Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy
Subject: National Archives
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 18:40:00 -0500

The National Archives (NA) holds information related to the Kennedy
Assassination and many other historical things. The NA is
also in the news alot for official investigations into
wrongdoing by political appointees.

A high official in the NA reported this, in response to my
inquiry.

 MP> BTW, I read the article in the Post.  It's amazing some of the
 MP> cronies the Reagan-Bush administrations have appointed to high
 MP> office, and the things they think they can get away with.

[...] I have [between 25 and 30 years ...]

I have worked almost everywhere in the agency and have had
management position in more parts of the agency, and more
management training, than anyone else around.  The only
person in the history of the agency with a broader range of
management experience was forced out a bit over a year ago.
He was one of only about three other people around with any
experience in dealing with change-of- party transitions
(and Wilson & co. ain't done nuthin to prepare for this
one).

The Post article is really only the tip of the iceberg. The
investigator I saw (apparently the victim of the shredding
incident; none of what he wanted from me was related to the
Post article) told me that he couldn't believe how many
major investigations were going on in a little bitty agency
like this.

He came to see me just a couple of days after I was removed
from my previous position (the one in which I was happiest
over the whole 30 years).  My replacement, as is well known
by the staff and many outside groups who would ordinarily
support Wilson, was Wilson's frat brother and roommate at
Washburn Univ. in Topeka (the other part of the Topeka
connection is Marlin Fitzwater) and is alledgedly doing the
job from Kansas City (really, my former deputy is making
what decisions actually get made).

Along those lines--a couple of other commonly discussed
personnel actions: Wilson's very long time former boss at
the Eisenhower Library (the dean of the Presidential
Library directors) was forced to retire and replaced by the
best man from Wilson's second wedding; the fellow I
mentioned above as having a broader range of experience was
replaced by the current Mrs. Wilson's former employer.

Top managers at the level immediately below Wilson, his
deputy, friend from KC, and two other cronies, have not
been informed officially of what's going on. They read
about it in the papers; they got copies of the Senate
report from various unofficial sources; and they have not
been briefed or told the party line.  Most of them are
pissed, especially since they look bad not knowing how to
respond to questions from staff, agencies, or the public.

Most of us who've been near the top for a long time and
really understand what's going on both inside and outside
are quite worried about the future of the agency.  Wilson
apparently thinks he can ride out the storm.  If he does,
the place will go down the tubes rapidly because (1) folks
on the hill will continue to attack the agency until he's
gone and (2) the troops (and much of the mid-level
management) are close to open rebellion with all that
implies.

The best thing that could happen now would be a rapid
takeover by the Clinton transition team, but that's not too
likely.

I'm spending my time (along with a bit over a dozen others
mainly 2 levels down from Wilson and with the very passive
blessing of Wilson) working on a planning document that we
could give to a replacement who doesn't know anything and
say something like "Here's a program, different in several
respects from Wilson's, that you can adopt, and if you do,
most of the troops and outside constituencies will accept
it and work with you."

These are interesting times.

Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy