document. Did Dorothy Kilgallen Have any Special Knowledge about the JFK Assassination? Kilgallen had nothing to tell. Morley's Interview of Marina Oswald Porter Fizzles! An underwhelming interview of Marina Oswald. Jefferson Morley: Able to Leap Intellectual Chasms in a Single Bound Morley often repeats stories and changes their meanings. There was NO Assassination Plot in Chicago Chad Nagle claims there was an assassination plot against JFK in Chicago in November 1963. One problem: There is no evidence of such a plot. Fred Litwin, CIA Apologist? A response to Morley's Substack post alleging that I am a CIA apologist. Is Jefferson Morley Seeing Double?   Morley thinks there are two redacted memos on CIA reorganization, but there is only one. A Reply to Jefferson Morley on Bill Harvey   A rebuttal to Morley's response to my post Was Bill Harvey in Dallas in November of 1963? Was Bill Harvey in Dallas in November of 1963?   There is no credible evidence Harvey was in Dallas in November of 1963. Does it Matter Where Allen Dulles was on November 22, 1963?   Morley repeats the claim that Dulles was at a CIA training center during the weekend of the JFK assassination. He wasn't. Jefferson Morley's Claims about Reuben Efron   Morley's claims about Efron are all wrong. A Reply to Jefferson Morley regarding Operation Northwoods   Morley responded to my article "The Truth about Operation Northwoods." Here is my reply. W. Tracy Parnell on Jefferson Morley   W. Tracy Parnell is one of the best JFK assassination researchers out there. Here is his look at Jefferson Morley with several important articles. The Truth about Operation Northwoods   Operation Northwoods can only understood as being part of the Kennedys' war against Cuba and Operation Mongoose. Jefferson Morley Responds to my Post on MK-Ultra and Jack Ruby   And a response from me. Did Dr. Louis Jolyon West Ask to Examine Jack Ruby in November 1963?   There is no evidence that Dr. West petitioned the court to examine Jack Ruby before his trial. Did the CIA use a MK-Ultra Psychiatrist to Interfere with Jack Ruby's Case?   There is absolutely no evidence that Dr. Louis Jolyon West interfered with Jack Ruby's case. Jefferson Morley is wrong about "Who Shot John?"   The phrase 'who shot John' does not refer to the JFK assassination. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills, Part Four   Jefferson Morley used a fake Oswald handbill in his press conference for the Mary Ferrell Foundation. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   An examination of redactions in the JFK collection of documents.

Once again, Jefferson Morley offers up a conspiracy theory with absolutely no evidence. This time he suggests that William Harvey, a CIA officer who was involved in attempts to assassinate Castro and who hated the Kennedys, was in Dallas in November of 1963. There is no good reason to believe his claim. Morley is on a roll. He just recently suggested that Allen Dulles was at a CIA training facility the weekend right after the assassination. Dulles was supposed to be there but he cancelled to spend the weekend in Washington. Morley has also suggested that Reuben Efron, Deputy Chief of the CIA's HTLINGUAL project, who translated letters, was involved in some sort of operation surrounding Lee Harvey Oswald. There is no evidence to sustain this allegation either. Here is what Morley says about Bill Harvey: In November 1963, Mark Wyatt, a State Department official who worked with Harvey in Rome, saw Harvey on a commercial flight to Dallas, which he found curious. On the day of JFK’s assassination, Wyatt heard Harvey make comments that made him believe Harvey had prior knowledge of a plot to kill the president. Wyatt’s story was first reported by JFK author David Talbot in his book “The Devil’s Chessboard.” In 2017, Talbot sued the CIA for Harvey’s travel records for 1963. The Agency did not provide any travel records and the case was dismissed. Before he died in 1976, Harvey told his wife to destroy all of his personal papers, which she did. Morley's source is David Talbot, author of The Devil's Chessboard . Mark Wyatt worked for Harvey in the Italian CIA office. It appears that he told his family he had suspicions, but they weren't strong enough for him to testify before the HSCA. Wyatt then supposedly told journalist Fabrizio Calvi that he "bumped into Harvey on a plane to Dallas sometime before the assassination." He allegedly asked Harvey why he was going to Dallas. It's also interesting that, at the time, Wyatt's supposed comments made no impression on Calvi, as Talbot notes "Calvi himself forgot about Wyatt's remarks until years later." But there an important footnote in Talbot's book about the story that Wyatt saw Harvey on a flight to Dallas: (footnote to page 477) Wyatt's daughter believes there was some misunderstanding between her father and Calvi. This means there is very little evidence that Bill Harvey took a flight to Dallas in November of 1963. Mark Wyatt also spoke to Bayard Stockton, author of the 2006 book, Flawed Patriot: The Rise and Fall of CIA Legend Bill Harvey . Stockton worked for the CIA under Bill Harvey in Berlin for two years and then became Newsweek's bureau chief in Bonn and London. His book has a chapter entitled "Bill Harvey and the Assassination of President Kennedy." Here is what he said about Bill Harvey and Mark Wyatt: (pages 208 - 209 in the Kindle edition) Did Harvey play any role in the assassination plot after his arrival in Rome in early July 1963? By the time of the JFK assassination, Harvey had been stationed in Rome over four months. On November 22, he was at a Mediterranean island stay-behind training site. “Bill Harvey … was unconscious. His drinking had progressed from habit to disease after his exile to Italy…. When the telex noting Kennedy’s murder was received by his deputy, Harvey had to be awakened from a late-day martini stupor. The man who hated the Kennedys … staggered to his feet.” (The news would have hit Italy sometime after seven in the evening.) “What he is reported to have said to his deputy should be taken with Harvey’s condition in mind; the auditor recorded it for posterity: ‘This was bound to happen,’ blurted Harvey, ‘and it’s probably good that it did.’ Soon, when Harvey discovered that his deputy was spending time helping local officials with condolences, he sent the deputy packing for the U.S. ‘I haven’t got time for this kind of crap, Harvey told him.’” [this story is sourced from Gus Russo's Live By the Sword, page 304 ] Mark Wyatt, Harvey’s deputy in Rome who may have been the source of the above account, told me forty years later, “One night, we got the call that JFK might not live. Bill was so pie-eyed drunk, we could hardly get him on his feet. The Italians were saying to him, ‘Mr. Harvey, we have to get you back!’ It was a stormy night, so we had to get back to the mainland by ship.” I have also heard that a high officer put his personal plane at Harvey’s disposal to get him back to Rome. Wyatt, again, enigmatically: “Harvey said to me later, ‘Mark, we tried so hard, but no one will ever know who shot JFK!’ Bill interpreted it as the Mob getting to Oswald. I felt terrible about it.” Here is Stockton's footnote about (page 337 - 338) Mark Wyatt provided me with the information that Harvey flew back to Rome in an official Italian plane, but he omitted the details about Bill’s boozy state at the time of the assassination. The “deputy” cited in the Russo quotation is almost undoubtedly Wyatt, who bore Harvey no goodwill for a series of real and imagined slights. Harvey did terminate Wyatt’s tour of duty in Rome abruptly and earned Wyatt’s undying enmity, but not because Wyatt was telling stories about Bill’s condition at the time of the Kennedy assassination. Mark Wyatt, in conversation with the author, March 13, 2001. Wyatt died in June 2006. Wyatt never said one word to Stockton about seeing Harvey on a plane to Dallas. Stockton discusses the allegation of Harvey's involvement in the assassination in more detail (page 224) in his book but says that the rumor is "patently absurd." He notes: (pages 225 - 226) No one in the CIA who knew Harvey at his prime believes, or believed, that he possibly could have been involved in the JFK assassination. No one. Not even those who had reason to dislike him. The very idea was and is to this day, among the still-living, anathema to them. It is also hard to imagine that CG Harvey would have so enthusiastically endorsed the concept of this book if she had the slightest inkling that her late husband had been involved in the crime of the century. Stockton discusses a variety of allegations made about Harvey over the years, and here is his conclusion: (page 221) So, does all this prove anything about Harvey’s conjectured participation in, or knowledge of, the plot to assassinate John F. Kennedy? The forthright answer is: No. There are filaments in the glow of suspicion that Harvey was somehow connected with the events of November 22, 1963, but those suspicions are based, to a great degree, on people’s reading of the unpolished character of Harvey—which serves to confirm their own dark suspicions that the CIA and the Agency’s Bad Boy were somehow involved. Jefferson Morley's Substack has become a vehicle to present all sorts of allegations about the JFK assassination: his belief in a supposed Oswald operation involving George Joannides and Reuben Efron , the whereabouts of Allen Dulles , and allegations that J ack Ruby was a subject of MK-Ultra , Morley is quick to present notions of conspiracy; not so quick with actual evidence. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Jefferson Morley Does it Matter Where Allen Dulles was on November 22, 1963? Morley repeats the claim that Dulles was at a CIA training center during the weekend of the JFK assassination. He wasn't. Jefferson Morley's Claims about Reuben Efron Morley's claims about Efron are all wrong. A Reply to Jefferson Morley regarding Operation Northwoods Morley responded to my article "The Truth about Operation Northwoods." Here is my reply. W. Tracy Parnell on Jefferson Morley W. Tracy Parnell is one of the best JFK assassination researchers out there. Here is his look at Jefferson Morley with several important articles. The Truth about Operation Northwoods Operation Northwoods can only understood as being part of the Kennedys' war against Cuba and Operation Mongoose. Jefferson Morley Responds to my Post on MK-Ultra and Jack Ruby And a response from me. Did Dr. Louis Jolyon West Ask to Examine Jack Ruby in November 1963? There is no evidence that Dr. West petitioned the court to examine Jack Ruby before his trial. Did the CIA use a MK-Ultra Psychiatrist to Interfere with Jack Ruby's Case? There is absolutely no evidence that Dr. Louis Jolyon West interfered with Jack Ruby's case. Jefferson Morley is wrong about "Who Shot John?" The phrase 'who shot John' does not refer to the JFK assassination. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills, Part Four Jefferson Morley used a fake Oswald handbill in his press conference for the Mary Ferrell Foundation. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions... An examination of redactions in the JFK collection of documents.

Jefferson Morley replied to my critique of h is allegations about Bill Harvey: Jefferson Morley used to be a reporter for the Washington Post and yet he couldn't even spell my name right. This was noted by Chad Nagle, a frequent contributor to Morley's Substack, on Twitter and Morley then corrected the web version of his article. Still, Nagle couldn't help himself and left this nice comment: Nagle suggests that Morley's misspelling of my name was intentional and that I don't "deserve correct spelling." That is a novel intellectual argument, no? As far as my past belief in a JFK conspiracy, well, I have not only written a whole book about it, but I have posted all of my past articles, dating to my University years, as well. Morley complains about my article, but he did not even link to it. Whenever I criticize one of his articles, I always link to his Substack. I think it's common courtesy to provide readers with links to the articles under discussion. I strongly urge readers to read my original post about Bill Harvey . You will notice that Morley doesn't address any of its major points. Morley claims that "Talbot provided several bricks of evidence about Harvey's role in 1963." This is not true. There is no evidence of Harvey's role in the JFK assassination; Talbot only supplied a second-hand story attributed to Mark Wyatt about being on the same plane as Harvey. In addition, Morley writes that I deprecated "Wyatt's story and suspicions but he can't dispute that he voiced them repeatedly." In fact, I reported that when Wyatt spoke to Bayard Stockton, he didn't say one word about Harvey being on the same plane to Dallas. Wyatt never went on the record about being on the same flight, and no one else has come forward with that story. Wyatt also did not accept his daughter's encouragement to report his suspicions to the HSCA. Morley seems upset that the CIA (my supposed co-religionists) has not answered Talbot's questions about Harvey. He finds their non-denials relevant. But why should the CIA answer every single JFK conspiracy question that comes down the pike? Why should they comment on a second-hand story about Harvey being on a flight to Dallas in November 1963? Wouldn't they also consider the allegation hearsay? It's a nice rhetorical trick that Morley uses all the time -- I've asked the CIA and they haven't replied. They must be hiding something. Morley also takes offense that I have accused him of offering up another conspiracy theory. Somehow, the allegation that Bill Harvey was in Dallas in November 1963 is not a conspiracy theory. What on earth does he want or expect his readers to think Harvey was doing in Dallas? Buying boots? The suggestion that Bill Harvey was in Dallas supports Morley's conspiracy theory that JFK was killed by his "enemies" who then made Oswald a patsy for their crime. Tracy Parnell provides the evidence that Jefferson Morley is the textbook definition of a conspiracy theorist. But has Morley actually asserted a conspiracy? Indeed he has. In the days when he was more careful with his words, Morley would say that Oswald "probably" killed JFK and implied that he did so unaided. But in his 2020 eBook Morley v. CIA (p. 67), he said that "JFK's enemies" "made Oswald a patsy for their crime." They did this with "covert psychological warfare schemes, like the AMSPELL [DRE] program." Morley has often said that he "has no theory" of the assassination. It is true that he (like nearly all JFK theorists) has offered no specific theory. There is good reason not to promote a specific JFK conspiracy theory. When you do, you end up with something like this . But Morley's numerous writings through the years have provided enough detail to roughly determine what he believes about the assassination. Parnell also discusses Morley's theory of the JFK assassination here . Is there a reason why Morley doesn't want to be thought of as a conspiracy theorist? He should embrace it like Dr. Cyril Wecht has. There is nothing wrong in exploring theories of conspiracy, if done responsibly. Towards the end of his article, Morley asks "Sticking to the facts, is there really no reason to believe the claim that Harvey went to Dallas?" Exactly, right. There is NO reason to believe the claim. Morley ends his article saying that the CIA does not "have to obfuscate the historical record of CIA malfeasance in the case of the murdered president because Fred will do the deed. And they don't even have to pay him." At least Morley admits I am not being paid by the CIA. That is progress, no? But check out these comments on Morley's post: Somebody must be paying me! Morley makes a big deal out of the difference between evidence and proof. And then he says: They [the CIA] don’t deny Harvey was a drunk who hated the Kennedy’s [sic] and who loved Mafia killer Johnny Rosselli. Mafia killer? Where's the evidence for that? Oops, I mean proof. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Jefferson Morley Was Bill Harvey in Dallas in November of 1963? There is no credible evidence Harvey was in Dallas in November of 1963. Does it Matter Where Allen Dulles was on November 22, 1963? Morley repeats the claim that Dulles was at a CIA training center during the weekend of the JFK assassination. He wasn't. Jefferson Morley's Claims about Reuben Efron Morley's claims about Efron are all wrong. A Reply to Jefferson Morley regarding Operation Northwoods Morley responded to my article "The Truth about Operation Northwoods." Here is my reply. W. Tracy Parnell on Jefferson Morley W. Tracy Parnell is one of the best JFK assassination researchers out there. Here is his look at Jefferson Morley with several important articles. The Truth about Operation Northwoods Operation Northwoods can only understood as being part of the Kennedys' war against Cuba and Operation Mongoose. Jefferson Morley Responds to my Post on MK-Ultra and Jack Ruby And a response from me. Did Dr. Louis Jolyon West Ask to Examine Jack Ruby in November 1963? There is no evidence that Dr. West petitioned the court to examine Jack Ruby before his trial. Did the CIA use a MK-Ultra Psychiatrist to Interfere with Jack Ruby's Case? There is absolutely no evidence that Dr. Louis Jolyon West interfered with Jack Ruby's case. Jefferson Morley is wrong about "Who Shot John?" The phrase 'who shot John' does not refer to the JFK assassination. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills, Part Four Jefferson Morley used a fake Oswald handbill in his press conference for the Mary Ferrell Foundation. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions... An examination of redactions in the JFK collection of documents.

Here is another example of how James DiEugenio misinterprets documents. You can read part one on how DiEugenio misinterprets documents here. In Part two of his essay on Clay Shaw and Permindex , he writes this: Nagy then announced that Permindex would be opening up an affiliate called Centro Mondiale Commerciale in Rome. According to a Time-Life internal memo, Shaw visited their new HQ prior to its official opening. This was a 37,000 square foot office building originally constructed in 1942. Shaw was then reported by the State Department to be on the Board of Directors. (State Department cable of 11/7/58) DiEugenio references an internal Time-Life memo. There are, in fact, two Life memos that I know of that discuss Permindex. Here is the first: All of the information in this memo comes from the Paese Sera series of articles on Clay Shaw that appeared a few days after his arrest. Most of he information was made up and there were numerous errors. For instance, the crack reporters at Paese Sera couldn't even figure out that Louis Bloomfield was a lawyer in Montreal, and not a banker. And note this sentence on page two: Paese Sera admits that there are no proofs or evidence that Shaw has indeed been in Rome ..." Here is another Time-Life memo: This memo is a translation of an article that appeared in L'Humanité , the newspapers of the French communist party, and it was based on the Paese Sera series. Here is that article from L'Humanité : And so once again, DiEugenio tries to hide the fact that the source for another once of his allegations is Paese Sera . In this case by trying to claim the information came from a Time-Life memo. All roads lead to Paese Sera . This is not the first time he has gotten it all wrong on Permindex. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Permindex James DiEugenio on Permindex: A Case Study A purported CIA memo is actually the notes of an HSCA researcher. The Eviction of Permindex (CMC) CMC evicted in early 1962 because they couldn't pay rent. Did Permindex Move to South Africa After it was 'Forced' to Leave Italy? Many conspiracy books claim that Permindex moved to South Africa. There is no evidence that it did. Was Permindex Involved in Plotting the Assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle? There is no evidence that Permindex plotted against de Gaulle. State Department Documents on Permindex   The complete set of State Department documents on Permindex. Permindex Was Not a CIA Front     Chris Peeks interviews me about Permindex. James DiEugenio Gets it all Wrong on Permindex/CMC     Conspiracy theorists mislead people on Permindex/CMC.   "Coup in Dallas" - The Story of a Factoid     Many books maintain that the President of Permindex, Ferenc Nagy, lived in Dallas in 1963. He actually lived in Herndon, Virginia. "Coup in Dallas" - More Conspiracy Nonsense! The book Coup in Dallas gets Permindex all wrong, and with no footnotes. Was Permindex Running an Assassination Bureau?     Was Montreal lawyer Louis Bloomfield running an assassination bureau? Conspiracy Nonsense Snared a Canadian     Louis Bloomfield was a good man who raised a lot of money for Canadian charities. Unfortunately, conspiracy theorists have linked him to the JFK assassination. Did a Life Magazine Memo Say that Clay Shaw was in Rome? The memo only quotes from Pease Sera. Did the FBI's Regis Kennedy Know that Clay Shaw worked for the CIA? The information that Shaw lived in Rome and worked for the CIA originated with Paese Sera. Clay Shaw's Permindex File     Clay Shaw was on the Board of Directors of Permindex. Here is his file. Why Didn't Jim Garrison Go to Montreal?     If Jim Garrison wanted to learn more about Louis Bloomfield, all he had to do was pick up the phone or go to Montreal. Exclusive - Louis Bloomfield's Secret Correspondence with George H. W. Bush...    Revealed for the first time. Did The Umbrella Man Have Links to Clay Shaw?     Yes, a conspiracy book actually makes this claim. Exposed! Louis Bloomfield's Letters to Baron Edmund de Rothschild...     Revealed for the first time. Exposed! Bloomfield's Letters about David Rockefeller!     They were involved! The Founder of Permindex, George Mantello, Saved Thousands of Jews during the Holocaust...     George Mantello was a hero.

Jim Garrison writes in his book, On The Trail of the Assassins, that Jules Ricco Kimble was an "important witness." Well, he did tell an interesting tale: "One day in late 1961 or early 1962, he [Kimble] received a phone call from Ferrie, who asked if he would like to take an overnight plane trip with him. Kimble was agreeable; he met Ferrie at the airport and at that time learned that Shaw was coming along. They were going to fly to Canada to pick someone up." Garrison alleges that once in Montreal, Shaw cam back the next day to return to New Orleans with a "Mexican or Cuban" man. Did this really happen? Let's have a look at a Garrison investigative memo about Jules Ricco Kimble. In this statement, taken in September 1967, Kimble says "he had had knowledge of a flight that David Ferrie told to Canada. He thought it was involving some Minute Men [sic] operation. Again he offered to gather this information for our office." No mention of Clay Shaw. One month later, Kimble's story had changed. Here is Kimble's statement: Interesting that in the memo, Kimble talks about his wife. but that while drinking in the Golden Lantern, a gay bar, Ferrie introduced him to Shaw. In this statement, Kimble went on the plane trip with Ferrie and Shaw, and it wasn't for Minutemen business. Of course, Clay Shaw did not like to fly. Here is another memo: Shouldn't Garrison have been suspicious of such a changing story? Given what we know about Shaw - remember Shaw took the train to San Francisco in November 1963 - does it make sense he got into a Cessna to fly to Montreal? Garrison does mention Shaw's aversion to flying. To Garrison, this meant it was "more than a routine mission." Garrison also claims that Ferrie "never filed flight plans," which helps explain why there is no evidence that such a flight took place. The story gets even stranger. Just three days before the date of the second Kimble memo, he was arrested on some pretty major charges: So, did Kimble give his statement after he was arrested? Was there some sort of deal for him to incriminate Shaw? He was also charged in 1968 with impersonating a nurse: New Orleans Times-Picayune, August 31, 1968. By the way, Kimble was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. You can read more about him here. Kimble is currently serving a sentence for murder in Oklahoma.

James DiEugenio has just published a two-part series on Clay Shaw and Permindex. The sources for his allegations on Clay Shaw all come from conspiracy books and can be easily debunked. However, I want to show you one egregious example of the misuse of a document. DiEugenio writes this about Shaw: There is another connection with Permindex and Shaw, which is important to note in advance. It was not revealed until 2003, perhaps as one of the Assassination Record Review Board’s (ARRB) delayed declassifications. An Agency document dated from June 28, 1978 described Clay Shaw’s service to CIA as encompassing from 1949-72. That document made reference to a claim “that CIA used Shaw for service in Italy with U.S. agent Major Louis Mortimer Bloomfield.” Shaw’s part is described as making connections with political circles and the business world in Rome, and also with developing relationships with extreme rightwing groups. As we shall see, this was accomplished, and the Canadian high-powered lawyer Bloomfield was an integral part of it. (Joan Mellen, A Farewell to Justice, p. 389) This sounds like quite a damning document. DiEugenio took this right out of Joan Mellen's book, A Farewell to Justice , which is footnoted at the end. Here is the relevant paragraph from Mellen's book: (page 389) While the document in question has a CIA cover sheet, it is actually the notes of an HSCA staff member, Patricia Orr, taken from CIA documents : Here is the relevant section from the document : It reads as follows: 9 Mar 67 USSR International Affairs Moscow TASS - 0504 GMT 7 Mar 67 Text Moscow - Claims CIA used Shaw for services in Italy w/ U.S. Agent Major Blumenfeld, establishing secret ties w/Rome's political circles & business world. Shaw's task to est. contacts w/extreme rightist groups in Rome. World Trade Center in Rome a branch of Swiss "Permidex" [sic] org, which allegedly financed OAS groups in France & is actually cover for branch of CIA. This document proves that it was notes taken by Patricia Orr : In this case, she was taking notes from a Pravda (the official Communist Party newspaper)/ TASS (the Soviet State news agency) article from March 1967. Here is the Pravda article: Here is a translation of the Pravda article : Here is the TASS article : All of these allegations came from the Paese Sera newspaper in Rome, and it was all nonsense. They just made it up. They couldn't even get Louis Bloomfield's name right. Shaw never visited Italy after the formation of Permindex/Central Mondiale Commerciale, and he never attended any board meetings. DiEugenio makes it look like he is quoting from a CIA document. But, all of this came from a communist-controlled newspaper. DiEugenio's last paragraph will come back and haunt him: As the reader can see, those attempting to label Permindex a Russian disinformation story-- like Max Holland--are simply and utterly wrong. It and P2 and Gladio and the Strategy of Tension were all too real. It doesn't help his case to quote from a Pravda/Tass article that included information from Paese Sera -- a communist-controlled newspaper in Rome. This is not the first time he has gotten it all wrong on Permindex. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Permindex The Eviction of Permindex (CMC) CMC evicted in early 1962 because they couldn't pay rent. Did Permindex Move to South Africa After it was 'Forced' to Leave Italy? Many conspiracy books claim that Permindex moved to South Africa. There is no evidence that it did. Was Permindex Involved in Plotting the Assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle? There is no evidence that Permindex plotted against de Gaulle. State Department Documents on Permindex   The complete set of State Department documents on Permindex. Permindex Was Not a CIA Front     Chris Peeks interviews me about Permindex. James DiEugenio Gets it all Wrong on Permindex/CMC     Conspiracy theorists mislead people on Permindex/CMC.   "Coup in Dallas" - The Story of a Factoid     Many books maintain that the President of Permindex, Ferenc Nagy, lived in Dallas in 1963. He actually lived in Herndon, Virginia. "Coup in Dallas" - More Conspiracy Nonsense! The book Coup in Dallas gets Permindex all wrong, and with no footnotes. Was Permindex Running an Assassination Bureau?     Was Montreal lawyer Louis Bloomfield running an assassination bureau? Conspiracy Nonsense Snared a Canadian     Louis Bloomfield was a good man who raised a lot of money for Canadian charities. Unfortunately, conspiracy theorists have linked him to the JFK assassination. Did a Life Magazine Memo Say that Clay Shaw was in Rome? The memo only quotes from Pease Sera. Did the FBI's Regis Kennedy Know that Clay Shaw worked for the CIA? The information that Shaw lived in Rome and worked for the CIA originated with Paese Sera. Clay Shaw's Permindex File     Clay Shaw was on the Board of Directors of Permindex. Here is his file. Why Didn't Jim Garrison Go to Montreal?     If Jim Garrison wanted to learn more about Louis Bloomfield, all he had to do was pick up the phone or go to Montreal. Exclusive - Louis Bloomfield's Secret Correspondence with George H. W. Bush...    Revealed for the first time. Did The Umbrella Man Have Links to Clay Shaw?     Yes, a conspiracy book actually makes this claim. Exposed! Louis Bloomfield's Letters to Baron Edmund de Rothschild...     Revealed for the first time. Exposed! Bloomfield's Letters about David Rockefeller!     They were involved! The Founder of Permindex, George Mantello, Saved Thousands of Jews during the Holocaust...     George Mantello was a hero.

Sylvia Meagher was writing Thomas Stamm. Money Quote : He [Garrison[ changes theories as often as I change linens, growing less responsible (if that is possible) with each public utterance. What a buffoon. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Sewer Shot Josiah Thompson on Jim Garrison's Shot from the Sewer Thompson thought the idea was ridiculous. Was JFK Shot From a Sewer?   Jim Garrison sent Stephen Jaffe to Dallas to investigate the possibility of a shot from the sewer on Elm Street. Jim Garrison on the Shot from the Sewer   Garrison is interviewed about the shot from the Sewer. Jim Garrison's Shot from the Sewer   The actual press releases sent out by Jim Garrison about the shot from the sewer.

Robert W. Malone, a member of Robert Kennedy Jr.'s Vaccine Panel. Hat tip: Mark Allen. Robert W. Malone is a member of Robert Kennedy Jr.'s Vaccine Panel, and he was profiled in the New York Times : Dr. Malone also routinely sells himself on the shows as the inventor of mRNA vaccines, the technology used by Pfizer and Moderna for their Covid-19 shots, and says he doesn’t get the credit he deserves for their development. While he was involved in some early research into the technology, his role in its creation was minimal at best, say half a dozen Covid experts and researchers, including three who worked closely with Dr. Malone. In spreading these exaggerations and unfounded claims, Dr. Malone joins medical professionals and scientists, like Dr. Joseph Mercola and Dr. Judy Mikovits , whose profiles have grown during the pandemic as they spread misinformation about mask-wearing and convoluted conspiracy theories about virus experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci . Malone was a big supporter of Ivermectin to treat Covid : And he has taken a keen interest in the JFK assassination: And he published an "opening statement" in a trial of Lyndon Johnson for the assassination of JFK: The prosecution will demonstrate that Oswald was a patriot who did not fire the rifle found on the 6th floor of the Dallas Book Depository, but rather that he was manipulated into believing he was honorably protecting the president. Lyndon Johnson’s defenders will embrace and apply his bold deflective tactics, denying any consideration of the obvious and limiting the boundaries of inquiry. They will ignore the prima facie evidence that Johnson was at the epicenter of the Kennedy assassination and distract from the immensity of effort that he applied to cover his guilt. We ask you to recognize and reject this blatant, tired ruse in considering the facts. The plot to kill President Kennedy becomes ever more transparent as the benefactors of an assassination culture continue to thrive in an environment where threats, blackmail, and murder to attain personal wealth and power, are standard operating procedures. Only a jury of honest open-eyed Americans can find Lyndon Johnson guilty of murdering John F. Kennedy. This verdict will give impetus to an era where unchecked criminal enterprise in the guise of ultra-nationalism and political necessity in defiance of all ethical boundaries are no longer tolerated. Malone regularly posts crazy stuff on his own Substack. For instance : Who knew there was a "PsyWar campaign" against "all of us." The day of that coup was November 22, 1963. That was the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. That was the day the U.S. government turned against its own people and began a PsyWar campaign against all of us. We just didn’t know it yet.  Nothing has been the same since. Malone even thinks Fletcher Prouty is a credible source: Colonel L. Fletcher Prouty authored another important book on this topic. Prouty was a former CIA operative who worked for the agency during this period. His historic account shatters what we have all come to believe about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This book was the basis for Oliver Stone’s movie JFK. Prouty outlines how Kennedy’s death was a coup d’état, and he presents strong evidence to that effect as well as details of the elite power base that was and is the hidden hand of the U.S. government [3]- what is often referred to as the “Deep state”. And Malone has posted a crazy article written by Juliet Bonnay, who is conspiracy theorist and a 9/11 truther: This article truly takes the cake. Let me give you a summary of what's it all about -- and believe me, it's quite convoluted. Ramsey Clark, the Attorney General under Lyndon Johnson, was told to get Bobby Kennedy to back off from re-opening the investigation into the JFK assassination. In 2006, David Warwick, a supposed whistle-blower, was interviewed on a radio show and he said he was stationed in Los Angeles in 1968 working for a foreign government. For some unnamed reason, he was told to be at the Coconut Grove, the night RFK was assassinated. On the way, he heard four shots over the radio, and they were very close to the entrance of the Ambassador Hotel. He entered a driveway and a lanky guy and a girl in a polka dot skirt came running shouting, "We've done it, we've done it. We've killed Bobby Kennedy." They turned up a couple of weeks later with their throats cut. He was told to then pick up the British Consulate General and his family and when he dropped them off at home, the butler waves him in and says his boss in on the phone. He is told that he's "got the Attorney General's office," and to do whatever he wants. Then he is told to secure the Attorney General and to "maintain him." He gets this man, who tells him that he has a problem. He had been under threat for three months with Eli Lilly [Eli Lilly, Jr.] who said that "if Bobby didn't shut up .. and pull back from re-opening his brother's assassination, he'd do him the same as he'd done Jack." Yup, it was Eli Lilly, Jr. who "did the president." Not long after this interview, Warwick was at a conference in Blackpool and was intending to elaborate on what he said above, when he just fell flat on his face and was dead. The article claims that Warwick was killed by an intelligence agency using an extremely low frequency weapon. The weapon was set on "Delta wave" which can shut down a person's nervous system. That technology had been perfected at a CIA underground facility in the New Mexico desert. So why did Eli Lilly, Jr., want to kill JFK? It all goes back to the Salk polio vaccine. Eli Lilly was the first company to mass produce the vaccine. Cutter Laboratories produced a vaccine with live viruses and many people became sick. The Sabin vaccine went into commercial use in 1961 which was supposedly safer. Bernice Eddy did research and, according to the article, discovered that a simian virus could cross the species barrier. One such simian virus was just like the polyoma virus found in the Sabin vaccine. Since Eli Lilly was the biggest producer of the Salk vaccine, it would be liable for billions of dollars. Dr, Alton Ochsner, a cancer researchers tried to make the vaccine safer. He enlisted the help of Mary Sherman, a doctor in New Orleans, to work on this secret project. They didn't get far, and so they hired Judyth Vary Baker to help out. Dr. Sherman told her that while they could not make the simian virus benign they had found a way to eliminate Fidel Castro -- and it would look like natural causes. Eli Lilly provided some of the chemicals used in this bio-weapon project. Oswald was to go to Mexico to deliver his concoction to a contact to kill Castro. The contact didn't show. When Jim Garrison began investigating Clay Shaw, it was evidence that the key players might be revealed. Shaw was connected with Oswald and David Ferrie, who were connected to Dr. Ochsner and Dr. Sherman. And it all led back to Eli Lilly and to the polio vaccine. All of this is complete nonsense. The author mixes some truth about the Salk vaccine into an elaborate ridiculous story. The fact that Dr. Malone believes this nonsense says a lot about his intellectual prowess. And to bring in Judyth Vary Baker -- the leader of a cult and a known fraud is contemptible. And don't forget to pick up a copy of Dr. Malone's latest book : Previous Relevant Blog Posts on RFK Jr. RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard Bring Conspiracy Nonsense into the Trump Administration They both like James Douglass's ridiculous book about the JFK assassination. The Magic Thinking of Kennedy-ism A very good article by Rick Perlstein. Sanitising a Paranoid Crank Efforts are being made to try and make RFK Jr. look sane Aaron Rodgers Should be RFK Jr.'s Running Mate! He spouts the same nonsense. RFK Jr.'s Super Bowl Ad was a Disgrace The ad puts RFK Jr. into a JFK television ad. What in the world happened to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.? Cartoonist Jack Ohman has a good op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle . RFK Jr.'s Campaign of Conspiracy Theories Politifact has named RFK Jr's campaign of conspiracy theories their 2023 Lie of the Year. RFK Jr. Says Woody Harrelson's Dad was Involved in the JFK Assassination Just when I thought he couldn't get any wackier. Is RFK Jr. a 9/11 Truther?   Of course, RFK Jr. is unclear as to what happened on 9/11. RFK Jr. Puts Words in Allen Dulles's Mouth   RFK Jr. is interviewed by Tucker Carlson and tells a story about Allen Dulles that is just not true. RFK Jr. Lauds Jim Garrison   Of all the people to quote, RFK Jr chooses a charlatan. RFK Jr. Disrespects the Memory of his Father   RFK Jr. can't even quote his father properly. The RFK Jr. Bullshitosphere   An examination of RFK Jr's latest comments on Covid-19. RFK Jr. Names the Mastermind of the JFK Assassination   Finally, RFK Jr. gives us the name of one of the masterminds. RFK Jr. for President?   Two articles on RFK Jr. RFK Jr. Shows He's Not a Serious Candidate   His beliefs on Ukraine show that RFK Jr. is just not serious. Does RFK Jr. Have a Leaky Brain?   RFK has some wacky views on Wi-Fi. Did RFK Jr. Tell Tony Muhammad that the CDC is Killing Black and Latino Boys?   RFK Jr. has a disturbing relationship with the Nation of Islam. RFK Jr. is Taking Precautions to Avoid being Assassinated   Besides being paranoid, RFK Jr. is naive about the world in which we live. Russian Propaganda Outlets are Pushing RFK Jr.   Putin knows which candidate to back. RFK Jr. Misquotes JFK   He can't even quote his uncle properly. RFK Jr. on the JFK Assassination and Jim Garrison He gets the Garrison story all wrong. RFK Jr.'s JFK Assassination Guru Promotes Crackpot Theories   RFK Jr.'s favorite JFK assassination book is full of crackpot theories.

Mae Brussell was a researcher who saw conspiracies everywhere. Even researcher Dick Russell wrote that he had always considered her to be "a bit fringy." She was not happy with the HSCA and she sent Representative Carl Stokes this letter of complaint: Brussell believed that Fred Crisman was either one of the tramps or was with the tramps in Dealey Plaza. This is not true as Crisman's widow provided evidence to the HSCA that Crisman was teaching high school in Oregon on November 22, 1963: In point 8, Brussell mentions the Torbitt document [otherwise known as "The Nomenclature of an Assassination Cabal", which accuses all sorts of groups and people as being involved in the JFK assassination. Few people take it seriously. It is interesting that Brussell was one of the first to talk about Jack Ruby and his examination by Dr. Jolyon West, whom she claims was a CIA agent (point 17). I looked at the issue of Ruby and MK-Ultra, resuscitated by Jefferson Morley, in three blog posts: Jefferson Morley Responds to my Post on MK-Ultra and Jack Ruby An answer to Morley's critique of my article on Ruby and West. Did Dr. Louis Jolyon West Ask to Examine Jack Ruby in November 1963?   There is no evidence that Dr. West petitioned the court to examine Jack Ruby before his trial. Did the CIA use a MK-Ultra Psychiatrist to Interfere with Jack Ruby's Case?   There is absolutely no evidence that Dr. Louis Jolyon West interfered with Jack Ruby's case. Here is a letter that Mae Brussell wrote to Jim Garrison: Quite the letter. Brussell tells Garrison that the JFK assassination was planned in 1961, and that Sirhan Sirhan was a CIA agent. You can read what Canadian novelist Mordecai Richler thought of Mae Brussell.   Here is a link to some of her writings . There was even controversy after Brussell died of cancer in 1988 : Santa Cruz Sentinel, February 28, 1992 Money Quote : Many former Brussell colleagues and disciples -- Seneres, Emory and Judge included -- contend her death, of cancer at age 66, may have been induced by intelligence interests who wanted her silenced. Here is Peter Knight's entry for Mae Brussell in the Conspiracy Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia : Previous Relevant Blog Posts Was General Charles Willoughby the Mastermind of the JFK Assassination? Dick Russell's suspicion that General Charles Willoughby was the mastermind of the JFK assassination started with an article by Mae Brussell. "Coup in Dallas" - The Story of a Factoid Mae Brussell also spread disinformation about Permindex.

Here is another view of Luna's ridiculous JFK hearings: By Alexis Coe, presidential historian “Dear Ms. Alexis Coe: The Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets requests your testimony ...” It was such a dignified pseudo-summons. I might have framed it, had the actual hearing — unsubtly and inaccurately titled “The JFK Files: Assessing Over 60 Years of the Federal Government’s Obstruction, Obfuscation, and Deception” — not devolved into a bleak farce. Of course, I was honored to be invited by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. But I knew the odds weren’t in my favor: I was the lone witness called by the minority party, the only historian, the only woman cast in this made-for-YouTube morality play — pitted against Fox News regulars and their pick-me understudies: Reps. Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nancy Mace — primed to attack, regardless of the subject matter. The five witnesses invited by the majority were all alive in 1963, decades before I was born. Over time, their theories appear to have hardened like volcanic glass and, for apparent true believers, were just as impervious to fact. Our written statements diverged starkly — though mine was conspicuously absent from the hearing’s website for 36 hours, posted only after a special request. Still, hope — or perhaps hubris — lingered in my historian’s heart. I truly didn’t realize I was more decoy than foil until I took the oath. After that, it was undeniable: Congress is dominated by deeply unserious people wielding serious power. Most members didn’t even bother to show up. Rep. Robert Garcia of California was the lone Democrat on the dais; a handful of Republicans sat spaced out in the raised committee seats, dwarfed by the empty expanse around them. The few questions posed were lazy and largely rhetorical. Rep. Mace, of South Carolina, breezed in long enough to barrel through a brief tirade about government secrecy before demanding “Was this a cover-up, yes or no?” — of everyone but me. Between the members and the witnesses loomed a screen with a remote witness; he struggled to stay upright and awake. But he wasn’t the main image. That distinction belonged to a grinning Tucker Carlson — patron saint of Republican grievance — front and center in a bizarre group photo that lingered for half the hearing. It wasn’t an official slide; it was just a juvenile, irrelevant flex from a staffer. I wished I’d been allowed to make corrections throughout the hearing. The first witness — a long-retired dentist who had been a young resident in the Dallas emergency room where President John F. Kennedy died — set the tone. His testimony blended medical minutiae with conspiracy: Then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, he claimed, was too calm to be innocent. They understood archives the way toddlers understand taxes: not at all, and mostly through tantrum. They dismissed Ambassador Caroline Kennedy’s actual record of transparency and early release — she’s shared documents related to her assassinated father, said yes to countless research requests and generally bent over backward for historians. The majority’s witnesses never used her honorific. Never mind that nothing substantial had surfaced since the last release of archival material related to the JFK assassination. They felt entitled to more, more, more. The committee’s chairwoman, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, reveled in it. She waxed rhapsodic about how Donald Trump was the most transparent president ever, threatened to shake down Russia for documents and cast American archivists as CIA co-conspirators. None of that is true, but I take particular umbrage at the many attacks government-employed librarians faced during the hearing. Of course, none were present to explain how they are overworked, underfunded and operating within a gutted system increasingly strained by political interference. Yet they embody everything government should be: ethical, methodical, devoted to public service. I know this because their work enables my own. Rep. Luna didn’t want to hear that. No Republican did. To serve their points, they’d cherry-pick my quotes to weaponize and flatten — sometimes referring to me as “the historian” or “Coo,” a new-to-me mispronunciation of my last name. Garcia asked me one question. I used the time I had to fact-check and, since I clearly couldn’t beat ’em, tried to join them: If we all agreed that the CIA behaved badly in the 1960s — like J. Edgar Hoover’s obsessive surveillance and sabotage of Martin Luther King Jr. — why not give the upcoming MLK release the same scrutiny? That’s when Rep. Garcia — the lone Democrat on the dais — claimed to agree but cut me off and promptly left the hearing to his conservative colleagues. Fortunately, I’d pregamed with a thorough statement they absolutely hated. I reminded them of the exquisite irony — they mark their own papers private — and that history has consistently taken a dim view of enablers who shield demagogues from accountability, excuse their abuses and help consolidate their power. I did mean to inspire: The last time a demagogue held this much sway in Congress, it ended in censure. At the time, a young senator saw the way the wind was blowing — and stepped out in front of it. His name was John F. Kennedy. The other guy? Joseph McCarthy. After the hearing, a few staffers apologized. Mostly, though, I faced a lot of people's backs. When an actual archivist appeared, Luna introduced him to every witness except me. By that time, the feeling was mutual. I preferred the conspiracy theorists, too. At least they believed in something. So do I. Everything I do, including testifying, is an expression of my patriotism. I’m still down for the American Experiment — but I’m convinced the 119th Congress will do nothing to protect it. Its performance will end soon enough, but the damage won’t. Alexis Coe is a presidential historian and a senior fellow at New America and the New York Times bestselling author of "Young Jack: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1957" (2025), "You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington" (2020) and "Alice+Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis" (2014). Previous Relevant Blog Posts about Congresswoman Luna Luna Talks to Rogan about Interdimensional Beings and the Ark of the Covenant Some highlights of Luna's visit with Joe Rogan. Luna Comes up with a Bombshell! Luna says the Russians will be giving us their JFK files in the fall. The MAGA Crowd Gets The JFK Assassination Conspiracy They Need Luna, Bannon, and Tucker believe some crazy things about the assassination. Luna's Ridiculous Hearing Luna's second hearing -- I don't know what was worse - the silly testimony of the witnesses or the brainless questions of the committee members. Jefferson Morley's Congressional NothingBurger An analysis of Congresswoman Luna's Congressional Hearings Is Congresswoman Luna a Luna-tic? Congresswoman Luna doesn't really know much about the JFK assassination. Is Congresswoman Luna a Luna-tic? Part Two Have a look at the book on Luna's desk Anna Luna's JFK Conspiracy Circus A link to an excellent article by Michael Isikoff. Congresswoman Luna Finds a New Witness Here is the conspiracy witness who knows the truth. Previous Relevant Blogs Posts on Jefferson Morley's Congressional Testimony Jefferson Morley's Congressional NothingBurger An analysis of Congresswoman Luna's Congressional Hearings In Search of the Oswald Operation, Part One An FBI memo that quoted James Angleton is used by Morley to reach an unwarranted conclusion. In Search of the Oswald Operation, Part Two Morley misreads Angleton's testimony before the HSCA. In Search of an Oswald Operation, Part Three Morley believes a document proves the CIA did not believe that a lone gunman killed JFK. Update on the Heath Memo Additional documents relevant to Part Three. In Search of an Oswald Operation, Part Four Morley claims that there is some connection between the suicides of Gary Underhill, Charles Thomas, George de Mohrenschildt, and the overdose death of Dorothy Kilgallen. In Search of an Oswald Operation, Part Five Morley believes that Agustin Guitart was spying on pro-Castro forces in New Orleans

I strongly recommend that everybody buy a copy and read James Kirchick's magisterial book, Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington . You can read my book review here. Here is a short excerpt: (pages 536 -537) Summer is "silly season in Washington, a time of frivolous political initiatives and trivial journalistic pursuits. But for the denizens of the secret city, the summer of 1982 was anything but amusing. A taste of the trouble to come was betokened by the boisterous, twelve-page tabloid that appeared on newsstand kiosks across the city on May 14, 1982. "It is the Deep Backgrounder 's purpose in this first edition to expose one of the most politically sensitive and potentially explosive issues in Washington today," the new publication declared. "This is the issue of homosexuality within the federal government and its effects on how our government operates in both the domestic and international arenas." Not much was known about Martin Price, the fifty-two-year-old publisher, president, and executive editor of the Deep Backgrounder , except that he had formerly served as the chief investigative reporter for Spotlight, the weekly newspaper of the extreme right-wing, anti-Semitic Liberty Lobby . Price's sidekick was more of a known quantity, ironic given his fourteen-year career at the CIA. Not long after Victor Marchetti quit his position as executive assistance to the deputy director in 1969, a former colleague suggested he be assassinated for starting work on a roman á clef about the agency, a proposal that its then-director, Richard Helms, vetoed. Or, at least that's what Marchetti believed had happened. He also believed that NSA cryptographers William Martin and Bernon Mitchell were "secret lovers" and that E. Howard Hunt had helped orchestrate the Kennedy assassination, a theory whose baroque particulars he expounded on in an article for Spotlight (based, he would later admit, almost entirely upon rumors retailed to him by a columnist for Penthouse ). Sustained by copious amounts of alcohol, and lunging between bouts of literary inspiration and paranoid delusion, Marchetti spent his days in the basement recreation room of his Virginia home obsessing over the many enemies out to get him and hammering away at his typewriter. He kept a locked and loaded .45 pistol on his desk, not only for the inevitable moment when the boys at the Company tried to kill him again, but also for more mundane nuisances, like the plumber who improperly installed a water heater. "I'll blow your belly all over the floor if you don't do what I told you and do it right," Marchetti ordered as he pointed his weapon at the poor sap's stomach. Here are some excerpts from the Premier issue of The Deep Backgrounder : The Deep Backgrounder, according to James Kirchick, was part of a "frenzy" to out homosexuals in the early 1980s: Equipped with little more than some well-placed sources, a flair for bombastic prose, and a total lack of journalistic scruple, this cantankerous and conspiratorial duo helped spark a media frenzy involving callboys, congressmen, congressional pages, foreign spies, and lists of high-class homosexuals that made the summer of 1982 a miasma of fear and suspicion not seen since the Lavender Scare. Of course the Lavender Scare was when the U. S. government fired thousands of homosexuals from its ranks. To get a full feel for what happened, you must read Kirchick's incredible book. Here is an article in the first issue by Victor Marchetti: Here are some excerpts from the second edition of The Deep Backgrounder , including the front page in which they "name names": And The Deep Backgrounder outed Bob Gray, who worked for Ronald Reagan: Here are some excerpts from the first edition: Here is an article about The Deep Backgrounder from the gay newspaper, Bay Area Reporter : Here is an article from the Washington Blade of May 28, 1982: Here are some excerpts from Phil McCombs article in the Washington Post of December 14, 1980 : Victor Marchetti, former CIA spy turned agency critic, lies on his back in the semidark. Visions of retribution dance in his brain. His eyes are closed; one arm rests on his forehead. On a desk beyond the sofa where he lies is a typewriter with a piece of paper cranked into it and spotlighted by a lone lamp. "I'm a very violent man. . . ." His voice is soft, breathy with alcohol in the prelunch noon. He is talking about a plumber. The plumber came to his house recently to put in a water heater, but he was doing it wrong. So, Marchetti says, he pointed a loaded .45 pistol at the plumber's beer belly and said, "'I'll blow your belly all over the floor if you don't do what I told you to do and do it right.'. . . He did it right and got out of here. . . . When you make a threat, you've gotta be able to deliver." The whistle blower, 11 years out. More than a decade unplugged from the engines of society and the bureaucracy that keeps so many people going from day to day. You've got to be strong to survive. ... In a five-hour interview in the basement recreation room of his house, where he writes, and at a Chinese restaurant, Marchetti presented himself in various guises -- as the Brando-style godfather, the gentle family man, the man of violence and death, idealistic reformer, literary artist. Truth and fantasy merged, indistinguishable. His wife, he said, has a nice way of describing him. "She says, 'If you'd lived in another time, you'd have been a crusader. You'd have gone in against the Saracens in the Middle East and fought 'em. If you were in another time and another place, you'd have been a gunslinger. And if you hadn't gone straight and worked for the agency, you'd have been a Mafioso.' And I think she knows me for what I am." His voice softens. Feeling and affection seem to come into it for the first time in five hours. He is thinking of his wife, and he quotes her again: "'From the day I met you, you were always spoiling for a fight. The only question was could you get on the right side or not? . . .'" From time to time, Marchetti, 50, a short, brown-haired man with watery eyes and gold-rimmed glasses, got up from the sofa, walked to the rec room bar and poured himself a drink. "One of the things you want to understand about the [spy] business is almost everybody's a drunk. I'm not really an alcoholic, but borderline. I like to get a snootful. I think I'd be diagnosed as a functional alcoholic." ... There were problems with the agency mentioned in the Cult book, the social problem of his being, in his words, the "token dago" in the elitist, WASPish CIA, his inherent tough-guy combativeness. Who knows exactly why he left? He's not entirely sure himself. "Well, it doesn't matter. I don't [care] any more about anything. All I'm interested in is providing for my family, taking care of my kids. . . ." "Here you sit. A spy, a traitor to your country. Yet, you can laugh about it, make jokes. Why? That is the fascination." "Sandor, I often wonder about it myself. I can only guess that somewhere along the line, I lost touch with reality. Or perhaps I discovered reality. Maybe I simply invented my own version of it . . ." -- Victor Marchetti, "The Rope-Dancer." After he left, he said, they soon realized he was writing a book. He said that one top official was convinced he was a Soviet spy and wanted to have him assassinated, but, he said, Director Richard Helms drew the line at that. "When I decided to buck the system, decided to go public, they panicked. They got the [Nixon] White House involved, and they were vindictive. Their main goal was to get me some way, somehow. . . . They put me under surveillance and mail cover. . . . I got caught up in a scheme of things where people were so paranoid, so frightened. This happened right after [Pentagon Papers whistle blower Daniel] Ellsberg and the plumbers [burglars who broke into Ellsberg's office] . . . We already had early word that Philip Agee was about to [reveal CIA secrets]. They just went bonkers. . . . The long and the short of it is, they clobbered me. . . . The main thing they do to you is they ostracize you. You no longer have any friends, or very few friends. . . . Let me tell you something, buddy. My friends in the Mafia are clean compared with these guys." ... Survival for Marchetti, he says, depends mainly on his family. "This is what they don't understand. They can pull all their dirty little tricks, all their sneaky little gambits, but you still got a family. And your family sticks by you. I don't mean just your kids or your wife. I mean your family -- la famiglia. Brother, aunts and uncles. . . . That's one thing the CIA has never learned -- they can't beat famiglia! They may have a lot of power when it comes to the Establishment, . . . but they can't beat the entire famiglia. Blood!" Marchetti lies on the sofa, eyes closed again. Lies there in his blue checked pants, soft shoes and raggedy sweater. His voice drags and slurs, slower and slower: "If I had it to do all over again, I'd never done it. I lost everything I had. I managed to hold onto the house and a few other things, but basically I lost. . . . If I had it to do all over again, I'd have kept my mouth shut. I'd have played the game, I'd be a super-grade, have a good salary, nice fringe benefits and so on. But. . . ." Kirchick concludes his chapter on the 1982 panic and The Deep Backgrounder : (page 552) Price would not live to witness his adversaries adopt the tactics he had deployed to such chilling effect, dying unexpectedly in October 1983. The Deep Backgrounder expired soon thereafter. His erstwhile associate Marchetti remained a prominent figure within the conspiracy theorist subculture, writing for Holocaust denial journals until the more prosaic form of dementia overtook him a few years prior to his death in 2018. The Deep Backgrounder may have faded from Washington's collective memory almost as suddenly as it appeared. But the fear it instilled among the citizens of "Sodom-on-the-Potomac" remained potent as a force of nature beyond anyone's imagination threatened to push their secrets out into the open. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Victor Marchetti Should We Believe Victor Marchetti?, Part Two An examination of the hoax that implicated E. Howard Hunt in the JFK assassination. Should We Believe Victor Marchetti?, Part One Marchetti said that Clay Shaw was a domestic contact of the CIA. Chad Nagle and Dan Storper Lay an Egg Nagle and Storper use Marchetti as a source on Clay Shaw. Rob Reiner's Podcast Series, Part Two Marchetti wrote about a fake defector program, but actually knew nothing about it. Dr. Cyril Wecht: Was Gerry Patrick Hemming Oswald's Handler? Wecht uses Marchetti as a source about an ONI program. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Jefferson Morley's Congressional Testimony Jefferson Morley's Congressional NothingBurger An analysis of Congresswoman Luna's Congressional Hearings In Search of the Oswald Operation, Part One An FBI memo that quoted James Angleton is used by Morley to reach an unwarranted conclusion. In Search of the Oswald Operation, Part Two Morley misreads Angleton's testimony before the HSCA. In Search of an Oswald Operation, Part Three Morley believes a document proves the CIA did not believe that a lone gunman killed JFK. Update on the Heath Memo Additional documents relevant to Part Three. In Search of an Oswald Operation, Part Four Morley claims that there is some connection between the suicides of Gary Underhill, Charles Thomas, George de Mohrenschildt, and the overdose death of Dorothy Kilgallen. In Search of an Oswald Operation, Part Five Morley believes that Agustin Guitart was spying on pro-Castro forces in New Orleans Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Jefferson Morley Jefferson Morley Platforms Max Good Right after his Substack article that went after Ruth Paine, Jefferson Morley's Substack provided a platform to Max Good, producer of a tendentious documentary on Ruth Morley's Substack Goes After Ruth Paine My response to Peter Voskamp, author of the article on Morley's Substack. I Am Now a Pro Bono Lawyer for the CIA! I don't even have law degree! Yet Another Morley Nothingburger A new CIA file on Herminio Diaz does not sustain allegations that he was a grassy knoll gunman. Richard Russell and the Warren Report Richard Russell always believed that Oswald was the lone gunman. Was Hoover's Warren Commission Testimony Altered? An article by Chad Nagle, on Morley's Substack, gets it wrong on Hoover's testimony. My Quillette Article on Morley's Nothingburger My latest article for Quillette.com CBS Practices Stenography The recent segment on CBS about Morley and JFK documents was not journalism. Lee Harvey Oswald was not under Surveillance Morley's list of six CIA operations do not prove that Oswald was under surveillance. The CIA's Pro Bono Lawyers Morley claims the SpyTalk authors are working as pro bono lawyers for the CIA. Did the CIA Know Oswald's State of Mind? The CIA was just quoting from a State Department memo. SpyTalk on the Joannides' File, Part Two SpyTalks replies to Jefferson Morley. The Illusion of a Smoking Gun Gerald Posner on the Joannides' file. Fact Checking Morley's Fact Check Morley's Fact Check on SpyTalk needs a fact check. SpyTalk on Morley's Nothingburger Gus Russo and Michael Isikoff on the Joannides' personnel file. Jefferson Morley's Unbearable Lightness of Being Now that the entire personnel file of George Joannides has been released, Jefferson Morley has now published his unified theory of nothingness. More Morley Nothingburgers on the way Morley is requesting more documents -- they will reveal nothing about the assassination. Morley's Non-Story Hits the Press Morley got the headlines he wanted to a complete non-story. George Joannides and the HSCA Joannides did not come out of retirement to work with the HSCA. There Was No "Oswald Operation" There is no mention of an "Oswald Operation" in the Joannides' personnel file. The Parkland Doctors, Part Six Morley believes that Dr. Robert McClelland's recollections provides proof of a shot from the front. Here is the truth about McClelland. On the Loss of Occam’s Razor in the JFK Case A reply by Nicholas Nalli to Jefferson Morley. A Case Study in Redaction: The CIA's LIFEAT File Morley suspected a redacted file would reveal major secrets. It didn't. The Schlesinger Memo Unredacted! Several months ago, I posted an article, in association with several researchers, that showed what was contained in the redacted section of Schlesinger's memo. Jefferson Morley's Clairvoyance Morley somehow knows what is in the supposed 2,400 recently-discovered FBI files. Was Israel Behind the JFK Assassination? Morley discusses Israel with Tucker Carlson. Morley's Bad History Lesson Morley believes that the United States can never be great unless it solves the JFK assassination. Morley's List of 13 Documents Will Tell Us Little An analysis of the 13 documents Morley wants to see. The Schlesinger Memo, Again! Morley claims I am a CIA apologist and then misquotes me. For The Sake of Our Sanity - Release the Joannides File It would be worthwhile for the CIA to release the Joannides file just to stop the incessant posts from Jefferson Morley. Did Oswald Stay at a Luxury Hotel in Helsinki? Actually, Oswald stayed at two budget-priced hotels in Helsinki. Morley Keeps Asking the Same Questions He keeps asking the same questions, and we keep posting the same answers. The JFK Assassination and Truth Conspiracy authors are playing fast and loose with the facts. Was Herminio Diaz a Grassy Knoll Assassin? There is no evidence that Diaz was involved in the JFK assassination. Morley Misleads on Arthur Schlesinger's Memo on the CIA There are clues as to what is in a redacted section of Schlesinger's memo. Jefferson Morley's Podcast on New Orleans Lays an Egg Chad Nagle and Dan Storper's article on New Orleans gets everything wrong. Chad Nagle and Dan Storper Lay an Egg Believing Michael Kurtz is problematic. Is Jefferson Morley Seeing Double? Morley wrote that there are two redacted memos on CIA reorganization, but there is only one. He wrote about Goodwin's copy as if it was a different memo, rather than a copy of the Schlesinger memo. Jefferson Morley is wrong about "Who Shot John?" The phrase 'who shot John' does not refer to the JFK assassination. Jefferson Morley is Wrong on William Harvey, Again! Only one word is redacted in Harvey's deposition. Jefferson Morley is Wrong about Operation Northwoods, Again! There are no redactions in the Operation Northwoods document. Did Dorothy Kilgallen Have any Special Knowledge about the JFK Assassination? Kilgallen had nothing to tell. Morley's Interview of Marina Oswald Porter Fizzles! An underwhelming interview of Marina Oswald. Jefferson Morley: Able to Leap Intellectual Chasms in a Single Bound Morley often repeats stories and changes their meanings. There was NO Assassination Plot in Chicago Chad Nagle claims there was an assassination plot against JFK in Chicago in November 1963. One problem: There is no evidence of such a plot. Fred Litwin, CIA Apologist? A response to Morley's Substack post alleging that I am a CIA apologist. A Reply to Jefferson Morley on Bill Harvey   A rebuttal to Morley's response to my post Was Bill Harvey in Dallas in November of 1963? Was Bill Harvey in Dallas in November of 1963?   There is no credible evidence Harvey was in Dallas in November of 1963. Does it Matter Where Allen Dulles was on November 22, 1963?   Morley repeats the claim that Dulles was at a CIA training center during the weekend of the JFK assassination. He wasn't. Jefferson Morley's Claims about Reuben Efron   Morley's claims about Efron are all wrong. A Reply to Jefferson Morley regarding Operation Northwoods   Morley responded to my article "The Truth about Operation Northwoods." Here is my reply. W. Tracy Parnell on Jefferson Morley   W. Tracy Parnell is one of the best JFK assassination researchers out there. Here is his look at Jefferson Morley with several important articles. The Truth about Operation Northwoods   Operation Northwoods can only be understood as part of the Kennedys' war against Cuba and Operation Mongoose. Jefferson Morley Responds to my Post on MK-Ultra and Jack Ruby   And a response from me. Did Dr. Louis Jolyon West Ask to Examine Jack Ruby in November 1963?   There is no evidence that Dr. West petitioned the court to examine Jack Ruby before his trial. Did the CIA use a MK-Ultra Psychiatrist to Interfere with Jack Ruby's Case?   There is absolutely no evidence that Dr. Louis Jolyon West interfered with Jack Ruby's case. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills, Part Four   Jefferson Morley used a fake Oswald handbill in his press conference for the Mary Ferrell Foundation. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   An examination of redactions in the JFK collection of documents. Jefferson Morley Doesn't Understand Jim Garrison's Homophobic Prosecution of Clay Shaw Morley doesn't understand Alecia Long's arguments about homophobia and Jim Garrison. Jefferson Morley asks why "what the CIA knew about Herminio Diaz is still off limits." Morley misses that a lot of redactions are actually available. Belief in a JFK Conspiracy Drops! Jefferson Morley's press conference presents evidence that belief in a conspiracy has dropped.

Hat tip: Muckrock.com has a very good article about this hoax. I have tried to add to that they have written with the original articles, and other material. Our first part on Victor Marchetti is here. Jefferson Morley linked to this article about Marchetti : The article alleges a CIA plan to use a limited hangout: But inside the CIA, a vastly different plan was taking shape. A leaked analysis by Victor Marchetti — a former CIA officer turned whistleblower — revealed that Langley wasn’t preparing to tell the truth. Instead, it was preparing to stage-manage the hearings using a deception tactic known in intelligence slang as a “limited hangout. This analysis, preserved in the JFK Records Act files (RIF No. 104-10412-10020), warned that the public would be given just enough to believe something new was being revealed — but never enough to threaten the agency itself. Here is RIF NO. 104-10412-10020: Looks like a CIA document since the CIA is the originator. But have a look at the first page: This does not look like a CIA document. You can see the stamp at the top and the writing at the bottom that this is Plaintiff's Exhibit 10, or No. 1. This document was part of E. Howard Hunt's lawsuit against The Spotlight and Victor Marchetti. And this exhibit is nothing more than an article that Victor Marchetti wrote for the August 14, 1978, edition of T he Spotlight , a weekly newspaper published by the antisemitic Liberty Lobby. And Marchetti testified to this at his deposition : Here is the actual article : And you can see that the text in the article matches the text in the supposed CIA file above. Here is what the article alleges: In March 1978, there was a meeting at CIA headquarters attended by top ranking clandestine officers and some former top officials. The topic was what to do about recent revelations associated Oswald with the Cold War spy game. The decision was made to stage a "limited hangout" when the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) starts its hearings. E. Howard Hunt will be exposed by the new investigation and the CIA has now decided to sacrifice him to protect its clandestine services. In the public hearings, the CIA will "admit" that Hunt was involved in the conspiracy to kill JFK. The CIA might even admit there were three gunmen in Dealey Plaza. A. J. Weberman and Michael Canfield, authors of Coup d' É tat in America , published photographs of the "three apparent bums" who were arrested in Dealey Plaza. One of them was E. Howard Hunt, and another was Frank Sturgis. The HSCA discovered a CIA memo from 1966 that said someday they will have to explain Hunt's presence in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963. Also marked for exposure was former CIA agent Gerry Patrick Hemming, who once worked for Castro as a CIA double agent, then later surfaced with the anti-Castro Cubans in various attempts to rid Cuba of the communist dictator. But there are two things in Hemming's past that the CIA, manipulating HSCA, will be able to use to tie him to the JFK assassination. First, Castro's former mistress, Marita Lorenz (now an anti-Castroite herself), has identified Hemming, along with Oswald and others as being part of the secret squad assigned to kill President Kennedy. Secondly, Hemming was Oswald's Marine sergeant when he was stationed at CIA's U-2 base in Atsugi, Japan-where Oswald supposedly was recruited as a spy by the Soviets, or was being trained to be a double agent by the CIA. Here is a text version of the article: A few months ago, in March, there was a meeting at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., the plush home of America's super spooks overlooking the Potomac River. It was attended by several high-level clandestine officers and some former top officials of the agency. The topic of discussion was: What to do about recent revelations associating President Kennedy's accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, with the spy game played between the U.S. and the USSR? (Spotlight, May 8, 1978.) A decision was made, and a course of action determined. They were calculated to both fascinate and confuse the public by staging a clever "limited hangout" when the House Special Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) holds its open hearings, beginning later this month. A "limited hangout" is spy jargon for a favorite and frequently used gimmick of the clandestine professionals. When their veil of secrecy is shredded and they can no longer rely on a phony cover story to misinform the public, they resort to admitting - sometimes even volunteering some of the truth while still managing to withhold the key and damaging facts in the case. The public, however, is usually so intrigued by the new information that it never thinks to pursue the matter further. We will probably never find out who masterminded the assassination of JFK - or why. There are too many powerful special interests connected with the conspiracy for the truth to come out even now, 15 years after the murder. But during the next two months, according to sensitive sources in the CIA and on HSCA, we are going to learn much more about the crime. The new disclosures will be sensational, but only superficially so. A few of the lesser villains involved in the conspiracy and its subsequent coverup will be identified for the first time - and allowed to twist slowly in the wind on live network TV. Most of the others to be fingered are already dead. But once again the good folks of middle America will be hoodwinked by the government and its allies in the establishment news media. In fact, we are being set up to witness yet another coverup, albeit a sophisticated one, designed by the CIA with the assistance of the FBI and the blessing of the Carter administration. A classic example of a limited hangout is how the CIA has handled and manipulated the Church Committee's investigation of two years ago. The committee learned nothing more about the assassinations of foreign leaders, illicit drug programs, or the penetration of the news media than the CIA allowed it to discover. And this is precisely what the CIA is out to accomplish through HSCA with regard to JFK's murder. Chief among those to be exposed by the new investigation will be E. Howard Hunt, of Watergate fame. His luck has run out, and the CIA has decided to sacrifice him to protect its clandestine services. The agency is furious with Hunt for having dragged it publicly into the Nixon mess and for having blackmailed it after he was arrested. Besides, Hunt is vulnerable - an easy target as they say in the spy business. His reputation and integrity have been destroyed. The death of his wife, Dorothy, in a mysterious plane crash in Chicago still disturbs many people, especially since there were rumors from informed sources that she was about to leave him and perhaps even turn on him. In addition it is well known that Hunt hated JFK and blamed him for the Bay of Pigs disaster. And now, in recent months, his alibi for his whereabouts on the day of the shooting has come unstuck. In the public hearings, the CIA will "admit" that Hunt was involved in the conspiracy to kill Kennedy. The CIA may go so far as to "admit" that there were three gunmen shooting at Kennedy. The FBI, while publicly embracing the Warren Commission's "one man acting alone" conclusion, has always privately known that there were three gunmen. The conspiracy involved many more people than the ones who actually fired at Kennedy, both agencies may now admit. A.J. Weberman and Michael Canfield, authors of Coup d'État in America, published pictures of three apparent bums who were arrested at Dealey Plaza just after President Kennedy's murder, but who were strangely released without any record of the arrest having been made by the Dallas police. One of the tramps the authors identified as Hunt. Another was Frank Sturgis, a long-time agent of Hunt's. Hunt immediately sued for millions of dollars in damages, claiming he could prove that he had been in Washington D.C. that day-on duty at CIA. It turned out, however, that this was not true. So, he said that he had been on leave and doing household errands, including a shopping trip to a grocery store in Chinatown. Weberman and Canfield investigated the new alibi and found that the grocery store where Hunt claimed to be shopping never existed. At this point, Hunt offered to drop his suit for a token payment of one dollar. But the authors were determined to vindicate themselves, and they continued to attack Hunt's alibi, ultimately completely shattering it. Now, the CIA moved to finger Hunt and tie him to the JFK assassination. HSCA unexpectedly received an internal CIA memorandum a few weeks ago that the agency just happened to stumble across in its old files. It was dated 1966 and said in essence: Some day we will have to explain Hunt's presence in Dallas on November 22, 1963 - the day President Kennedy was killed. Hunt is going to be hard put to explain this memo, and other things, before the TV cameras at the HSCA hearings. Hunt's reputation as a strident fanatical anti-communist will count against him. So will his long and close relationship with the anti-Castro Cubans, as well as his penchant for clandestine dirty tricks and his various capers while one of Nixon's plumbers. E. Howard Hunt will be implicated in the conspiracy and he will not dare to speak out-the CIA will see to that. In addition to Hunt and Sturgis, another former CIA agent marked for exposure is Gerry Patrick Hemming, a hulk of a man-six feet eight inches tall and weighing 260 pounds. Like Sturgis, Hemming once worked for Castro as a CIA double agent, then later surfaced with the anti-Castro Cubans in various attempts to rid Cuba of the communist dictator. But there are two things in Hemming's past that the CIA, manipulation HSCA, will be able to use to tie him to the JFK assassination. First, Castro's former mistress, Marita Lorenz (now an anti-Castroite herself), has identified Hemming, along with Oswald and others as being part of the secret squad assigned to kill President Kennedy. And secondly, Hemming was Oswald's Marine sergeant when he was stationed at CIA's U-2 base in Atsugi, Japan-where Oswald supposedly was recruited as a spy by the Soviets, or was being trained to be a double agent by the CIA. In any event, Hemming's Cuban career and his connection with Oswald make the Lorenz story difficult for him to deny, particularly since the squad allegedly also included Hunt and Sturgis. Who else will be identified as having been part of the conspiracy and/or coverup remains to be seen. But a disturbing pattern is already beginning to emerge. All the villains have been previously disgraced in one way or another. They all have "right wing" reputations. Or they will have after the hearings. The fact that some may have had connections with organized crime will prove to be only incidental in the long run. Those with provably ties to the CIA or FBI will be presented as renegades who acted on their own without the approval or knowledge of their superiors. As for covering up the deed, that will be blamed on past Presidents, either dead or disgraced. Thus, Carter will emerge as a truth-seeker, and the CIA and FBI will have neatly covered their institutional behinds. The timing of the hearing is another clue of what to expect and why. The committee has scheduled its open sessions on network TV to begin after Congress adjourns for the election campaign. The first order of business will be the Martin Luther King Jr. hearings -- with James Earl Ray and his family as the star witnesses. Then there will be a short break and the JFK hearings will begin. The committee plans to conclude its work by early October, just a month before the elections, perfect timing to cash in on the publicity the hearings are certain to create. And perfect timing for the Carterites to get the American public to forget about inflation, taxes, foreign affairs, and other White house blunders and elect a Congress more indebted and responsive to the presidency. The entire article was ridiculous. Marchetti believed A. J. Weberman and Michael Canfield's ridiculous thesis that E. Howard Hunt and Frank Sturgis were two of the three tramps. Gerry Patrick Hemming was not Oswald's Marine sergeant in Japan. And Marita Lorenz was a complete fraud -- the HSCA "could find no evidence" to support her allegations. And, of course, there was no such CIA memo from 1966 that discussed E. Howard Hunt and the JFK assassination : And there was a second article by Joe Trento and Jacquie Powers about the supposed HSCA memo. Trento's article also discusses the supposed 1966 CIA and says it was initialed by Richard Helms and James Angleton. The article claims the information came from "sources close to the Select Committee on Assassinations." Trento was deposed in the Hunt libel case but refused to say what his sources were. He did claim to have seen the memo. But if there was no such CIA memo, then where did Marchetti and Trento get their information from? Marchetti was deposed in 1984 as part of the litigation between E. Howard Hunt and the Liberty Lobby . Marchetti's source about the March meeting at CIA headquarters was William Corson: William Corson was a former Marine Corps officer who eventually became Penthouse Magazine's Washington correspondent. He collaborated closely with Joseph Trento, and they even wrote a book together. Corson told Trento a lot of stories that too fantastic to be believed. For instance, he said that Alen Dulles recruited him to check out Jack Ruby in 1964. Here is an excerpt from Trento's book, The Secret History of the CIA : I can find no evidence that Corson was sent by Dulles to investigate Ruby. Trento's assertion that Dulles was "not one of the prestigious group originally selected by Lyndon Johnson" to serve on the Warren Commission is not true. In fact, it was Robert Kennedy who suggested Dulles serve on the Commission. And Marchetti had no first-hand knowledge about the CIA and the JFK assassination : And so Marchetti admits that a lot of his information on the assassination comes from the buffs. Marchetti then says that some of Corson's information came from James Angleton : A. J. Weberman was also a source for Marchetti: Howard Leek was a counsel for the HSCA. But did he really tell Marchetti that Hunt would be exposed? Marchetti is asked about Weberman and Canfield : More Weberman : More Weberman: Marchetti just believed Weberman : Marchetti never even checked with E. Howard Hunt : Marchetti never saw the supposed 1966 CIA memo : And the information about Marita Lorenz came from Weberman : Bill Corson was one of Marchetti's sources, but he didn't see the memo either : Weberman told Marchetti that is all originated with Weberman, and that Gaeton Fonzi had seen the memo : Of course, Marchetti never actually talked with Gaeton Fonzi. Marchetti said that Corson said that Angleton wrote the memo : A memo that Corson had not seen. Marchetti's information came from William Corson and A.J. Weberman. It appears that no one actually saw the memo in question. Weberman wrote in his book that "when deposed by Mark Lane, Corson categorically denied being Marchetti's or Trento's source since he stated he never saw the document." Angleton was deposed during the trial. He was given the Marchetti and Trento articles to read: Angleton was asked about the supposed 1966 CIA memo : Marchetti and The Spotlight never contacted Angleton for confirmation : Angleton was then asked about Trento, and he said that he had met him : Angleton was asked about Trento's article and the supposed CIA memo : Trento contacted Angleton from Corson's office after his article appeared : Angleton was quite dismissive of Trento : Trento and Corson had little respect among historians and intelligence experts : Here is a review of Trento's book, The Secret History of the CIA : Trento was out of his league: The National Security Archive also found Trento's book wanting : And here is what Trento wrote about working with Corson : (page xiii) Trento writes that it was "maddening to deal with" Corson "because he seldom told me anything directly." Here is how the press reported the Marchetti-Trento brouhaha: Miami Herald, February 2, 1985 The article mentions that "the columnist, Bill Corson, later denied in a sworn deposition even talking about the rumors with Marchetti. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of his testimony. Here is a good overview of the entire Hunt libel case vs. Liberty Lobby: E. Howard Hunt implored the HSCA to get to the bottom of the supposed 1966 CIA memo : The HSCA Final Report debunked the allegations regarding E. Howard Hunt: We will never know who instigated this hoax -- Bill Corson, A. J. Weberman, Victor Marchetti, or Joe Trento. But it was a hoax. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Victor Marchetti Should We Believe Victor Marchetti?, Part One Marchetti said that Clay Shaw was a domestic contact of the CIA. Chad Nagle and Dan Storper Lay an Egg Nagle and Storper use Marchetti as a source on Clay Shaw. Rob Reiner's Podcast Series, Part Two Marchetti wrote about a fake defector program, but actually knew nothing about it. Dr. Cyril Wecht: Was Gerry Patrick Hemming Oswald's Handler? Wecht uses Marchetti as a source about an ONI program. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Jefferson Morley's Congressional Testimony Jefferson Morley's Congressional NothingBurger An analysis of Congresswoman Luna's Congressional Hearings In Search of the Oswald Operation, Part One An FBI memo that quoted James Angleton is used by Morley to reach an unwarranted conclusion. In Search of the Oswald Operation, Part Two Morley misreads Angleton's testimony before the HSCA. In Search of an Oswald Operation, Part Three Morley believes a document proves the CIA did not believe that a lone gunman killed JFK. Update on the Heath Memo Additional documents relevant to Part Three. In Search of an Oswald Operation, Part Four Morley claims that there is some connection between the suicides of Gary Underhill, Charles Thomas, George de Mohrenschildt, and the overdose death of Dorothy Kilgallen. In Search of an Oswald Operation, Part Five Morley believes that Agustin Guitart was spying on pro-Castro forces in New Orleans Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Jefferson Morley Jefferson Morley Platforms Max Good Right after his Substack article that went after Ruth Paine, Jefferson Morley's Substack provided a platform to Max Good, producer of a tendentious documentary on Ruth Morley's Substack Goes After Ruth Paine My response to Peter Voskamp, author of the article on Morley's Substack. I Am Now a Pro Bono Lawyer for the CIA! I don't even have law degree! Yet Another Morley Nothingburger A new CIA file on Herminio Diaz does not sustain allegations that he was a grassy knoll gunman. Richard Russell and the Warren Report Richard Russell always believed that Oswald was the lone gunman. Was Hoover's Warren Commission Testimony Altered? An article by Chad Nagle, on Morley's Substack, gets it wrong on Hoover's testimony. My Quillette Article on Morley's Nothingburger My latest article for Quillette.com CBS Practices Stenography The recent segment on CBS about Morley and JFK documents was not journalism. Lee Harvey Oswald was not under Surveillance Morley's list of six CIA operations do not prove that Oswald was under surveillance. The CIA's Pro Bono Lawyers Morley claims the SpyTalk authors are working as pro bono lawyers for the CIA. Did the CIA Know Oswald's State of Mind? The CIA was just quoting from a State Department memo. SpyTalk on the Joannides' File, Part Two SpyTalks replies to Jefferson Morley. The Illusion of a Smoking Gun Gerald Posner on the Joannides' file. Fact Checking Morley's Fact Check Morley's Fact Check on SpyTalk needs a fact check. SpyTalk on Morley's Nothingburger Gus Russo and Michael Isikoff on the Joannides' personnel file. Jefferson Morley's Unbearable Lightness of Being Now that the entire personnel file of George Joannides has been released, Jefferson Morley has now published his unified theory of nothingness. More Morley Nothingburgers on the way Morley is requesting more documents -- they will reveal nothing about the assassination. Morley's Non-Story Hits the Press Morley got the headlines he wanted to a complete non-story. George Joannides and the HSCA Joannides did not come out of retirement to work with the HSCA. There Was No "Oswald Operation" There is no mention of an "Oswald Operation" in the Joannides' personnel file. The Parkland Doctors, Part Six Morley believes that Dr. Robert McClelland's recollections provides proof of a shot from the front. Here is the truth about McClelland. On the Loss of Occam’s Razor in the JFK Case A reply by Nicholas Nalli to Jefferson Morley. A Case Study in Redaction: The CIA's LIFEAT File Morley suspected a redacted file would reveal major secrets. It didn't. The Schlesinger Memo Unredacted! Several months ago, I posted an article, in association with several researchers, that showed what was contained in the redacted section of Schlesinger's memo. Jefferson Morley's Clairvoyance Morley somehow knows what is in the supposed 2,400 recently-discovered FBI files. Was Israel Behind the JFK Assassination? Morley discusses Israel with Tucker Carlson. Morley's Bad History Lesson Morley believes that the United States can never be great unless it solves the JFK assassination. Morley's List of 13 Documents Will Tell Us Little An analysis of the 13 documents Morley wants to see. The Schlesinger Memo, Again! Morley claims I am a CIA apologist and then misquotes me. For The Sake of Our Sanity - Release the Joannides File It would be worthwhile for the CIA to release the Joannides file just to stop the incessant posts from Jefferson Morley. Did Oswald Stay at a Luxury Hotel in Helsinki? Actually, Oswald stayed at two budget-priced hotels in Helsinki. Morley Keeps Asking the Same Questions He keeps asking the same questions, and we keep posting the same answers. The JFK Assassination and Truth Conspiracy authors are playing fast and loose with the facts. Was Herminio Diaz a Grassy Knoll Assassin? There is no evidence that Diaz was involved in the JFK assassination. Morley Misleads on Arthur Schlesinger's Memo on the CIA There are clues as to what is in a redacted section of Schlesinger's memo. Jefferson Morley's Podcast on New Orleans Lays an Egg Chad Nagle and Dan Storper's article on New Orleans gets everything wrong. Chad Nagle and Dan Storper Lay an Egg Believing Michael Kurtz is problematic. Is Jefferson Morley Seeing Double? Morley wrote that there are two redacted memos on CIA reorganization, but there is only one. He wrote about Goodwin's copy as if it was a different memo, rather than a copy of the Schlesinger memo. Jefferson Morley is wrong about "Who Shot John?" The phrase 'who shot John' does not refer to the JFK assassination. Jefferson Morley is Wrong on William Harvey, Again! Only one word is redacted in Harvey's deposition. Jefferson Morley is Wrong about Operation Northwoods, Again! There are no redactions in the Operation Northwoods document. Did Dorothy Kilgallen Have any Special Knowledge about the JFK Assassination? Kilgallen had nothing to tell. Morley's Interview of Marina Oswald Porter Fizzles! An underwhelming interview of Marina Oswald. Jefferson Morley: Able to Leap Intellectual Chasms in a Single Bound Morley often repeats stories and changes their meanings. There was NO Assassination Plot in Chicago Chad Nagle claims there was an assassination plot against JFK in Chicago in November 1963. One problem: There is no evidence of such a plot. Fred Litwin, CIA Apologist? A response to Morley's Substack post alleging that I am a CIA apologist. A Reply to Jefferson Morley on Bill Harvey   A rebuttal to Morley's response to my post Was Bill Harvey in Dallas in November of 1963? Was Bill Harvey in Dallas in November of 1963?   There is no credible evidence Harvey was in Dallas in November of 1963. Does it Matter Where Allen Dulles was on November 22, 1963?   Morley repeats the claim that Dulles was at a CIA training center during the weekend of the JFK assassination. He wasn't. Jefferson Morley's Claims about Reuben Efron   Morley's claims about Efron are all wrong. A Reply to Jefferson Morley regarding Operation Northwoods   Morley responded to my article "The Truth about Operation Northwoods." Here is my reply. W. Tracy Parnell on Jefferson Morley   W. Tracy Parnell is one of the best JFK assassination researchers out there. Here is his look at Jefferson Morley with several important articles. The Truth about Operation Northwoods   Operation Northwoods can only be understood as part of the Kennedys' war against Cuba and Operation Mongoose. Jefferson Morley Responds to my Post on MK-Ultra and Jack Ruby   And a response from me. Did Dr. Louis Jolyon West Ask to Examine Jack Ruby in November 1963?   There is no evidence that Dr. West petitioned the court to examine Jack Ruby before his trial. Did the CIA use a MK-Ultra Psychiatrist to Interfere with Jack Ruby's Case?   There is absolutely no evidence that Dr. Louis Jolyon West interfered with Jack Ruby's case. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills, Part Four   Jefferson Morley used a fake Oswald handbill in his press conference for the Mary Ferrell Foundation. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   An examination of redactions in the JFK collection of documents. Jefferson Morley Doesn't Understand Jim Garrison's Homophobic Prosecution of Clay Shaw Morley doesn't understand Alecia Long's arguments about homophobia and Jim Garrison. Jefferson Morley asks why "what the CIA knew about Herminio Diaz is still off limits." Morley misses that a lot of redactions are actually available. Belief in a JFK Conspiracy Drops! Jefferson Morley's press conference presents evidence that belief in a conspiracy has dropped.