Harry Connick Sr. at ARRB hearing in June
There have been some surprising developments in New Orleans since the hearing. You will recall from reading your copy of the transcript (you do have one, don't you?) that New Orleans District Attorney Harry Connick placed all of the blame for the missing Garrison files on former Garrison staffers. Well, that didn't sit well with one former Garrison staffer in particular. Very shortly after the hearing, about two weeks, a former Garrison staffer came forward with some Garrison documents and a story to tell. I initially thought this person's name was Ralph Whalen because John Judge told me so. I believe that information was incorrect. Mr. Connick accused Gary Raymond of being this former Garrison staffer. That too may be incorrect. For now I do not know who the staffer was. Whomever he or she may be, this person went to WDSU-TV and talked to reporter Richard Angelico.
Angelico went with the story and it led the local newscast and ran several minutes. This is exceptional for any local newscast, especially if the newscast is only a half hour long as most are. The male co-anchor helped introduce Angelico by doing a voice over while the audience saw the Zapruder film minus the head shot saying, "There have been many mysteries surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy, including a mystery right here in New Orleans. What happened to the files of former prosecutor Jim Garrison?" They then cut to a video sound bite from D.A. Connick saying, "I think that everything connected with that case should have been retained and preserved in some fashion." Now in the studio at the anchor desk, the male co-anchor reminded the audience that Connick testified that the files had been stolen. The female co-anchor said, "Now for the first time we know what happened to some of those files because Richard Angelico found them." Not true! The files were given to him.
The files they are talking about turned out to be the original grand jury transcripts. Angelico gives some background to the Shaw trial emphasizing that Shaw was acquitted and Garrison discredited.
Angelico then plays a clip from the Review Board's hearing where Connick says, "There are a lot of folks that were connected with that investigation and prosecution and were in that office, you know, from the time of the trial until we took office in '74, and I think that a lot of that stuff is probably in their custody. I think those files were rifled and I think they took from those files things that would be of great interest to the American public and to the world as a matter of fact."
Angelico then summarizes Dr. Hall's question somewhat inaccurately as asking had a crime been committed, to which Connick replies "Our criminal code calls that theft."
Cut to Angelico. "Strong words from Mr. Connick but now a member of Connick's own staff has come forward with equally strong words. He says Connick did not tell the Committee [Review Board] the entire truth. In this sworn affidavit the former staff member says, 'recent news articles indicate District Attorney Harry Connick had testified before the Assassination Records Review Board that records from Garrison's investigation were pilfered from the files of the D.A.'s office. Nothing could be further from the truth. Harry F. Connick, elected District Attorney, Chief law enforcer of Orleans Parish personally ordered those records destroyed. I know and do hereby swear this to be the truth because I was one of two or three individuals ordered by Harry Connick to destroy them.'"
Cut to Angelico, in a room with a large conference table littered with files. "These are the records the former staffer says that Connick ordered him to destroy. The original testimony of more than forty witnesses who appeared before Garrison's grand jury, many of them major players in the investigation. The documents include the testimony of Perry Raymond Russo, the man who first places Shaw with Oswald and Ferrie, Mark Lane, the original conspiracy theorist, Dean Andrews, a New Orleans lawyer, who claimed to have gotten a call asking him to represent Oswald, and even the testimony of Marina Oswald, Lee Harvey Oswald's widow.
"According to the affidavit Connick's reason for destroying the files was simple." Angelico now turns directly into the camera to ever so dramatically remove his glasses. "He needed storage space."
Angelico continues to explain that when the former staffer suggested that the files were of historical significance Connick told him, the affidavit now appears on screen with text highlighted, "This investigation was a figment of Jim Garrison's overactive imagination. Burn this son of a bitch, and burn it today."
Back to Angelico. "But the staffer disobeyed Connick and kept the records for 21 years until turning them over to me." See, they were given to Angelico. He did NOT find them.
Angelico then tells us that he had gone to Connick and questioned him about his testimony before the Assassination Records Review Board. This is where he got the sound bite of Connick that was used at the beginning of the newscast. So Angelico is telling us that he sat on this story for a week. Angelico, immediately after Connick says he thinks everything connected with the Garrison case should have been kept, shows Connick the affidavit. "We have a, I found an affidavit..." (There he goes with this "found" crap again!) "...from a former staff member of yours that you ordered him to burn the grand jury transcripts."
Connick, who is sitting at his desk, is completely oblivious to what is happening. He is heard to mutter "yes" as Angelico shows him the affadivit.
Angelico continues, "And I would like you to take a look at it."
Connick: "I don't, I don't, I don't...to what point?" This has been falsly shown to be arrogance of Mr. Connick's part. This is not true. That will come, but much later. In the context of the moment, Connick has no damn clue. You can see it in his face. I haven't seen a grown man with such a blank clueless expression on his face since a Ronald Reagan press conference. The lights are on but nobody is home.
Angelico then tries to explain that you, Mr. Connick, told the Assassination Records Review Board that former Garrison staffers "rifled" the files yet here is an affidavit from one of your, not Garrison's, staff that you ordered him to destroy the files because you needed storage space.
Connick replies, "Well that may very well be so. We've destroyed a lot of records, have destroyed a lot of records."
Angelico: "He maintains in the affidavit that you..."
Connick: "I will accept that as valid." Connick is really continuing his own train of thought and was apparently satisfied with the explanation that he came up with. He was probably thinking, "Yeah we destroy files so what?" I don't think there is any cognizance that Angelico is talking about the Kennedy assassination files and Garrison records.
Angelico responds, "HUH?"
At this point John Judge and I are laughing ourselves silly. I am having difficulty breathing. The sound Angelico makes when he says "HUH?" is just priceless. To Angelico it sounds like Connick is admitting that he is a lying little shit. And that is how it comes across. There is no effort to deny or denounce the affadivit. Connick does not get angry at all.
Angelico is incredulous. He tries to explain it to Connick once more. He practically has to mime sign language. These are the Garrison records that you said were stolen when actually you ordered them destroyed (SUBTEXT, YOU COMPLETE IDIOT!! DON'T YOU SEE A CONTRADICTION HERE?! DON'T YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN YOURSELF?)
Angelico: "He (the staffer) is saying that maybe we ought to keep this because this is not John Smith killing John Doe this is Garrison's investigation of Shaw. It may have some historical significance. He said you needed storage space. Do you deny that, do you dispute that?"
All the while Connick is nodding "yes" "right".
The light begins to dawn on Connick who says, finally, with some arrogance, "I don't recall that, I don't recall that, but if I did do it so what? It's done. We destroy a lot of records."
Cut to Angelico who is seen showing the transcripts to Sal Panzeca, a member of Shaw's defense team. Angelico: "...his reaction?"
Panzeca: "We were not able to see these documents at the time. Today we would be. And I think Garrison's case never would have gone to trial."
Cut to Angelico back in the TV studio. "These records were provided to us on the condition that we forward them to the Assassination Records Review Board. We will do that. We have also provided a copy to an assassination expert for his review to determine if these files will shed some light on the assassination investigation. We will let you know what they find." Interesting, "an expert" is referred in the plural tense.
The co-anchors then go on to ask Angelico some questions. Angelico says that Connick told him that he does have some grand jury records. Angelico does not know if they are originals or copies. And he (Connick) said he would probably burn those. The female co-anchor asked if there was anything interesting in the files themselves. Angelico then goes onto to rehash the old story that Russo was drugged and hypnotized into telling about a conspiracy.
Remember when I said that these public hearings are battlegrounds? This is the kind of thing I am talking about. In the name of openness files are presented to certain individuals who then go on to tell us that A.) Garrison was nuts, B). There is nothing in the files, C.) The only thing in the files is evidence that Garrison was nuts, and D.) Don't get angry at me for destroying the files because there is nothing in them anyway and Garrison was nuts. You would logically think that if that were the case these idiots would keep them and show them to everyone. They are not doing that.
This is what I said in my review of the New Orleans hearing: "I believe that many assistants to Garrison took files especially after Garrison lost to Connick. If I had been there I would have made damn sure Connick and his crowd never saw so much as one document pertaining to Garrison's investigation and prosecution of Shaw out of fear of what Connick might try to do with any of that information, and that Connick might destroy those very files." Little did I realize how absolutely spot on I was, that that was exactly what happened, and that it would be on TV and in the papers. I had hoped that a, or some, former staffers would come forward with documents. Unfortunately, Angelico had his own agenda. He was happy to confront Connick put he was not going to redeem Garrison.
The very next day WDSU-TV airs another report. Keep in mind that the interview with Connick was at least one week prior to the newscast being televised. Connick now understands, probably because his own staff painstakingly explained it to him as well as protests from his boss, his constituents, and other press people asking for comment. Connick is furious. Connick calls a press conference. Connick wants to call Angelico in front of a grand jury. Connick tries to explain that it wasn't FILES that he ordered destroyed but SECRET GRAND JURY TESTIMONY, documents he claims now were stolen.
Cut to Connick at his press conference, "If I am wrong I will be corrected but in fact Gary Raymond is the one who perpetrated the theft. He is the thief. Gary Raymond is the thief and the receiver of the stolen property is Richard Angelico."
Connick makes it sound like he has conducted this great investigation. Connick is too stupid for words. Gary Raymond has denied that he is the staffer.
Meanwhile, the alleged assassination expert Angelico gave a copy of the transcripts to is none other than Hugh Aynesworth, who writes a story in The Washington Post on Sunday July 16, 1995. Now Aynesworth has very little time to read this stuff assuming he got it quickly. Exactly how many documents I do not know. Aynesworth also uses this material to bash Garrison as though the files are really open to all and he has done an in depth analysis as he claims. Aynesworth does not mention Connick or the Assassination Records Review Board at all in his story.
I got a copy of this article at the July 17 open meeting from the Board. The Review Board did get the original grand jury records. They have them under lock and key. They do not know what to do with them. Their legal status is undefined. According to a letter to me from Mr. Thomas Samoluk dated July 11, 1995 "The status of the grand jury records sent to the Review Board is not resolved. They are not yet a part of the JFK Collection. At this time, they are locked in a secure place, in the possession of the Review Board, pending resolution of relevant legal issues. They are not available for disclosure right now."
I tried to get COPA to hold a press conference, or issue a press statement, something. Nothing happened.
Jim Lesar filed a FOIA in federal court and in Louisiana court to stop Connick from destroying files.
I then went to the August 3rd open meeting of the Board. I had faxed a 14 page letter to Dan Alcorn on either Monday August 1 or Tuesday August 2 again trying to get COPA to take the initiative. I gave him the newspaper clippings on Connick and the unidentified staffer on Wednesday when he, John Judge and I go for lunch after the meeting. On Saturday I find out Posner is going to jump in with his take on the as yet unreleased "newly opened" Garrison files. Now I hear from Judge that Alcorn now understands what Backes was concerned about. I still do not know if Mr. Alcorn read what I gave him. I had everything written. I explained that I could prove the truth and destroy Connick and Aynesworth point by point. I had everything anyone could want. I was at the hearing. I got it on audiotape, John had it on videotape, we had the official transcript, we had the two WDSU-TV reports. But no, we had to wait until after Posner's article was published. We had to wait for Jim DiEugenio to provide a quote. I like Jim but damn it, he wasn't even there. I was. We had everything anyone could possibly need to attack these liars. In the end COPA did issue a press statement and I was happy with what it said. It would not have issued one at all if I did not push for one.
We need to respond to things like this a lot quicker. We need to see these things coming and I did. Nobody else wrote about Posner's presence at the hearing. It was apparent he was going to do something. I don't think he is quite finished or satisified with a little two page blurb on page 40-41 of the New York Times Magazine. Be prepared for more from him.
Let me know what you think of the above.
Joseph Backes
9 Kaine Terrace
Albany, New York
12208-1215
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