139 Cong Rec E 571, *

Congressional Record -- Extension of Remarks

Wednesday, March 10, 1993

103rd Cong. 1st Sess.

139 Cong Rec E 571

REFERENCE: Vol. 139 No. 29

TITLE: THE SECRET FILES OF J. EDGAR HOOVER

SPEAKER: HON. MICHAEL G. OXLEY OF OHIO
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

TEXT:  
   Text that appears in UPPER CASE identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the House on the floor.  

 [*E571]  WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1993

MR. OXLEY. MR. SPEAKER, I WAS DEEPLY OFFENDED BY A RECENT PBS "FRONTLINE" PROGRAM, ENTITLED "THE SECRET FILES OF J. EDGAR HOOVER," BASED ON THE BOOK "OFFICIAL AND CONFIDENTIAL: THE SECRET LIFE OF J. EDGAR HOOVER." IN MY OPINION, THIS TAXPAYER-SUBSIDIZED BROADCAST EXHIBITED AN OBVIOUS BIAS AGAINST THE BUREAU AND THE LATE MR. HOOVER. IT IS ALSO MY OPINION THAT THE SO-CALLED EVIDENCE ON WHICH BOTH THE BOOK AND THE PROGRAM WERE BASED IS OF HIGHLY DUBIOUS AUTHENTICITY. I BELIEVE THAT THE PRODUCTION OF THIS PROGRAM WAS UNPROFESSIONAL AND NOT IN KEEPING WITH THE TENETS OF GOOD JOURNALISM. FURTHERMORE, IT IS MY OPINION THAT ITS BROADCAST REFLECTS POORLY ON THE REPUTATION OF THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING.

MR. SPEAKER, "THE SECRET FILES OF J. EDGAR HOOVER" WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A FOUL PIECE OF SLANDER, DIRECTED AGAINST ONE OF THE GREATEST FIGURES IN MODERN AMERICAN LAW ENFORCEMENT. AS A FORMER SPECIAL AGENT OF THE FBI WHO WORKED UNDER DIRECTOR HOOVER, I BELIEVE THIS DEMEANS THE AGENCY AND ALL WHO HAVE SERVED IN IT.

MR. SPEAKER, I RECEIVED A COPY OF A LETTER TO SHEILA TATE, CHAIRMAN OF THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING, WRITTEN BY THE EDITOR OF THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE SOCIETY OF FORMER SPECIAL AGENTS OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. I INCLUDE IT IN THE RECORD FOR THE EDIFICATION OF MY COLLEAGUES.

Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Inc.,
Quantico, VA, February 17, 1993.

Ms. Sheila Tate,
Chairperson of the Board, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Washington, DC.

Dear Ms. Tate: I am very disturbed by the PBS "Frontline" program on Feb. 9, 1993 entitled "The Secret Files of J. Edgar Hoover" which was based on the Anthony Summers book "Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover." As a tax payer and a retired career FBI Agent, I find this one-hour production to be among the most unprofessional and unethical presentations and damaging to the journalism and news media profession.

A discredited British author teamed with an array of conveniently decreased sources of information, a convicted perjurer, a Watergate burglar, a dismissed FBI Agent, and some minor underworld friends of dead mobsters projecting second- and third-person hearsay and alluding to never seen fatal photographs is certainly not becoming to the Corporations of Public Broadcasting or the code of American ethics and fair play.

Ordinarily, it is my policy to express opinions or protests concisely. However, in the view of the mass of incredible false charges and the degree of venom in the "Frontline" program and the book, I am presenting for your evaluation some observations of our preliminary investigation and rebuttal.

The author, Anthony Summers, in his 1980 book "Conspiracy", published in London, accused CIA of involvement in the assassination of President Kennedy and CIA official David Atlee Phillips (under the pseudonym of Maurice Bishop, which he never used) of being a contact of Lee Harvey Oswald. This false accusation was excerpted in the London Observer and later repeated in a book "Death in Washington" by two other authors. Mr. Phillips sued for libel and in 1966 in Britain's High Court he was awarded substantial libel damages and the London Observer was forced to publicly retract and apologize and agreed to pay the damages.

The 5-year libel suit in the U.S. concluded in 1966 with the authors and publishers of "Death in Washington" having to issue a retraction in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. and pay libel damages. After Mr. Phillips died Mr. Summers repeated on Ted Koppel's "Nightline" the very accusations he had admitted to a British Court as being false. In this instance a major metropolitan newspaper is here quoted: "Irresponsibility isn't quite the word we would use to describe Mr. Summers' conduct. Another word better fits him: he is a coward who slandered a man who can no longer defend himself." Both targets, Phillips and Hoover, could not sue for libel.

One of the prime allegations is that the Mafia with incriminating photographs blackmailed J. Edgar Hoover and precluded any investigation of the Mafia. Discounting the fact that no photographs have ever surfaced, this is unfounded. Mr. Hoover insisted on the FBI having jurisdiction before investigative activity and without jurisdiction a police agency would be taking the first step toward being a "national police force" which he adamantly opposed. From the early 1930's the Bureau pursued organized crime figures under the Hobbs Act, The White Slave Traffic Act, Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property and other laws. In 1958 the FBI got limited jurisdiction and the Top Hoodlum Program was instituted by Mr. Hoover. Then in 1961 the Interstate Transportation in Aid of Racketeering Act finally gave the FBI greater jurisdiction against Organized Crime.

Was Mr. Hoover intimidated and blackmailed into inaction by the Mafia? After the ITAR jurisdiction organized crime convictions from FBI investigations increased annually from 131 in 1965 to 183 in 1972 when Mr. Hoover died. On April 11, 1988 FBI Director William Sessions testified before the Senate Permanent Committee on Investigations on "RE Organized Crime: 25 Years After Valachi" and reported FBI success against the Mafia over the years since 1961, including the arrest, indictment or jailing of the following Mafia leaders or heads of Mafia Families:

6/1/65 -- Sam Giancano, Chicago Boss, contempt of court, 1 year;

11/10/67 -- Johnny Dioguardo, Federal Bankruptcy Fraud, 5 years;

3/8/68 -- Ray Patriarca, New England Boss, ITAR-Racketeering;

3/21/68 -- Sam DeCavalcante, Elizabeth, NJ Boss, arrested for extortion;

 [*E572]  8/8/68 -- Carlos Marcello, New Orleans Boss, assault on FBI Agent, 2 years;

11/26/68 -- Stefano Magaddino, Buffalo Boss, Federal gambling law violation;

7/9/69 -- Nicolo Licata, Los Angeles Boss, Federal charge of contempt, jail;

5/9/70 -- John Cerone, Chicago Boss, Federal gambling laws, 5 years;

4/26/72 -- Anthony Giardana, St. Louis Boss, convicted, Interstate gambling.

In addition Mr. Hoover personally directed the FBI successful investigation of the April 5, 1958 blinding by lye of columnist Victor Reisel after which numerous Mafia figures were indicted and convicted. Note that these court actions resulted from prior years of FBI investigation. What happened to the incriminating photographs and where were the alleged blackmailers of Mr. Hoover while their top leaders were going to jail? Any reasonable observer would have to realize the absurdity of the Mafia blackmail charge leveled by Anthony Summers and PBS.

The claim of "overwhelming evidence of homosexuality of Mr. Hoover" is baseless and, if he were alive, libelous. Certainly these rumors were existent but always with the preface that "although no evidence can be found." Mr. Hoover was prominent in the kleig lights of scrutiny for over 50 years in Washington, D.C., the home base of the greatest investigative reporters in the land. A certain front page by-line would be the reward for any reporter substantiating these rumors but not once in half a century was any of the press corps able to do so. Throughout the history of the FBI, the acknowledged premier law enforcement agency, not one of the professional FBI Special Agents, even the few disciplined or disgruntled ones, ever brought such a vicious charge or any such evidence.

In the "Frontline" program the main witness to this allegation was one Susan Rosenstiel (also known as "Snow White" in some circles), an acknowledged convicted perjurer who was reported in the media as also convicted of bad check charges and whose statements seemed to be prejudiced by hatred of her former husband and his attorney who focused on her reputation and conduct in a bitter five-year divorce proceeding. These charges, like other accusations, come decades later when those involved are deceased and unable to respond.

We will be disseminating rebuttals of the many false charges to our 8000 membership throughout the country and the media but one more is of interest. The "Frontline" program alleged that Mr. Hoover had a "free ride at taxpayers expense all his life" and that the Mafia gave him "horse race tips and fixed races for him" as well as not accepting money when he lost. Under these conditions he should have been a millionaire. Yet how can the author and "Frontline" program director explain how the court probate records after his death lists his estate at $376,676.76 -- a modest total for the average middle-income person in a similar life-time career.

This detailed letter, only part of our rebuttal material, is furnished for your consideration and action in relation to the Sigma Delta Chi Code of Ethics which states: "The news media should not communicate unofficial charges affecting reputation or moral character without giving the accused a chance to reply."
 
Sincerely yours,
Lawrence J. Heim
Editor, THE GRAPEVINE.