FOIA | FBI | Otto Otepka

[Gene Kelly]

The September 2013 article by William Davy in Kennedy's and King is an excellent read on Sheridan's background.  Its difficult to paint an innocent or Here are some excerpts:

The newly released CIA files present an interesting biography of "reporter" Sheridan. In 1955 Sheridan was security approved as an investigator for the CIA. A month later this was cancelled because Sheridan accepted a position at the ultra-secret National Security Agency. In 1956 he was security approved once again by the CIA so that he could attend their "Basic Orientation Course". After leaving the NSA, Sheridan went to work for Bobby Kennedy's Justice Department in the "Get Hoffa" squad, where his tactics in nailing Hoffa earned him a rebuke from none other than Chief Justice Earl Warren and paved the way for Hoffa's eventual release. With this background in the intelligence communities Sheridan was now apparently qualified to work for NBC as a reporter, despite having no previous journalism experience. However, documents reveal that Sheridan did not sever contact with the CIA. In early May of 1967 the Counter Intelligence office of the CIA issued a memorandum for the Deputy Director of Plans which stated: "Richard Lansdale, Associate General Counsel, has advised us that NBC plans to do a derogatory TV special on Garrison and his probe of the Kennedy assassination; that NBC regards Garrison as a menace to the country and means to destroy him. The program is to be presented within the next few weeks. Mr. Lansdale learned this information from Mr. Walter Sheridan of NBC."

During Sheridan's tenure in New Orleans he enlisted the aid of Richard Townley from NBC's affiliate, WDSU-TV. Townley's loose tongue offered further proof that the NBC White Paper was no more than a deliberate attempt to sabotage the investigation and to ruin Jim Garrison. A recently released FBI memo reads: "A local FBI agent reported that Richard Townley, WDSU-TV, New Orleans, remarked to a special agent of the New Orleans office last evening that he had received instructions from NBC, New York, to prepare a one hour TV special on Jim Garrison with the instruction "shoot him down."

NBC reporter Sheridan was providing intelligence on the Garrison investigation to a CIA lawyer (Herbert J. Miller), a situation that indicates certain sinister possibilities. While Sheridan's litigation was pending, Miller began doing double duty as a conduit between Shaw's lawyers and the CIA.  In fact, recently declassified records show that Sheridan wasn't satisfied with solely presenting his own warped view of Garrison. A May 11th CIA memo reveals that Sheridan wanted to meet with the CIA "under any terms we propose" and that Sheridan desired to make the CIA's view of Garrison "a part of the background in the following NBC show." While Sheridan's litigation was pending, Miller began doing double duty as a conduit between Shaw's lawyers and the CIA.  

And here is the truly troubling revelation about the people and "insiders" surrounding Bobby Kennedy:

What brings the Sheridan affair full circle is a friend of Sheridan's, one Carmine S. Bellino. Bellino was a former FBI agent and Kennedy insider who worked with Robert Kennedy on the McClellan Committee in the fifties and was brought on to Sheridan's "Get Hoffa" squad in the sixties. In 1954 Bellino actually shared his office with CIA/Mafia go-between, Robert Maheu. But what is troubling about the Bellino/Sheridan relationship is that Bellino once worked with none other than Guy Banister, performing background checks for the Remington Rand Corporation. In the seventies Bellino became an investigator on the Watergate Committee and did his best to steer the committee away from investigating any CIA involvement in the crime.  

I am convinced that Maheu orchestrated or facilitated RFK's murder.

Gene

[Ron Bulman]

12 hours ago, Gene Kelly said:

The September 2013 article by William Davy in Kennedy's and King is an excellent read on Sheridan's background.  Its difficult to paint an innocent or Here are some excerpts:

The newly released CIA files present an interesting biography of "reporter" Sheridan. In 1955 Sheridan was security approved as an investigator for the CIA. A month later this was cancelled because Sheridan accepted a position at the ultra-secret National Security Agency. In 1956 he was security approved once again by the CIA so that he could attend their "Basic Orientation Course". After leaving the NSA, Sheridan went to work for Bobby Kennedy's Justice Department in the "Get Hoffa" squad, where his tactics in nailing Hoffa earned him a rebuke from none other than Chief Justice Earl Warren and paved the way for Hoffa's eventual release. With this background in the intelligence communities Sheridan was now apparently qualified to work for NBC as a reporter, despite having no previous journalism experience. However, documents reveal that Sheridan did not sever contact with the CIA. In early May of 1967 the Counter Intelligence office of the CIA issued a memorandum for the Deputy Director of Plans which stated: "Richard Lansdale, Associate General Counsel, has advised us that NBC plans to do a derogatory TV special on Garrison and his probe of the Kennedy assassination; that NBC regards Garrison as a menace to the country and means to destroy him. The program is to be presented within the next few weeks. Mr. Lansdale learned this information from Mr. Walter Sheridan of NBC."

During Sheridan's tenure in New Orleans he enlisted the aid of Richard Townley from NBC's affiliate, WDSU-TV. Townley's loose tongue offered further proof that the NBC White Paper was no more than a deliberate attempt to sabotage the investigation and to ruin Jim Garrison. A recently released FBI memo reads: "A local FBI agent reported that Richard Townley, WDSU-TV, New Orleans, remarked to a special agent of the New Orleans office last evening that he had received instructions from NBC, New York, to prepare a one hour TV special on Jim Garrison with the instruction "shoot him down."

NBC reporter Sheridan was providing intelligence on the Garrison investigation to a CIA lawyer (Herbert J. Miller), a situation that indicates certain sinister possibilities. While Sheridan's litigation was pending, Miller began doing double duty as a conduit between Shaw's lawyers and the CIA.  In fact, recently declassified records show that Sheridan wasn't satisfied with solely presenting his own warped view of Garrison. A May 11th CIA memo reveals that Sheridan wanted to meet with the CIA "under any terms we propose" and that Sheridan desired to make the CIA's view of Garrison "a part of the background in the following NBC show." While Sheridan's litigation was pending, Miller began doing double duty as a conduit between Shaw's lawyers and the CIA.  

And here is the truly troubling revelation about the people and "insiders" surrounding Bobby Kennedy:

What brings the Sheridan affair full circle is a friend of Sheridan's, one Carmine S. Bellino. Bellino was a former FBI agent and Kennedy insider who worked with Robert Kennedy on the McClellan Committee in the fifties and was brought on to Sheridan's "Get Hoffa" squad in the sixties. In 1954 Bellino actually shared his office with CIA/Mafia go-between, Robert Maheu. But what is troubling about the Bellino/Sheridan relationship is that Bellino once worked with none other than Guy Banister, performing background checks for the Remington Rand Corporation. In the seventies Bellino became an investigator on the Watergate Committee and did his best to steer the committee away from investigating any CIA involvement in the crime.  

I am convinced that Maheu orchestrated or facilitated RFK's murder.

Gene

Thanks.   I've never read the Bellino part that I remember.  I already agreed about Maheu but that takes it a step further towards beyond a "theory". 

What I wonder was who told Maheu to proceed.  He didn't do so on his own.  The same persons who did so for JFK?

Lisa Pease thoughts would be interesting.

[Gene Kelly]

Angleton and Company ... the same people who aways gave Maheu a green light.  Those individuals might include Helms or maybe even Dulles, although he died in January 1969.

The Garrison NBC special that Sheridan orchestrated was in June 1967 ... Bobby was killed one year later.  Maheu celebrated with Donald Nixon (brother of Richard).    Spirals up thru Howard Hughes.

[Paul Brancato]

The more I read the Sheridan material the more I wonder what information compelled many authors to say that Sheridan was doing RFK’s business in 1967. Would anyone like to post here and defend that supposition? 

[Ron Bulman]

7 hours ago, Gene Kelly said:

Angleton and Company ... the same people who aways gave Maheu a green light.  Those individuals might include Helms or maybe even Dulles, although he died in January 1969.

The Garrison NBC special that Sheridan orchestrated was in June 1967 ... Bobby was killed one year later.  Maheu celebrated with Donald Nixon (brother of Richard).    Spirals up thru Howard Hughes.

I wonder if Maheu wasn't still working for the CIA, as well as Hughes.

[Richard Booth]

21 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

I wonder if Maheu wasn't still working for the CIA, as well as Hughes.

Hughes was still most certainly an asset -- project Azorian was '74 and the Hughes Glomar Explorer built in '72 and that was an Agency sponsored project.

[Ron Bulman]

So on June 5 1968 we have Hughes, Maheu, Angleton, Helms, Morales, possibly Dulles still active within the CIA.  Then Manny Pena and ??? "of the LAPD" controlling the cover up.  I personally wonder with little to back it up if Morales wasn't the physical operations/set up guy for both JFK and RFK's assassinations.

[Gene Kelly]

Paul

I know you want to hear from others, but I'm not sure who (specifically) started the assertion that Sheridan was sent to Garrison's investigation by RFK. I don't belive that Garrison ever accused RFK of anything.   Sheridan dances around this,  and states that NBC sent him.  He  is alleged to have been influenced by William Gurvich, who wasn't a friend of Garrison, nor what he at first appeared to be.  Sheridan later inserted himself into RFK's presidential campaign through long-standing associates.   I simply don't see much activity to qualify him as a close RFK associate from 65-68.  Most of his close association is during the Hoffa ordeal, which stated when RFK was chief counsel for the Senate Rackets Committee on which JFK served, and gained intensity when JFK was elected president and appointed his brother as attorney general. This culminated in Hoffa's conviction in 1964 for jury tampering charges and then for defrauding a pension fund.  Hoffa was paroled in 1971 by Richard Nixon, and disappeared four years later outside a restaurant (never to be seen again). 

I sense that Sheridan's friendship with the Kennedy's is overstated.

Gene  

[Paul Brancato]

42 minutes ago, Gene Kelly said:

Paul

I know you want to hear from others, but I'm not sure who (specifically) started the assertion that Sheridan was sent to Garrison's investigation by RFK. I don't belive that Garrison ever accused RFK of anything.   Sheridan dances around this,  and states that NBC sent him.  He  is alleged to have been influenced by William Gurvich, who wasn't a friend of Garrison, nor what he at first appeared to be.  Sheridan later inserted himself into RFK's presidential campaign through long-standing associates.   I simply don't see much activity to qualify him as a close RFK associate from 65-68.  Most of his close association is during the Hoffa ordeal, which stated when RFK was chief counsel for the Senate Rackets Committee on which JFK served, and gained intensity when JFK was elected president and appointed his brother as attorney general. This culminated in Hoffa's conviction in 1964 for jury tampering charges and then for defrauding a pension fund.  Hoffa was paroled in 1971 by Richard Nixon, and disappeared four years later outside a restaurant (never to be seen again). 

I sense that Sheridan's friendship with the Kennedy's is overstated.

Gene  

Hi Gene - that’s what I think too. 

[Pamela Brown]

On 4/9/2021 at 12:53 PM, Gene Kelly said:

Angleton and Company ... the same people who aways gave Maheu a green light.  Those individuals might include Helms or maybe even Dulles, although he died in January 1969.

The Garrison NBC special that Sheridan orchestrated was in June 1967 ... Bobby was killed one year later.  Maheu celebrated with Donald Nixon (brother of Richard).    Spirals up thru Howard Hughes.

Here's an article about that...

http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/White Materials/Garrison News Clippings/1967/67-08/67-08-61.pdf

[Pamela Brown]

On 4/8/2021 at 9:24 AM, Gene Kelly said:

The September 2013 article by William Davy in Kennedy's and King is an excellent read on Sheridan's background.  Its difficult to paint an innocent or Here are some excerpts:

The newly released CIA files present an interesting biography of "reporter" Sheridan. In 1955 Sheridan was security approved as an investigator for the CIA. A month later this was cancelled because Sheridan accepted a position at the ultra-secret National Security Agency. In 1956 he was security approved once again by the CIA so that he could attend their "Basic Orientation Course". After leaving the NSA, Sheridan went to work for Bobby Kennedy's Justice Department in the "Get Hoffa" squad, where his tactics in nailing Hoffa earned him a rebuke from none other than Chief Justice Earl Warren and paved the way for Hoffa's eventual release. With this background in the intelligence communities Sheridan was now apparently qualified to work for NBC as a reporter, despite having no previous journalism experience. However, documents reveal that Sheridan did not sever contact with the CIA. In early May of 1967 the Counter Intelligence office of the CIA issued a memorandum for the Deputy Director of Plans which stated: "Richard Lansdale, Associate General Counsel, has advised us that NBC plans to do a derogatory TV special on Garrison and his probe of the Kennedy assassination; that NBC regards Garrison as a menace to the country and means to destroy him. The program is to be presented within the next few weeks. Mr. Lansdale learned this information from Mr. Walter Sheridan of NBC."

During Sheridan's tenure in New Orleans he enlisted the aid of Richard Townley from NBC's affiliate, WDSU-TV. Townley's loose tongue offered further proof that the NBC White Paper was no more than a deliberate attempt to sabotage the investigation and to ruin Jim Garrison. A recently released FBI memo reads: "A local FBI agent reported that Richard Townley, WDSU-TV, New Orleans, remarked to a special agent of the New Orleans office last evening that he had received instructions from NBC, New York, to prepare a one hour TV special on Jim Garrison with the instruction "shoot him down."

NBC reporter Sheridan was providing intelligence on the Garrison investigation to a CIA lawyer (Herbert J. Miller), a situation that indicates certain sinister possibilities. While Sheridan's litigation was pending, Miller began doing double duty as a conduit between Shaw's lawyers and the CIA.  In fact, recently declassified records show that Sheridan wasn't satisfied with solely presenting his own warped view of Garrison. A May 11th CIA memo reveals that Sheridan wanted to meet with the CIA "under any terms we propose" and that Sheridan desired to make the CIA's view of Garrison "a part of the background in the following NBC show." While Sheridan's litigation was pending, Miller began doing double duty as a conduit between Shaw's lawyers and the CIA.  

And here is the truly troubling revelation about the people and "insiders" surrounding Bobby Kennedy:

What brings the Sheridan affair full circle is a friend of Sheridan's, one Carmine S. Bellino. Bellino was a former FBI agent and Kennedy insider who worked with Robert Kennedy on the McClellan Committee in the fifties and was brought on to Sheridan's "Get Hoffa" squad in the sixties. In 1954 Bellino actually shared his office with CIA/Mafia go-between, Robert Maheu. But what is troubling about the Bellino/Sheridan relationship is that Bellino once worked with none other than Guy Banister, performing background checks for the Remington Rand Corporation. In the seventies Bellino became an investigator on the Watergate Committee and did his best to steer the committee away from investigating any CIA involvement in the crime.  

I am convinced that Maheu orchestrated or facilitated RFK's murder.

Gene

This i fascinating. Thank you.

What motive would Maheu have for assassinating RFK? 

[Ron Bulman]

1 hour ago, Pamela Brown said:

This i fascinating. Thank you.

What motive would Maheu have for assassinating RFK? 

He worked for the CIA since the mid or early 50's.  Took orders from that East Coast Establishment Mills wrote of.

[Joel D. Gruhn]

On 4/3/2021 at 8:02 PM, Paul Brancato said:

Richard - maybe I’m blind - where does this file come from? FBI? 
I

Paul, on C A Evans, the memo author:

From the New York Times 12/12/1964

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (AP)—Courtney A. Evans, assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, will retire from, the bureau at the end of this month.

Mr. Evans, who has been with the bureau for 24 years, is an aide of J. Edgar Hoover, the bureau's director.

The sandy‐haired, mild‐mannered Mr. Evans is one of the F.B.I.'s more widely known men. He is known to the business world as the bureau's expert on matters financial—embezzlements, bankruptcy, confidence rackets, defalcations, and the threat of organized crime to business.

For three years he has directed the wide‐ranging operations of the bureau's special investigative division.

 

Joel

[Pamela Brown]

11 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

He worked for the CIA since the mid or early 50's.  Took orders from that East Coast Establishment Mills wrote of.

Are you suggesting Maheu did not necessarily have a personal motive but was being used by the CIA? Or the East Coast Establishment?  

[Pamela Brown]

Gene Kelly said: I know you want to hear from others, but I'm not sure who (specifically) started the assertion that Sheridan was sent to Garrison's investigation by RFK. I don't believe that Garrison ever accused RFK of anything.   Sheridan dances around this,  and states that NBC sent him. 

Has anyone researched why NBC would want to use Sheridan to gut the Garrison investigation?