(Testimony of J. Edgar Hoover)
The Chairman.
will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. Hoover.
I do.
The Chairman.
Mr. Rankin will carry on the examination, Mr. Director.
Mr. Rankin.
Mr. Chief Justice, do you want to tell him briefly what our purpose is?
The Chairman.
Oh, yes; it is our practice to make a brief statement before the testimony of each witness, and I will do it now.
Mr. Hoover will be asked to testify in regard to whether Lee H. Oswald was ever an agent, directly or indirectly, or an informer or acting on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in any capacity at any time, and whether he knows of any credible evidence of any conspiracy, either domestic or foreign, involved in the assassination of President Kennedy.
What he has to say about an article in the National Enquirer, Commission Exhibit No. 837, and concerning the failure to include the name and information concerning special agent Hosty in the initial report of the Oswald address book and any suggestions and recommendations he may have concerning improvements or changes in provisions for the protection of the President of the United States. Now, Mr. Rankin, you may proceed.
Mr. Rankin.
Mr. Hoover, will you state for the record your name and position?
Mr. Hoover.
J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice.
Mr. Rankin.
Where do you live, Mr. Hoover?
Mr. Hoover.
I live at 4936 30th Place, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Rankin.
And you have been Director of the Bureau for some 40 years according to the newspapers?
Mr. Hoover.
That is correct; since 1924.
Mr. RANKIN, You have furnished us a considerable amount of information, Mr. Hoover, about whether or not Lee Harvey Oswald was ever an agent or acting for the Bureau in any capacity as informer or otherwise at any time. Are those statements correct?
Mr. Hoover.
They are correct. I can most emphatically say that at no time was he ever an employee of the Bureau in any capacity, either as an agent or as a special employee, or as an informant.
Mr. Rankin.
I call your particular attention to Exhibit 835, and suggest that you will find that that is your letter, together with your affidavit about this subject matter, and other matters that you furnished to us concerning this particular subject.
Mr. Hoover.
That is correct.
Mr. Rankin.
Do you wish to add anything?
Mr. Hoover.
No; there is nothing that I desire to add to what appears in this letter and my affidavit which accompanied it to the Commission.
Mr. Rankin.
You have provided many things to us in assisting the Commission in connection with this investigation and I assume, at least in a general way, you are familiar with the investigation of the assassination of President Kennedy, is that correct?
Mr. Hoover.
That is correct, When President Johnson returned to Washington he communicated with me within the first 24 hours, and asked the Bureau to pick up the investigation of the assassination because as you are aware, there is no Federal jurisdiction for such an investigation. It is not a Federal crime to kill or attack the President or the Vice President or any of the continuity of officers who would succeed to the Presidency.
However, the President has a right to request the Bureau to make special investigations, and in this instance he asked that this investigation be made. I immediately assigned a special force headed by the special agent in charge at Dallas, Tex., to initiate the investigation, and to get all details and facts concerning it, which we obtained, and then prepared a report which we submitted to the Attorney General for transmission to the President.
Mr. Rankin.
From your study of this entire matter of the assassination and work in connection with it, do you know of any credible evidence that has ever come to your attention that there was a conspiracy either foreign or domestic involved in the assassination?
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