STEVEN HAGER: H. L. Hunt is a key to the JFK assassination

[Paul Brancato]

Could you expand on that theory a bit David?

I have always wondered about Leary's Weather assisted escape to Algeria, mainly because of his hooking up with Eldridge Cleaver there. Cleaver was surely an intelligence agent.

[David Andrews]

A lot of people - many influenced by Leary - did a lot of wide-eyed things in the 1960s. Still, a movement to spread LSD use in DC social-political circles, supposedly spearheaded by an artsy former intelligence wife, sounds either like an op foisted on Leary, or a post-facto psy-op promulgated by Leary after the alleged spearhead and her maximum lover were dead, and meant to discredit both.

An alternate explanation is that Meyer did indeed seek Leary out, but was directed to by an intelligence service. Doug Caddy spoke above of "compartmentalized" minds. Meyer may have had Angleton in one of her compartments. Leary may have been intended to be the Stephen Ward of this affair.

I have no confidence in Leary's tale of Mary Meyer's discipleship. One or both of these people (Leary or Meyer) was too smart for such wide-eyed participation in a movement to influence government through turned-on Georgetown wives. I regard the survivor's account a bit suspiciously. Is Leary's the sole document on this, or is there independent support for Meyer's turn-on project?

Is a con being run here? Give a listen to Leary's audiobook account, which I posted above.

Edited December 16, 2013 by David Andrews

[Paul Brancato]

Did you read Mary's Mosaic? Some problems with the book for sure, but I have the strong impression that Mary was doing just what Leary said she was, and for noble reasons. She was no intelligence agent in my book. Yes she was connected to Angleton, and married to Cord Meyer for several years. But I think she was a true believer in world peace, was brought up in that idealistic milieu. The worst I could think is that she was a dreamer, and didn't realize who she was playing with. So was JFK, though its clear he did figure out how dangerous he was to the cold war establishment.

Edited December 16, 2013 by Paul Brancato

[David Andrews]

I did read Mary's Mosaic, but I suspect that in the Meyer "Turn-on" legend, too much jeunesse is imputed to Meyer.

Is a former intelligence wife of over 40 years of age, with Angleton as a houseguest and Cord Meyer stalking her from the sidelines, going to be running LSD sessions for politicians and their wives, up to the Executive Office?

Was this project, if actual, her own invention, or someone's op?

Were the exact dimensions of this project those described by Leary? We have only Leary's word for the whole thing. If it happened, was Meyer sent to run him in some way?

There's too many Ifs, and only one source document for all theorists. More sources, or it didn't happen.

I believe that she was murdered for what she knew about JFK and the assassination plotting. Was this trip scenario what she knew, however?

Edited December 16, 2013 by David Andrews

[Paul Brancato]

Angleton seemed to think it was worth his time to make sure he had Mary's diary. I agree with you actually that she was dangerous to the conspirators and killed for it. I remember the '60's as full of idealism. Acid was a two edged sword, researched by the CIA for mind control purposes but also used by the humanist curious about life and meaning set, especially insiders and upper class early on. So I have bought Leary's story in essence. What Mary actually did with the LSD? It fits JFK's m.o. that he would try it and maybe like it.

Is Leary's story part of a smear campaign? Maybe. I see the logic.