Scene from JFK Sam Newman, owner of the Newman building on the corner of Camp Street and Lafayette Street, testified before the HSCA on November 6, 1978. He drew a diagram of his building and, as you can see, there was no connection between Banister's office on Lafayette Street and the other offices which had their entrance at 544 Camp Street. On the first floor, there were two doors that led to Banister's office -- labeled A and B. Banister used door A. The other door was not used. The "R" on the first floor was a restroom. There was an entrance on Camp Street to a staircase that led to the second and third floor. On the second floor was a room for the janitor, James Arthus, and several offices. Sergio Arcacha Smith's Cuban Revolutionary Council had an office here for a short period. On the third floor, an office was rented to a Mr. James Dooling who ran some sort of security operation and was a tenant for a short period of time. Previous Relevant Blog Posts The Decline of Guy Banister Banister's mental health was in decline in 1964. Was Guy Banister's Office at 544 Camp Street? Guy Banister's office was at 531 Lafayette and his office was not connected to the office at 544 Camp Street. Was Guy Banister a CIA/FBI Mastermind? Guy Banister couldn't pay his rent in 1964 and was evicted. Mancuso's Restaurant Some pictures of Camp and Lafayette streets. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on Guy Banister Oliver Stone's so-called documentary, JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass, makes the claim that Guy Banister gave Lee Harvey Oswald an office at 544 Camp Street in New Orleans. Did Delphine Roberts see Oswald in Banister's Office? Roberts was interviewed by Garrison's office in 1967 and she said nothing about seeing Oswald in Banister's office. Did Delphine Roberts See Lee Harvey Oswald in Banister's Office? (Part Two) Mary Brengel worked for Banister for a few months, and she also did not see Oswald in the office. Did David Ferrie Speak to Clay Shaw on the Telephone from Guy Banister's Office? Joseph Newbrough, who worked for Banister, told PBS Frontline that Banister's office was not connected to 544 Camp Street. Did David Ferrie Introduce Jack Martin to Lee Harvey Oswald in Banister's office? Jack Martin loved to tell stories. He said nothing about Oswald being in Banister's office when he blabbing to the FBI and the Secret Service in 1963 and 1964. Exclusive: Garrison Tells the HSCA about Guy Banister Garrison told the HSCA some ridiculous stories about Banister. Why did Guy Banister Pistol-Whip Jack Martin? The film JFK explanation is not right. Exclusive: Jim Garrison Talks to Jack Martin Jim Garrison interviewed Jack Martin in his office on December 14, 1966. Here is a link to a tape recording of that interview and a transcript. Martin talks about seeing Oswald in Banister's office with Sergio Arcacha Smith. But there are problems with his story. Blog Posts on the Fake Oswald Handbill Paul Bleau and the Fake Oswald Handbill Conspiracy theorist Paul Bleau featured a fake Oswald handbill in a podcast. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills An analysis of the handbill used in Oliver Stone's so-called documentary, JFK: Destiny Betrayed. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills, Part Two An examination of where the fake handbill came from. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills, Part Three A look at James DiEugenio's use of the fake handbill. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills, Part Four Jefferson Morley is the latest researcher to use a fake Oswald handbill.

In December I wrote a short review of this ridiculous conspiracy book, Pipe the Bimbo in Red. I do not recommend this book to anybody, and even hard-core conspiracy freaks will find it hard to accept. However, Pipe the Bimbo in Red has an interview with Dean Andrew III, the son of Dean Andrews. There is one major bombshell: (page 121) Law: Did you ever know Perry Raymond Russo? Andrews: No, I never did. Law: He drove a cab. Andrews: I never met him, you know. I'm sure, I don't know if my father knew him or not. You know ... he was another cab driver. My father ... he did minor work, you know. Well, I mean, okay, this is the thing. Garrison, my father, who else? What were the guys? Regis Kennedy, the FBI guy, Clay Shaw. They knew each other through the war or law school. One of the two or both, you know. And to tell you the truth, I think they're all bisexual, including my father. You know, in those days, you had to have a beard. You know, you couldn't have a career in politics or anything unless you were married. So you had to get married. So that's why I'm saying, except Clay Shaw. Clay Shaw was out of the closet, you know. Everybody knew he was gay. But my father, Jim Garrison. And Garrison, you know, he liked boys. I mean, he was a real pervert. He got arrested twice ... And I know it's true because he made a pass at me at the New Orleans Athletic Club which was an exclusive, you know, athletic club. It's hard to know if Dean Andrews III is a bullshitter, much like his father. He claims his father was in the hospital in November 1963 with congestive heart failure and that someone came in and injected him with cocaine. Or, perhaps Dean Andrews III is just claiming a 1970 story about Garrison as his own. In 1970, Jack Anderson published a column about an allegation that Garrison molested a boy at the New Orleans Athletic Club: Newark Star-Ledger, February 23, 1970. The Anderson column ran across the United States except New Orleans. At the same time this was going on, Garrison was shaking down gay people in the French Quarter. Here is an excerpt from my book, On the Trail of Delusion -- Jim Garrison: The Great Accuser: (pages 21 - 22 in the Kindle edition) Others noticed something deeper that might have been driving his war on gay people. In July 1967 Aaron Kohn, head of the Metropolitan Crime Commission of New Orleans, wrote a memorandum on the “emotional incapacity or perhaps insanity” of Jim Garrison. He commented on Garrison’s use of “emotionally disturbed persons (homosexuals, narcotic addicts, sociopaths, extreme neurotics) as witnesses to support his claims and as victims of his prosecutive actions.” Kohn consulted with Dr. Harold Lief, a psychiatrist at Tulane Medical School who told him that “he had already concluded Garrison to be paranoid schizophrenic, based upon his personal contacts with Garrison, his knowledge of Garrison’s extraordinary personal sex life, indicating him to be obsessed with fear of his own active or latent homosexuality, coupled with the use of his prosecutorial power in an attempt to destroy homosexuals.” Two incidents seem to corroborate the accusation. First, Garrison wrote in his book On The Trail of The Assassins about a 1968 incident at the LA airport. He had been in in the baggage claim area and went to buy a magazine. There were no seats in the waiting section, so he decided to go to the men’s room to read it. While sitting in an empty stall, he said that he heard the door in the adjoining cubicle open and then close. “Within minutes there were six policemen at the entrance to the men’s room … and they started questioning Garrison. He escaped the situation when two women at the rent-a-car counter recognized him.” It’s hard to know if this really happened. Garrison claimed that he “always went to the men’s room, sat down in a toilet booth, and read a magazine for ten minutes.” Frankly, I’m skeptical. This reminds me of the incident involving Senator Larry Craig in 2007 when he hung out in a stall at the Minneapolis–St. Paul airport and started playing “footsy” with an undercover police officer in the next stall. A second incident occurred in 1969. Garrison supposedly fondled a thirteen-year-old boy at the New Orleans Athletic Club. Author Patricia Lambert interviewed the victim and his brother in 1993, and they told her that Garrison invited the boy, his older brother, and father into a “slumber room” at the club. The boys weren’t interested, but the father thought he might learn something new about the JFK assassination. The room was dark, and Garrison reached over and touched the boy. The family received a lot of pressure not to pursue the case; an attorney warned them “terrible harm” would come to the boy. Worried about his safety, the family dropped the issue. Patricia Lambert wrote extensively about fondling case in her book False Witness. She spoke to the actual victim and I have a transcript of her conversation. Lambert also spoke to the victim's brother and I have her memo on that as well. I can't tell if Dean Andrews III is on the level. But this story is at least consistent with the story that appeared in newspapers in 1970. Previous Relevant Posts on Homosexuality Rush to Judgment in New Orleans A James Phelan article from the Saturday Evening Post which includes Garrison's early belief that the assassination was a homosexual thrill killing. Jefferson Morley Doesn't Understand Jim Garrison's Homophobic Prosecution of Clay Shaw Morley ignores Garrison's homophobia. Guilt by Orientation Jamie Kirchick has just published an important article on Oliver Stone, his so-called documentary JFK Revisited, and "his three-decade slander of an innocent man—one who, not coincidentally, happened to be gay." Boston Phoenix said Oliver Stone's JFK was "sadly homophobic" Even the Boston Phoenix realized that JFK was homophobic. Jim Garrison's Homosexual Shakedown Operation The FBI was warned in 1967 that Garrison might be running a shakedown operation of homosexuals in New Orleans. James Phelan and Mark Lane Discuss Garrison's Homosexual Conspiracy A partial transcript of a conversation between Mark Lane and James Phelan. Garrison Mentions a Homosexual Plot to Yet Another Journalist Garrison talked about a homosexual plot to kill JFK with Max Lerner. A Rave Review of Alecia Long's "Cruising for Conspirators" Alecia Long's book, Cruising for Conspirators: How a New Orleans DA Prosecuted the Kennedy Assassination as a Sex Crime, is required reading. Jim Garrison Feigns Indignation at the Mention of Clay Shaw's Homosexuality Garrison gets upset for all the wrong reasons. Did a Homosexual Conspiracy Kill JFK? Confidential Magazine in 1968 ran a series, written by a part-time Garrison staffer, about a homosexual conspiracy. Jim Garrison's Pressure on the Gay Community of New Orleans The gay community felt a lot of pressure from Garrison. The QUICK Magazine Series Was The QUICK Article About a Homosexual Conspiracy Written By Jim Garrison? (Part One) An article, supposedly written by Jim Garrison, appeared in the German press, which theorized that a homosexual conspiracy was behind the JFK assassination. Was The QUICK Article About a Homosexual Conspiracy Written by Jim Garrison? (Part Two) Did Jim Garrison write the QUICK article? Was the QUICK Article about a Homosexual Conspiracy Written by Jim Garrison? (Part Three) Further clues about the QUICK article. Jim Garrison Does it Again - Claims Oswald and Ruby were Homosexuals... In another article, Garrison claims that Oswald and Ruby were homosexuals. Did Lawrence Schiller Write the QUICK Article? Some evidence points to Schiller. Did Nerin Gun Write the QUICK Article? Some evidence points to Gun. Final Thoughts on the QUICK Article An overview of the evidence that Garrison believed a homosexual plot killed JFK.

Here are Sylvia Meagher's notes on two telephone calls in late 1967. I can't tell which call came first because the date on the first call is wrong -- November 6, was a Monday. In any event, the issue of Jim Garrison ruptured their friendship. Here is the first phone call: The next night: Meagher ends by writing "I declined his offer of "partnership" and made it clear that I would continue to be guided by my own judgment and my own conscience and to pursue a consistent policy of denouncing lies and fabrications against innocent persons, wherever they originated. I felt that we had taken different paths, that we were now in different camps, and that our differences were so fundamental that they could not be put aside or ignored. The conversation terminated on that note." Previous Relevant Blog Posts regarding Sylvia Meagher and Jim Garrison Sylvia Meagher writes Bud Fensterwald Meagher turns down membership in Fensterwald's JFK group because of the presence of Jim Garrison. Sylvia Meagher's Review of "The Kennedy Conspiracy" by Paris Flammonde A scathing review of Flammonde's book about the Garrison investigation. Mary Ferrell and Sylvia Meagher Discuss Jim Garrison An exchange of letters about Jim Garrison. Jim Garrison's Code and Sylvia Meagher Garrison comes up with a crazy code and Sylvia Meagher calls him out. Sylvia Meagher's Ode to the District Attorney of New Orleans Meagher also wrote poetry. Sylvia Meagher Writes Clay Shaw with an Idea Meagher's very good idea shows that Garrison didn't care to learn the truth. Kerry Thornley Writes Sylvia Meagher in 1970 Thornley tells Meagher about an article illustrating Garrison's pre-occupation with the JFK assassination. Tom Bethell Writes Sylvia Meagher about the Shaw Trial Bethell wrote Meagher about Charles Spiesel and his ridiculous testimony at the Clay Shaw trial. Sylvia Meagher's Letter to Look Magazine Sylvia Meagher's terrific letter to Look Magazine in response to their article "The Persecution of Clay Shaw." Sylvia Meagher Congratulates Clay Shaw On His Acquittal She was very pleased with his acquittal. Sylvia Meagher and Jim Garrison, Part One Meagher writes Clay Shaw a letter and his response is just terrific. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss Jim Garrison Dr. Wecht didn't think too much of Garrison, either. Mike Farrell, of M*A*S*H fame, and Sylvia Meagher Meagher educates Farrell on Jim Garrison. When will Oliver Stone Admit he was Wrong about Clay Shaw? A plea to Oliver Stone with a compilation of Meagher's writings about Jim Garrison. Sylvia Meagher on the Clay Shaw Case Howard Roffman writes a letter to Harold Weisberg about Sylvia Meagher. Penn Jones' Phone Call with Sylvia Meagher This phone call broke their relationship. Sylvia Meagher and Jim Garrison, Part Two An unpublished Meagher memo on the trial of Clay Shaw. Sylvia Meagher and Jim Garrison, Part Three - a never before published article by Meagher Another unpublished Meagher memo on the Garrison investigation and Warren Report critics. Garrison's Playboy Interview - What Couldn't Be Printed Sylvia Meagher's letter to the Editor regarding Garrison's interview in Playboy Magazine. Sylvia Meagher's Reaction to the Verdict in the Shaw Trial Meagher writes Harold Weisberg with her comments on the verdict. Two Letters to Jim Garrison about "A Heritage of Stone" James Phelan and Sylvia Meagher write Garrison letters about his book. Kerry Thornley writes Sylvia Meagher An exchange of letters between Thornley and Meagher. Did RFK Tell Garrison that there were guns between him and the White House? Meagher writes Thornley about Lane's comment on RFK. Was Jim Garrison Napoleon or Rasputin? Meagher writes Thornley with an opinion. M. S. Arnoni and Sylvia Meagher Take On Jim Garrison... Exchange of letters between Meagher, Arnoni and Garrison. Jim Garrison Blows His Top Meagher writes Weisberg about the damage Garrison is doing to critics of the Warren Report. James Phelan Writes to Richard Popkin Meagher replies to the New York Review of Books regarding Popkin's article on Garrison. Sylvia Meagher Replies to Richard Popkin An exchange of letters between Popkin and Meagher.

Oliver Stone recently gave an interview to a Turkish news organization. He dismisses antisemitism as an issue, calls Netanyahu a madman, and says Israel wants to fucking bomb Iran Here is a transcript of this interview: Oliver Stone: Do you know that John Kennedy was very much opposed to Israel getting the bomb? He nixed it. He absolutely nixed it. He did not -- and he was coming over to make the inspections very rigid. They were building the factory -- Dimona. That was a big issue. Kennedy was killed. Lyndon Johnson signed off and let the Israelis do what they want. They opened the Dimona facility in 1968. Americans didn't even know because Johnson put out a directive, he said, "don't talk about it." So. to this day, I mean, Americans, some of them don't even know that, that they illegally have the nuclear bomb. So that complicates the whole issue. And you know, who's going to turn over? You see that's enriched uranium. That's very dangerous. We're talking about low energy, low radioactivity, we're talking about 2 - 3% uranium that's enriched, and that's all we need for energy. So, the Israelis are not good for this. This is something that would be. I mean, they could do it. But they don't want to mix up their -- they want the high ... they want the highly enriched uranium, that's all that interests them. They want the bomb because they want to fucking blow-up Iran. That's their only interest, I think. And Netanyahu who is a madman. And I repeat that, to me, he's a madman. I met him years ago; I interviewed him when he was out of office. And I thought he was a madman, then. And I, I think he's gotten worse and worse and worse. He's truly insane. I've never seen such a slaughter, justifying it like this with -- as revenge, as revenge. And how do you wipe out a political movement? It's never been done in the history of the world. I mean, how are you going to kill off everybody? What do you do? Separate them? Send them to Egypt? What? It's just mad, the whole solution, and what was sickening to me was when Biden went over there and hat-in-hand and money-in-hand to give him what he wanted. You know, this is the problem with our country. And in that regard, I you know, Trump, although he supported Israel to a max and made quite a few mistakes. In that regard. I think Trump has a better choices to make. We can't do this. We can't do that. We cannot constantly support Israel, we have to say no, and cut 'em off. Cut off everything to them right now. That's what I would do. And don't give me this antisemitic shit. I mean, I don't even know what they are fucking talking about. You know, there's, who are the antisemites in the world? Just a few nutcases. You know, nobody's an antisemite, unless they, they have a problem with Hitler and all that. But this is this an issue about justice and peace and balance and basic human decency. I don't understand how they can kill Palestinians like this. And now apparently, they're killing, I mean, 20,000 was the last number I heard. Interviewer: It's 24,000 now. Yeah. Oliver Stone: Oh, gross. Jesus. I mean, it's sad, sad. I don't know what to do. You can't go over there because they shoot you. When I was over there, it's funny because it seemed to me, at that time in June, that it was all kind of quieting down. Right? Now at that time when it was just, nothing seemed to be happening. It seemed to be settling down as an issue. And I was hoping that would change and it's gotten worse. Of course, Oliver Stone had nothing to say when Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad was bombing Syria and killing hundreds of thousands of people. Nor did Oliver Stone say anything when Assad killed thousands of Palestinians in Syria. Netanyahu has been in power for over seventeen years and he has not blown-up Iran yet. Of course, Israel is trying everything to stop Iran from going nuclear. Stone doesn't seem disturbed by the constant threats from the Khomeinists to blow up Israel. And I love Stone's line: You know, there's, who are the antisemites in the world? Just a few nutcases. You know, nobody's an antisemite, unless they, they have a problem with Hitler and all that. Nobody's an antisemite? Unless they have a problem with Hitler and all that? Really? Stone says "you can't go over there because they shoot you," and then mentions his appearance in Israel las summer at the Jerusalem Film Festival. I should add that you can wipe out political movements. The Nazis were wiped out and ISIS was also wiped out. Isn't it in the Palestinians best interests to have Hamas taken out? Previous Blog Posts on Oliver Stone's Politics Oliver Stone's Latest Bullshit! Stone fawns over Putin in an interview with Chris Wallace. Is Oliver Stone off his Meds? Stone sounds insane in an interview with Russell Brand. JFK Jr. Meets Oliver Stone JFK Jr. walks out of a dinner with Oliver Stone. My Hearty Congratulations to the Jerusalem Film Festival Here is an opinion piece I wrote for the Jerusalem Post about Stone's appearance at the Jerusalem Film Festival. Shame on the Jerusalem Film Festival Even a left-wing newspaper in Israel takes exception to Stone's appearance. Oliver Stone says Putin is a "very refined individual" Stone flatters Putin in a Spanish interview. Oliver Stone Says the Russians are "Kicking Ass" in Ukraine Oliver Stone is on the side of Russia. Oliver Stone says that "Putin is a great leader for his country Stone tells the Guardian that Putin is a great leader for Russia. Oliver Stone is now in Alex Jones Territory! Stone claims the United States might use a nuclear bomb in Ukraine. Oliver Stone: Putin is a rational, calm, thoughtful man: the United States is a Doberman... At the Barcelona Film Festival Stone praises Putin and criticizes the United States. Has Oliver Stone Gone Mad? Stone tweets that the United States might use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Oliver Stone Said Vladimir Putin is "very bright" and "wise" Stone tells Matt Taibbi that if Russia invades Ukraine, it can take what wants in a day. Oliver Stone's 'Bromance' with Vladimir Putin The Telegraph criticizes Stone's friendship with Putin. Oliver Stone Blames the United States for Putin's Invasion of Ukraine In a radio interview, Stone says the US is at fault for Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Celebrities Who Have Been Friendly with Putin Stone is one of many celebrities who side with Putin. Oliver Stone Says Vladimir Putin Fell into an American Trap Stone posts on Facebook that Putin invaded Ukraine because of an American trap. The Day Vladimir Putin Fooled Oliver Stone with a Doctored Video Putin showed Stone a fake video and Stone fell for it. Oliver Stone Watches Dr. Strangelove with Vladimir Putin A bizarre excerpt from Stone's interviews with Putin. Oliver Stone is Vladimir Putin's Mouthpiece Stone just repeats Putin's talking points on Ukraine. Oliver Stone Says that Putin was Provoked... Of course, the United States is at fault, according to Stone. Will Oliver Stone Blame Kazakhstan Unrest on the United States? There is unrest in Kazakhstan -- will Stone blame it on the United States? Is Oliver Stone Becoming a Lackey for China? Stone is against American arms sales to Taiwan. Oliver Stone said the CIA may have injected cancer into Hugo Chavez's rectum... A journalist tells the truth about Stone's rants. Oliver Stone Sides with Cuba's 'Repressive Dictatorship Stone does not want a free Cuba. Two Views on Oliver Stone's Love Affair with Nazarbayev... Some people are noticing that Stone's affair with Nazarbayev is unseemly. Oliver Stone Fêtes Another Dictator Stone has made an 8-hour documentary about Nazarbayev. Relevant Links on Oliver Stone's Politics Oliver Stone's Disgraceful Tribute to Hugo Chavez Is the director's latest film soft on Castro? Oliver Stone defends himself After Calling Russian Anti-LGBTQ Law ‘Sensible’ Hollywood Movie Director Oliver Stone praises Putin for Syria intervention on trip to Saudi Arabia Oliver Stone: Jewish Control of the Media is Preventing Free Holocaust Debate Oliver Stone's Latest Dictator Suckup Oliver Stone’s Latest Piece of Pro-Putin Propaganda May Be His Most Shameless Move Yet ‘The Putin Interviews’: Oliver Stone’s Wildly Irresponsible Love Letter to Vladimir Putin Has Oliver Stone Ever met a Dictator He Doesn't Admire? Oliver Stone's 'Empathy' for Hitler Iran's Fajr Film Festival grabs headlines with Oliver Stone Don't miss the Viewer's Guide to JFK: Destiny Betrayed and JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass. Over the past several months, I have shown in multiple blog posts how Oliver Stone's documentary series, JFK Revisited and JFK: Destiny Betrayed, misleads viewers. In fact, despite months of work, there are still many more misleading segments that need to be addressed. It's no wonder that the fact checkers of Netflix nixed the airing of the films. There is a choice between four hours of tendentious nonsense (JFK: Destiny Betrayed) and two hours (JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass). As a handy guide for viewers, here are all those posts in order of their appearance in JFK: Destiny Betrayed and JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass, preceded by some general critiques. The Viewer's Guide has now been updated to include the sources from my new book, Oliver Stone's Film-Flam: The Demagogue of Dealey Plaza.

Here is a nice clip of Gerald Posner and Dr. Cyril Wecht arguing about Governor John Connally's coat bulge. At about thirty seconds in, Posner starts quoting from a Rockefeller Commission memo. Here is the lapel flip or coat bulge: When Wecht testified before the Rockefeller Commission he said he was just passing along the information from Robert Smith: Robert Smith was Dr. Wecht's co-author in his article in Forensic Science on the medical evidence: Vincent Bugliosi discussed the coat flip in his book, Reclaiming History: (pages 3070 - 3073 in the Kindle edition) The only problem is that the “lapel flip” label is not accurate in its implications. It has been considered to be accurate because the photo of the front of Connally’s suit coat shown in the Warren Commission volumes (CE 683, 17 H 340) is a poor copy and doesn’t show where the bullet actually exited his coat. This is why Dr. Robert Piziali, a doctor of biomechanics and mechanical engineering, in discovering the lapel flip while preparing for the short mock trial of Oswald at the American Bar Association’s meeting in San Francisco in 1992, ended up testifying that “the bullet passed through Governor Connally’s lapel” (Transcript of ABA mock trial, August 10, 1992, San Francisco, published in American Jurisprudence Trials, vol.56, p.113). Author Gerald Posner wrote that “the Governor’s suit lapel flips up . . . at the exact area where the Governor’s suit and shirt have a bullet hole” (Posner, Case Closed, pp.329–330). But I secured from the National Archives a photo of the bullet hole in the front of Connally’s suit coat, and it is not on the right lapel, or even close. It was measured to be 34.5 centimeters (about 133⁄5 inches) below the upper border of the coat’s collar, and 15 centimeters (almost 6 inches) to the right of the midline (7 HSCA 144). The corresponding hole to Connally’s shirt was measured to be 27.9 centimeters (almost 11 inches) below the shoulder seam, and again, 15.7 centimeters (just over 6 inches) to the right of the midline. (7 HSCA 145; CE 686, 17 H 343) Since the hole in the governor’s suit coat was below and to the right of his lapel, the bullet couldn’t have passed through and “flipped” the governor’s lapel as believed by many. Indeed, the exit hole being in the right lapel never did make any sense since we know the bullet exited from the governor’s body right below his right nipple, nowhere near the right lapel. However, although the lapel flip cannot be used to argue that the bullet exited the lapel around Z224, since we know it didn’t, it is certainly possible that the bullet exiting Governor Connally’s body beneath his right nipple around this very time caused the sudden change and bulge in his right lapel. But even here, we have to allow for the possibility that Connally’s lapel bulge was caused by something else, such as a gust of wind. The wind was very gusty in Dealey Plaza at the time of the shooting, but the likelihood that it caused the lapel bulge in that particular eighteenth of a second, and additionally, to the same side of Connally’s suit coat that we know the bullet penetrated, is extremely remote. In 1994, Dr. John K. Lattimer and three colleagues, Angus Laidlaw, Paul Heneghan, and Eric J. Haubner, attempted to verify Dr. Robert Piziali’s findings by duplicating the shooting in Dallas as closely as possible. They created a simulation of President Kennedy’s size 16 neck, using fresh pork muscle, and assembled a special rack to hold a rib cage at a distance of twenty-four inches from the neck (the distance they computed Connally was in front of Kennedy). A white dress shirt, necktie, and tropical worsted jacket were placed over the rib cage to simulate the clothing the governor wore that day. An array of arm bones, encased in simulated forearms, was arranged in front of the right lapel of the “governor” to simulate Connally’s arm, and the entire mock-up was backed up with a bullet trap, where the test bullets were recovered. The experimenters fired Western Cartridge Company 6.5- millimeter ammunition (from the same lots used by Oswald) through an identical model Mannlicher-Carcano rifle. A video camera and a high-speed 35-millimeter motion picture camera captured the results. Lattimer knew from his previous experiments that the test bullet would almost certainly “tumble” after passing through the simulated neck (just as the bullet did during the assassination) and strike the mock-up of the governor’s “back” at about the point where he was actually hit. Sure enough, as the bullet tumbled and plowed into one of the ribs, removing 4.5 centimeters (13⁄4 inches was destroyed during the actual assassination), it exited at a point compatible with the exit wound in Connally’s right chest. The flying fragments of rib and soft tissue, which were blown out by the tumbling bullet, ripped a large ragged hole in both the shirt and the jacket, just as Oswald’s bullet had done in Dealey Plaza. The test bullet then struck one of the forearms arrayed in front of the jacket, and was finally stopped by the bullet trap just beyond. When the high-speed films were examined, Dr. Lattimer and his associates discovered that the suit coat bulged out about six inches in one-tenth of a second, snapping back shortly thereafter. Of particular importance is the fact that subsequent test rounds that were fired directly into the mock-up of the governor without first passing through the mock-up of Kennedy’s neck produced no bulge of the jacket. Without the tumble caused by the bullet’s passage through the simulated neck, there was no billowing of the jacket. According to Lattimer and his colleagues, the bulge of Governor Connally’s jacket, starting at Z224, “does indeed establish, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the exact moment when bullet 399 went through him.” (Lattimer, Laidlaw, Heneghan, and Haubner, “Experimental Duplication of the Important Physical Evidence,” pp.517–522) Here is Dr. John Lattimer's article: Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Dr. Cyril Wecht Dr. Cyril Wecht Rules Out a Head Shot From the Front A letter from Dr. Wecht to Thomas Stamm on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss the Head Shot A letter from Dr. Wecht to Sylvia Meagher on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss Jim Garrison Dr. Wecht exchanges letters with Sylvia Meagher. Dr. Cyril Wecht on Jim Garrison Wecht writes Harold Weisberg about Garrison. Dr. Cyril Wecht: Was Gerry Patrick Hemming Oswald's Handler? A ridiculous claim from Wecht's book. Dr. Cyril Wecht on Lovelady Wecht revisits an old controversy. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on JFK's Throat Wound Dr. Wecht believes that JFK's throat wound was one of exit. Dr. Cyril Wecht Gets One Right Wecht believes that David Ferrie died of natural causes. Dr. Cyril Wecht's Error on Jack Ruby Wecht makes an error on Ruby's nightclubs. Dr. Cyril Wecht is Proud to be a Conspiracy Theorist He wears it like a badge of honor. Was Rose Cherami Murdered? Dr. Wecht writes that Cherami was not killed by a gunshot.

2023 was a banner year for this blog. I published 182 posts while also publishing Oliver Stone's Film-Flam: The Demagogue of Dealey Plaza. Here are some of the highlights from my blog: An extensive look at the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Click here for a summary of my 19-part series. And don't miss the revelations of Anne Dischler's secrets about State policeman Francis Fruge. My report of my trip to Dealey Plaza for the 60th anniversary of the JFK assassination. Conspiracy theorists turned a solemn event into a travesty. There was no plot against JFK in Chicago Many conspiracy theorists claim there was a plot against JFK in Chicago in early November 1963. There is no evidence to support this allegation. There was NO Assassination Plot in Chicago JFK canceled his Chicago trip because of the assassination of Diem. Edwin Black Speaks to the HSCA The HSCA did speak to Edwin Black. It was a memorable interview. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on the Supposed Chicago Plot There is no evidence of a plot in Chicago against JFK. Paul Bleau and the Supposed Chicago Plot Against JFK Bolden's story about the supposed Chicago plot has changed over the years. Paul Bleau's Plots An examination of supposed other plots against JFK. Abraham Bolden's May 1964 Press Conference Bolden didn't say one word about a supposed plot against JFK in Chicago. There was also no plot against JFK in Tampa There Was No Plot against JFK in Tampa Jefferson Morley's substack provides no evidence to support the allegation there was a plot. Was Gilberto Policarpo Lopez an Assassin or a Patsy? The truth about Lopez. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on Supposed Tampa 'Patsy' There was no plot in Tampa. Paul Landis Published a Book with New Allegations He claimed he found CE399 on the back seat of the limousine and put it on a stretcher inside Parkland. I was one of the first researchers to find an earlier interview in which he claimed to only find a fragment. Paul Landis HSCA Outside Contact Report Landis said nothing about a bullet in his HSCA interview. Why Didn't Paul Landis Come Forward Before? An NBC journalist asked him the question and his answer is remarkable. The Sixth Floor Museum's Oral History Project with Paul Landis Landis talked to the Sixth Floor Museum but didn't mention picking up a bullet or bullet fragments. Did Paul Landis Really Find a Bullet? A look at Landis's statements over the years. Should We Believe Phyllis Hall? Jefferson Morley believes that Phyllis Hall, a nurse at Parkland, corroborates Landis's allegations about a bullet. She doesn't. Jefferson Morley Accused Me of Being a CIA Apologist I rebutted a large number of Jefferson Morley articles in 2023, including his accusation that I am a CIA apologist. Other posts on Morley: 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. A Look at Two Forensic "Experts" in JFK: Destiny Betrayed Dr. Henry Lee, Star of "JFK: Destiny Betrayed," Part Two Lee was just found liable of fabricating evidence in a case in Connecticut. Dr. Henry Lee, Star of "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Dr. Lee does not deserve his outsized reputation. Dr. Joseph Dolce: Another Problematic Witness from "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" There is a reason the Warren Commission and the HSCA rejected his findings. The Truth about Eladio del Valle A letter from Miami News reporter Bill Barry sets the record straight. Was Fletcher Prouty an Antisemite? Some new information on Fletcher Prouty. Was Fletcher Prouty an Antisemite? A look at Prouty's association with the Liberty Lobby. Was Fletcher Prouty an Antisemite? Part Two A Fletcher Prouty letter has some explicit antisemitism. Was Fletcher Prouty an Antisemite? Part Three Prouty writes a letter to a holocaust-denying journal. The Fake Oswald Handbill Lee Harvey Oswald's handbills were not stamped with 544 Camp Street. Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series uses a fake handbill. Paul Hoch provided much of the research for this series. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills An analysis of the handbill used in Oliver Stone's so-called documentary, JFK: Destiny Betrayed. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills, Part Two An examination of where the fake handbill came from. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills, Part Three A look at James DiEugenio's use of the fake handbill. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills, Part Four Jefferson Morley is the latest researcher to use a fake Oswald handbill. RFK Jr. Spewed a Variety of Conspiracy Theories Throughout 2023 My Appearance on an Esteemed Panel for the Mob Museum Thank You: I want to thank Paul Hoch who has edited most of my blog posts. He has also provided tons of important links along with some excellent commentary. Paul is a giant among JFK assassination researchers, and it is a privilege to work with him. I also want to thank Gus Russo who has also provided a lot of research and feedback. What's Coming in 2024 I need to finish my next book, A Heritage of Nonsense: Jim Garrison's Tales of Mystery & Imagination.

Politifact has named RFK Jr's campaign of conspiracy theories their 2023 Lie of the Year. But Kennedy draws bogus conclusions from scientific work. He employs "circumstantial evidence" as if it is proof. In TV, podcast and political appearances for his campaign in 2023, Kennedy steadfastly maintained: Vaccines cause autism. No childhood vaccines "have ever been tested in a safety study pre-licensing." There is "tremendous circumstantial evidence" that psychiatric drugs cause mass shootings, and the National Institutes of Health refuses to research the link out of deference to pharmaceutical companies. Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine were discredited as COVID-19 treatments so COVID-19 vaccines could be granted emergency use authorization, a win for Big Pharma. Exposure to the pesticide atrazine contributes to gender dysphoria in children. COVID-19 is "targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese." For Kennedy, the conspiracies aren’t limited to public health. He claims "members of the CIA" were involved in the assassination of his uncle, John F. Kennedy. He doesn’t "believe that (Sirhan) Sirhan’s bullets ever hit my father," Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, D-N.Y. He insists the 2004 presidential election was stolen from Democratic candidate John Kerry. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on RFK Jr. 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.

Here is what Clay Shaw had to go through to get permission to occasionally leave New Orleans. In this case, he wanted to visit his mother: On occasion, these attempts to leave New Orleans would be covered in the press: New Orleans States-Item, January 3, 1968 Clay Shaw's journal for March 9, 1967 has an entry in which he mentions he briefly went out of the Parish: "I was delighted at the chance for an excursion and we went across the river bridge looking at the city sparkling in yet another beautiful day. On the other side of the river I needed cigarettes and a rest room and so we turned off the highway. I suddenly found myself in Jefferson Parish which is technically a violation of my bond so we hastened back into Orleans and on to the commissary." Previous Relevant Blog Posts Rod McKuen's Tribute to Clay Shaw A lovely tribute read at Clay Shaw's funeral. 1972: Jim Garrison Releases Crazy Statement After the U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against Him. Here is Jim Garrison's full statement on the ruling. The Christenberry Decision Here is Judge Christenberry's ruling on Garrison's prosecution of Clay Shaw for perjury. The Wisdom Decision Judge Wisdom upheld Judge Christenberry's decision.

Here is a note from the October 1968 issue of The Progressive magazine about Mark Lane: Sylvia Meagher sent this note to a variety of JFK researchers: Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane? Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser A profile from Mother Jones magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane A profile from Esquire Magazine. Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual An article from the Tampa Bay Times. The Mark of Zorro An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship! Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek. Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy" For $25,000 Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions... This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document.

This was taken at Hugh and Paula's house in November 2019. I was greatly saddened to hear that Hugh Aynesworth passed away last night at the age of 92. Hugh was very supportive of my work and I greatly appreciated his guidance and his many stories about the JFK assassination, Jack Ruby, Jim Garrison, and just about anything of relevance. He was a witness to just about every major story -- from the assassination, to the arrest of Oswald, to the Ruby funeral, and he was there to interview Jim Garrison at the start of his deeply flawed investigation (see below). In 1969, Hugh wrote an excellent five-part series on the Jim Garrison affair: Part One: 'Big Jim's Three-Ring Shaw Trial a One-Man Show Part Two: Odds Favor Conviction of Jim Garrison's 'Patsy' Part Three: Accusations of Conspiracy Fired Like Shotgun Fusillade Part Four: DA Wins No Matter What the Verdict Part Five: Conspiracy Trial Witnesses Pour Out Bizarre Stories Hugh turned 92 on August 2nd and Paula sent me a text asking me to send Hugh a card with a greeting. She wanted 92 cards to arrive to celebrate his birthday. Of course, I was only too happy to send a card. I used several of Hugh's stories in my books, but one that sticks out is this one from my book, I was a Teenage JFK Conspiracy Freak: (page 79 - 80 of the Kindle edition) At this point, Garrison started to think that the Kennedy assassination was some sort of homosexual plot. He met journalist Hugh Aynesworth at his home in January, 1967, and told him a remarkable story: “Hugh,” he said at last, “you’re lucky you’re in town today. We’ve just verified this guy, and believe me it’s dynamite.” Explaining no more for the moment, Garrison then called one of his assistant DAs, ex-boxer Andrew Sciambra, known as Moo, who arrived a short while later with this slight little guy from Houston, a piano player, who proceeded to tell us how he knew that Ruby and Oswald were longtime gay lovers. He went into great detail, naming clubs in Dallas and Houston where he said he had been performing when Ruby and Oswald dropped by. He even described one occasion when the owners of a Houston club had booted out the two of them “because,” he said, “they had been groping each other all evening long.” “You might be the most important witness we’ve run across yet,” he told the piano player. “And you are certain they were with each other on several occasions?” The little man vigorously nodded yes, clearly pleased that Garrison was buying his story. I was delighted when Hugh sent me a blurb for that book. Unfortunately, it didn't make it time for the back cover, but here it is: “Mr. Litwin’s book is the best in many, many years in dealing with the truth about this horrendous piece of history…and exposing the fakirs, cons and opportunists who often call themselves ‘historians.’ A fine presentation!” -Hugh Aynesworth, Author of November 22, 1963: Witness to History and JFK: Breaking the News If you have a chance, pick up one of Hugh's books on covering the JFK assassination: ‘Witness’ can be read at https://archive.org/details/november221963wi0000ayne. Amazon link for ‘Witness’:  https://www.amazon.com/November-22-1963-Witness-History/dp/1612541275/ According to his Amazon page, his only other JFK book is from 2003: https://www.amazon.com/JFK-Breaking-News-Hugh-Aynesworth/dp/0963910361 Readable at https://archive.org/details/jfkbreakingnews0000ayne And Hugh didn't just cover the JFK assassination. He worked on many important stories including breaking the Henry Lee Lucas case, which was turned into a Netflix mini-series. He also had a series of conversations with serial murderer Ted Bundy. My deepest condolences to Hugh's wife Paula who was incredibly supportive. When I visited Hugh at their house I could always see the love and warmth between them. R. I . P., Hugh. I will miss you. Other Relevant Blog Posts on Hugh Aynesworth Did the FBI Bug Garrison's Offices? Hugh Aynesworth debunks William Walters. Was Jim Garrison Napoleon or Rasputin? A terrific cover of Westward with a story by Hugh Aynesworth Why do Conspiracy Theorists Still Believe Julia Ann Mercer? Hugh Aynesworth saw Jack Ruby at the offices of the Dallas Morning News on the morning of November 22, 1963. Jim Garrison Hoped Clay Shaw Would Commit Suicide Garrison thought Shaw was a weak man. He was wrong.

Other Cartoons on My Blog If at first you don't succeed A cartoon from the Houston Chronicle that I found in Clay Shaw's papers. Garrison's Investigation - "a smalltime circus sideshow" A cartoon by Hugh Haynie who worked for the Louisville Courier-Journal. Jim Garrison Blows His Top A cartoon from the Washington Evening Star. A Tremendous Paul Conrad Cartoon about Jim Garrison From the Los Angeles Times. Clay Shaw writes Elmer Gertz about his Perjury Trial The New Orleans States-Item makes a statement A New Orleans Look at Oliver Stone's JFK Here is what people in New Orleans thought about Oliver Stone's film. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Oliver Stone David Wrone on Oliver Stone's "JFK" Wrone, a friend of Harold Weisberg, said that JFK would poison the mind of Americans. Oliver Stone says his "battles continue with the truth" More inane comments on the JFK assassination. Oliver Stone Claims He is Not a Conspiracy Theorist An excerpt from an interview with Chris Wallace. Oliver Stone's Hijacking of History A good opinion piece from the Boston Globe. Harold Weisberg writes Oliver Stone Two letters from Weisberg to Stone. Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In Reviews "JFK" A good review of Stone's JFK. Paul Hoch and Josiah Thompson on Oliver Stone's "JFK" Two JFK researchers watch Stone's JFK. Washington Post on the 30th Anniversary of Oliver Stone's "JFK" An interesting look back. Harold Weisberg and Tom Wicker Wicker reviews JFK for the New York Times and Weisberg responds. Boston Phoenix said Oliver Stone's JFK was "sadly homophobic" Even this counterculture newspaper knew the truth about JFK. David Lifton Writes to Oliver Stone David Lifton gave me permission to post this letter. Gary Cornwell on Jim Garrison and Oliver Stone The Deputy Chief Counsel of the HSCA offers up some opinions. When Tommy Lee Jones met Jim Garrison... Garrison instructed Tommy Lee Jones on how to play Clay Shaw. Is Oliver Stone's film, JFK, Homophobic? The Advocate writes about Oliver Stone and Jim Garrison. I've Been Blocked by Oliver Stone! This post has a large Robert Sam Anson article on the film JFK from Esquire magazine. A New Orleans Look at Oliver Stone's JFK Pershing Gervais, Garrison's first chief investigator, and reporter Rosemary James report back on the film JFK. George Lardner's internal Washington Post Memo about Oliver Stone Lardner writes a memo to his editors about Oliver Stone. Don't miss the Viewer's Guide to JFK: Destiny Betrayed and JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass. Over the past several months, I have shown in multiple blog posts how Oliver Stone's documentary series, JFK Revisited and JFK: Destiny Betrayed, misleads viewers. In fact, despite months of work, there are still many more misleading segments that need to be addressed. It's no wonder that the fact checkers of Netflix nixed the airing of the films. There is a choice between four hours of tendentious nonsense (JFK: Destiny Betrayed) and two hours (JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass). As a handy guide for viewers, here are all those posts in order of their appearance in JFK: Destiny Betrayed and JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass, preceded by some general critiques. The Viewer's Guide has now been updated to include the sources from my new book, Oliver Stone's Film-Flam: The Demagogue of Dealey Plaza.

I will buy any book on Jim Garrison, and this new book, Pipe the Bimbo in Red, was no exception. The title derives from a line delivered by the fictional Dean Andrews when he is having lunch with Jim Garrison at Broussard's restaurant in the film JFK: (this dialog is taken from JFK: The Book of the Film and is different from the actual film) ANDREWS (voice-over) I don’t know what the cat looks like and furthermore I don’t know where he’s at. All I know is sometimes he sends me cases. So one day he’s on the phone talkin’ to me about going to Dallas and repping Oswald … (notices a woman, in present) Hey, pipe the bimbo in red. What ever happened to that little gal you was dating in the Quarter—from Opelousas, y’know, elevator didn’t go to the top floor but tits could smother gumbo with. Pipe the Bimbo in Red arrived a couple of weeks ago, but I was not prepared for the silliness of this book. Some of the names that appear in this book are Fred Crisman, Judyth Vary Baker, Leander D'avy, Eladio del Valle, Gordon Novel, Roger Craig, Julia Ann Mercer, Richard Giesbrecht, Richard Case Nagell, John Armstrong's Harvey & Lee, Jim Hicks (the books claims there were two Jim Hicks), and Fletcher Prouty, There is a treasure trove of conspiracy nonsense for me to debunk over the next several weeks. A key test of any Garrison book is how it treats Permindex, the failed real estate operation which had Clay Shaw on its Board of Directors. Most conspiracy books have not examined the papers of Louis Bloomfield, a Montreal lawyer who represented some of the major shareholders, nor have most books examined the State Department memos on the organization. Pipe the Bimbo in Red fails my test spectacularly! Let's start with its first mention of Permindex: (page 76) The aforementioned Permindex may be crucial here. Short for Permanent Industrial Expositions, this mysterious outfit is very real. Originally located in Basel, Switzerland; after protests in Switzerland, France, and Italy, it relocated to South Africa. There are no footnotes for this paragraph. In fact, there were no protests anywhere. There was political opposition to Permindex in Basel because of a completing industrial fair. The project got the go-ahead on the provision that they would build a 200-room hotel. In the end, Permindex could not obtain the financing and they decided to try in Rome. They set up a subsidiary, called the Centro Mondiale Commerciale (CMC) to operate in Rome. The operation did not get enough tenants to be viable and CMC closed in February 1962. They did not relocate to South Africa. The next few sentences just floored me: (page 76) It was chaired at the time by Montreal Major Louis Mortimer Bloomfield. Some researchers, including those associated with Lyndon Larouche's organization, believe that Permindex orchestrated the assassination of President Kennedy. According to Larouche's Executive Intelligence Review, "the Garrison investigation and trial also revealed that some of the same Permindex officials involved in the Kennedy assassination were involved in the attempts on Charles de Gaulle. According to testimony at the trial, the Permindex funds which financed the 1961 Bastien-Thiry attempt had been conduited to Europe by Guy Banister, a former FBI agent residing in New Orleans and a close associate of Shaw, who had played a major role in the Kennedy assassination." First, Bloomfield was not the chair of Permindex. Bloomfield was a corporate lawyer who represented some of the shareholders. Second, it is astounding that Law and Jeffries quote a Lyndon LaRouche publication. Why should anybody take seriously the ravings of material from LaRouche's lunatic organization? Here is an excerpt from the LaRouche publication: Of course, the quote from the Executive Intelligence Review is completely ridiculous. Permindex was not mentioned at Clay Shaw's trial, and there was no testimony relating to de Gaulle. In fact, no one has been able to document any connection between Permindex and assassination attempts against de Gaulle. But wait, it gets even more bizarre: (page 76 -77) EIR claimed that Prince Philip's World Wide Fund for Nature, initially created as the World Wildlife Fund in 1961, was the agency behind Permindex. Bloomfield had founded the WWF's Canadian branch. Well, yes the LaRouchians wrote a whole book Dope, Inc. which claimed that Queen Elizabeth II was the head of an international drug-smuggling cartel. The World Wide Fund had no relationship to Permindex. Bloomfield did start the Canadian branch of the WWF - to his credit, no? The nonsense continues: (page 77) Bloomfield had served as a recruitment agent for the FBI's counterespionage division during World War II. He was directed by the shadowy Sir William Stephenson, another Canadian. No footnotes, of course. Bloomfield did not work for the FBI during the war, and he was not directed by Sir. William Stephenson, although he might have known him. Here is a letter that Bloomfield sent in 1954. William Stephenson was a Canadian who worked for the British Security Coordination (BSC) during World War II. He is best known by his code-name Intrepid. He lobbied people close to FDR to set up some sort of intelligence operation and was instrumental in the founding of the OSS. Stephenson was a World War II hero. Here is a short bio from the Canadian Encyclopedia. Bloomfield's letter was addressed to Richard Coit, who worked with Stephenson in the BSC. Knowing William Stephenson was an honor, not a crime. More nonsense: (page 77) Bloomfield's law firm represented the powerful Bronfman liquor empire, connected to both organized crime and British intelligence. Stephenson also founded the World Commerce Corporation, which would eventually evolve into Permindex. World Commerce Corporation worked closely from the beginning with the International Trade Mart in New Orleans, which Col. Clay Shaw had established in 1945, after serving as OSS liaison officer to Winston Churchill's headquarters. There is a footnote for this and, well, it's the LaRouche publication, Executive Intelligence Review. None of the above is true. Bloomfield was not Bronfman's or Seagram's lawyer. Clay Shaw was not in the OSS, and he was not a liaison officer to Winston Churchill's headquarters. The International Trade Mart in New Orleans was founded in 1946, not 1945. And here's another incredible whopper in a section about Ferenc Nagy, the former Prime Minister of Hungary who was, for a short period, President of Permindex: (page 78) The Soviets would accuse Nagy and the CIA of being behind the 1956 uprising in Hungary. William Harvey, the CIA station chief in Rome, where both Permindex and Centro Mondiale Commerciale were located, has long been suspected of involvement in the assassination by researchers. Finally, [Montreal researcher Maurice] Phillips found a letter from Major Louis Bloomfield, which stated that he and Nagy were in discussions with David Rockefeller to create New York City's World Trade Center based on the model of Permindex and the Centro Mondiale Commerciale. Nagy has been suspected by some researchers as being the still unidentified "Umbrella Man," who was seen in films and photos holding an umbrella over his head in Dealey Plaza, on the very sunny day of November 22, 1963. Where to even begin? Who cares what the Soviets thought about the 1956 uprising in Hungary. The people were not happy being a Soviet vassal state. Permindex was actually incorporated in Switzerland. Here are the letters that Bloomfield sent to Ernest Wolf about collaboration with Rockefeller. It wasn't about a World Trade Center, but about collaborating with the Port Authority. So what? And I'd like to know what researchers have identified Nagy as the umbrella man. Are they not aware that the HSCA identified the umbrella man as Louie Witt? None of the above paragraph is footnoted. I'll have more to say about Pipe the Bimbo in Red in future posts. Please don't waste your money. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Permindex 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.