Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC AGENCY INFORMATION AGENCY: FBI RECORD NUMBER: — 124-10184-10257 RECORD _ SERIES: HQ AGENCY FILE_ NUMBER: CR 100-236194-258 DOCUMENT INFORMATION ORIGINATOR: | FBI FROM: FAGAN, JOHN L. TO: DIRECTOR, FBI TITLE: DATE: 01/03/1964 PAGES: 32 SUBJECT: LHO, 11/22-24/63, ARREST, ATTORNEY DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT ORIGINAL Secret NEW CLASSIFICATION: CLASSIFICATION: REVIEW_DATE: 10/02/1997 UPDATE DATE: — 02/12/2001 STATUS _ Redact - RESTRICTIONS: Consultation JFK Act 6 (1)(B) JFK Act 6 (4) COMMENTS: INC RESP, REFERRED TO IRS Docld: 32176262 Page 1
Y Released wider’ ‘thd John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Co¥lection Act of '992 (44 USC 2107 | Mote). DAWE: 11414-2017 ) Lond > ta ° ) . 0 fay {\ waTe . ; o : CO} ™ Sac, New York (100-9¢t2c2 oo 1/17/64 Director, FEI (100~-236194) -2 sé 1-Mr .Haack REC- 138 Ps 1-Mr. Jones JOHN JACOB ABT wy (pe 4 INTERNAL SECURITY - CY Rerep Special Agent John L. Fagan dated 1/3/64 at New York. It is noted that the FD-305 submitted with rerep indicates the report is being classified “Confidential" but that certain information furnished by WF 1491-82 should be classified “Secret.” Since the report contains information attributed to WF 1491-8* under the symbol T-~6, the report should have been classified “Secret” rather than "Confidential" as all reports on Security Index subjects are disseminated to the Department of Justice. ae tion Additionally, on page 5 of rerep, the received from T-6 is set forth. {It is believed that this information requires additional clarification, if available. The source of the contributions received by Forer should be set forth if known since it is ambiguous as to whether this money represents “contributions” on actually money received in payment of legal foes. (Ms Abt recently received nationwide publicity when Lee Harvey Oswald publicly stated following his arrest that he wanted Abt as his attorney. The report makes no mention of this fact, and it is believed at should ‘be set forth in the report. “| \ J Dissemination of ‘the report is being held in abeyance and it is desired you make appropriate changes and submit same to the Bureau +44 5 op AV Sb\Sd By REASON-FCTM 1 DATE OF REVI Belmont “ Mohr Casper Callahan Conrad ‘DeLoach WW Qi , JAN TS Sip per Rrry "Gots =a JAN 21 1964 . Fee, CONT INL As. p BO -3 a lp i) (d ----= = a Em ys > Sut SLI. ABY Te chow MERCPRIATE ACEATES “AND BRD Ce _osen oF te Sullivan Tavel Trotter , Tale. Room ‘Holmes Candy MAIL ROOM TELETYPE unit L_| DoclId: 327176262 Page 2?
NANG dos (RerPARE 11- 14- 2017 ° f oN ov wo “EAs 7 oN | ! FEDERAL- BUREAU OF INVE= STIGATION * OFFICE OF ORIGIN REPORTING OFFICE INVESTIGATIVE PERIOD NEW YORK NEW YORK | 1/3/64 7/8/63 - 12/20/63 TITLE OF CASE REPORT MADE BY TYPED BY JOHN L. FAGAN vmg JOHN sacon Gin aka CHARACTER OF CASE ; ; 7 ; . Is -c y i \ RUATION CONTATHED i; Sy paeanc su CLASS TED CLA A —SRoEPs WHERE SHOW RMASOH-FoTH Ng OTHERWISE TAT OF navy ~ REFERENCE . wees Report of SA JOHN L. FAGAN dated 7/3/63 at NY. ~ Pe - ” CLASSIFIED BY seee sofaee a DECLASSIFY ON ger am € SA JOHN L. FAGAN made >, call to ABT's office Gq ADMINISTRATIVE nder the guise of a legal contdct,' ' SA WARREN H, DUNN“Observed ABT on 6/26/63, SAS F, J. M AUGHLIN, JR. and JAMES F, O'CONNELL bserved ABT on 10/6763, We On 6/17/63, [NY ssh-off rvtscea that JOHN ABT q Ps yindicated on that dat@that he.might be available on 6/20/63 . 3 = a’ ‘ , ‘ _ APPROVED . ( SPECIAL AGENT DO NOT WRITE IN SPACES BELOW My nine BIT we NOTATIONS : REQUEST RECD.|____f__ ley aa nn Sn we ceeee ee tee eee ee bf {| A.T4 9 € in DLE wee : i DATE FWD. --...-}.-- & / U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE / 16—76324-1 i Sarepais ae Ke hare «mee i - eee me ce DoclId: 32176262 Page 3
‘Released under. the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 ~~ Hote)., DATE: 11-14-2017 . oe la £ . SEA pES { NY 100-54965 : .. q zq } f Ry 7 hs * ADMINISTRATIVE CONT'D GONE N HAL | to discuss points of law with an individual named KRYLOV (probably BORIS S. KRYLOV), a Soviet national travelling in the US a a member of an exchange ne . } NY 3903~S advised on 6/5/63 that™thefe was | some conversation at CP Headquarters on that date as to whether or not the CP should reconstruct a new | set of accounting books for possible introduction in | federal court. According to this informant, ABT was ] understood to express the opinion that the books, if 1 subpoenaed, should be released in their present condition UL). H _deced Sed. TexGS USSE Lex | “On 12/3/63, JOHN“J<ABT’ turned over to SAS JOSEPH V. WARERS and ROBERT G. OFTEDAL six letters written by LEE HARV WALD, which had been sent to the Party | or to “the worker"> In advising the NYO of the existence of the letters,/ABT stated he was acting on behalf of ARNOLD JOHNSON;/his client. The OSWALD letters sought Party assistance in his activities, employment by "The Worker", and a way of making contact with the Party. Also turned over were copies of two letters of acknowledge- ment written by JOHNSON and addressed to OSWALD. : : { i “On 12/5/63, ABT, stating he represented the Gus Hall ~- Bengamin J, Davis,Defense Committee, furnished to SA WATERS a letter written by OSWALD to that committee, which forwarded specimens of photographic work which OSWALD offered to do for the Committee, together with a copy of a letter of acknowledgement written by JAMES D. TORMEY, as Executive Secretary of the Committee. oo / INFORMANTS Iaentity of Source File Number Where Locatwd Y) BA 134-14a-4102 { COVER PAGE -B- EMO ee oi no copes LEE, psy gto “rn, Be fag Se. f Mot Pye hak F % Hy ae S ae a te te RS ae Re aR DoclId: 327176262 Page 4
Released under ‘the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 WSC 7107 ave Hote). DATE: 11-14-2017 . ~~ “ ~ . ° & INFORMANTS CONT'D Ident it of’ Source File Number Where Located LO NY T-13% 1 482- 1 NY 100-54965 =~ COND ENTIAL | | WY T-1 134-2602A-83 Le oe 34~2602A-818 NY 7-16 Yo 70. NY 646-8 134-70-1948 LEAD NEW YORK Will follow and report ABT's activities in | \ At New Yous New York ; . | connection with the CP, { 4 COVER PAGE | -~D- nag att Docld: 327176262 Page 6
Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 ““"~= Hote) -5., PAIR: ddsha-2017 Roe ~* . we UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL. BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION SE T Copy to: Report of: JOHN L. FAGAN Office: New York, New York Date: 1-3-6); Field Office File #: 100-54965 Bureau File #: 100-236194 Title: a - JOHN JACOB ABT WEERD), b b4 | CLASS. & BXNY Lp 2h REASON-FOIM POW" A «Papen Character: DATE oF Ru) ‘ eS me ai eames INTERNAL SECURITY ~ C y Synopsis: JOHN ABT resides 444 Central Park West and has law office at 320 Broadway, NYC. Most of $1,500 at CP Headquarters in June indicated for ABT. He received checks totalling approximately $2,000 from Gus Hall - Benjamin J. Davis Defense Committee from May - October, 1963. (CP records subpoenaed by Internal Revente- Service show payments of $8,000 to ABT - Forer and Rein, during period April - August, 1962.*] JOSEPH FORER indicated contributions received are shared with ABT and credited to CP account. ABT listed as payee of $1,000 check from Royal W, France Memorial Fund. His retainer from the CP stated to be $100 per month. ABT represented FRANCES GABOW and AARON LIBSON at Subversive Activities Control Board hearings in Philadelphia and argued appeal of WILLIAM ALBERTSON and roscoe wd) ; SEOKET ( K) Exeluddf £ : ) Exclu rom automat 8 downgrafiing and APP: : . ' ‘ AND FIT. Zs da asgi BECLPSYTIED BY. 6B Sun [age cued amends 1c Ace on lta (SPS suns, EO Brg | paTe_§ m Ors | This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property Ww ' your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. , “CONFI Fr. Tart — ir rt DoclId: 32176262 Page 7
Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 use 2107 Hote)... DATE: 11-14-2017 . o ’ 4 NY 100-54965 A characterization of the Gus Hall -. i) Benjamin J, Davis Defense Committee is. appended hereto. On July 9, 1963, SA SHERMAN SCHOCHET, Intelli-~ gence Unit, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 245 west Houston Street, New York, New York, made available photostatic copies of the 1962 cash disbursement records ‘of the CP, USA. The records were produced by PHILIP BART, Srgen i zational Secretary of the CP, USA, on June 27, , 19603, in response to a summons issued by IRS in the tax investigation of GUS HALL, General Secretary of the CP, USA. The following entries were noted: Date . Payee ‘Amount March 13, 1962 JOHN ABT - $1,000.00 . Forer and Rein March 20, 1962 JOHN ABT - "1,000.00 Forer and Rein .. March 30, 1962 JOHN ABT - - ' 1,000.00 Forer and Rein April 12, 1962 JOHN ABT ~ 1,000.00 Forer and Rein , May 9, 1962 JOHN ABT - 1,000.00 Forer and Rein June 6, 1962 JOHN ABT - | 1,000.00 : . Forer and Rein ‘ July 10, 1962 . JOHN ABT - - 1,000.00 ' Forer and Rein August 21, 1962 JOHN ABT - 1,000.00 . Forer and Rein JOSEPH FORER is one of the attorneys MY has recently represented the CP, USA, te before the United States Supreme court WY > remit DoclId: 327176262 Page &
“Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 Usc 7107 ~~"™ Hate) .-cieyDSIH: 11-14-2017 ‘Feperal! BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. REPORTING OFFICE i OFFICE OF ORIGIN DATE INVESTIGATIVE PERIOD . NEW YORK NEW YORK 1/3/64 7/8/63 - 12/20/63 TITLE OF CASE “¢ RE REPORT MADE BY TYPED BY SECRE JOHN L, FAGAN vmg “ Is -c REFERENCE | Report of SA JOHN L. FAGAN dated 7/3/63 at NY. - p¥ « ADMINISTRATIVE SA JOHN L. FAGAN made the call to ABTIs office under the guise of a legal contact, . SA WARREN H, DUNN: observed ABT on 6/26/63. SAS F, J. MC LAUGHLIN, JR. and JAMES F, O'CONNELL observed ABT on 10/6/63 on 6/17/63, [NY 554- 1P2 . 20a that JOHN ABT | ‘indicated on that date that he might be available on. ve) SPECIAL AGENT APPROVED IN CHARGE DO NOT WRITE IN SPACES BELOW . COPIES MADE; oO: Bureau (100-236194) (RM) - New York (1900-54965) CLASS. & EXN AA REASON-FCIM J ee [eee CLASSIFIED BY 5666 Wey © REQUEST RECD | aceeecceeeene nceneeneeetneefcerneeesnceeefpottnuenanen . DECLASSIFY ON: 25X )_ ' Gt a nN Se ee A We AY §7 A ee 18-—~76324-1 Docld: 327176262 Page 9
~ Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 ‘ Hote). © DATE: 11-14-2017 oes 2 te s ~ NY 100-54965 ADMINISTRATIVE CONT'D ia #4 24¥ ote — Da ae yd CONENENTIAL to discuss points of law with an individual named KRYLOV (probably BORIS S. KRYLOV), a Soviet national ¢ avelling in the US@ a member of an exchange group u) NY 3903-S advised on 6/5/63 that thére was some conversation at CP Headquarters on that date as to whether or not the CP should reconstruct a new set of accounting books for possible introduction in federal court, According to this informant, ABT was understood to express the opinion that the books, if subpoenaed, should be released in their present sonaneson. AV) On 12/3/63, JOHN J. ABT turned over to SAS JOSEPH V. WATERS and ROBERT G, OFTEDAL six letters written by LEE HARVEY OSWALD, which had been sent to the Party or to "The Worker", In advising the NYO of the existence of the letters, ABT stated he was acting on behalf of ARNOLD JOHNSON, his client. ‘The OSWALD letters sought Party assistance in his activities, employment by "The Worker", and a way of making contact with the Party. Also turned over were copies of two letters of acknowledge- ment written by JOHNSON and addressed to OSWALD. On 12/5/63, ABT, stating he represented the Gus Hall - Benjamin J. Davis,Defense Committee, furnished to SA WATERS a letter written by OSWALD to that committee, which forwarded speximens of photographic work which OSWALD offered to .do for the Committee, together with a copy of a letter of acknowledgement written by JAMES D. TORMEY, as Executive Secretary of the Committee, INFORMANTS Identity of NY T- NY 694-S* DoclId: 32176262 Page 10 Source T-1 B ABs 2 File Number Where Located BA 134-14A-4102 aoe PAGE CONE ENTIN | SEA he”:
. Hote). DATE: 11-14-2017 . a , Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records a ny ~ NY 100-54965 : INFORMANTS CONT'D aa Identity of Source File Number Where Located NY T-13- 13482-3178 NY 384-s -3277 ~3258 NY T-15 NY 2517-S NY 646-S LEAD NEW YORK At New Yorg New York T-14 134-2602A-818 NY T-16 134-70-1948 Collection Act of 1992°(44 USC 21077 "= ae Will follow and report ABT's activities in connection with the cP, COVER PAGE -D- , se The f rf ee ; _ DoclId: 32176262 Page 12
Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records’ Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Hote). . DATE : 41-14-2017 “8 ep.904 (niv. 8-860) . . / ; oo \ " UN(TED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE \ , FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION \ \ GONBIDENTT AL ALL INFO OH CONTAINED u— HEREIN IS\USCLASSIFIED EXCEPT Copy to: | WHERE SHOWN OTHERWISE, ... Report of: JOHN L, FAGAN Office: New York, New York Date: 1/3/64 . _ Field Office File No. 3100-54965 Bureau File No.: 100~236194 Title: JOHN JACOB ABT Character: _ SECURITY -~ Cc Synopsis: . JOHN ABT voleaee 4h Central a West and ‘has. law joffice at 320 Broadway, . NYC. Most, of $1,500 at CP Headquarters in June indicated for ABT... He received checks totalling| approximately $2,000” from Gus Hall - Benjamin J. Davi fense Committee. from May ~ October, 1963. cP records subpoenaed by Internal Revenue -- Service show payments of $8,000 to ABT - Forer and Rein, during per -April-<. August, 1962, JOSEPH FORER¥indicated contributions received are sharéa with ABT and credited \to CP account. ABT listed as payee of $1,000 cheek from Royal W. France Memorial Fund. His retédiner from the CP’ stated ‘to bé $1004per month. ABT représented [FRANCES GABOW-4nd AARON SI LBson~ at Subversive \Activities Control Board hearings in PhiladelpKia and aoe ($0) ( u) appeal of WILLIAM ALBERTSON and ROSCOE/| — g ‘ 7’ t 2k eke ti +f ry pe Satis chats aeek bis iin mA, a es, ee tet eS he “ This document contains neither recommendations nor conclirsions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and | its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. \ a | DoclId: 32176262 Page 13