. as U.S. Department of Justice Rashington, D.C. 20530 MEMORANDUM To: Judy -Hudson Senate Intelligence Committee Room 211 Hart Building From: yi arshall R. Williams, Chief Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Unit Office of Enforcement Operations Criminal Division Suite 980 Washington Center Building Subject: JFK Assassination Records Act of 1992 We have reviewed the five congressional documents (items 1- 5) which contain Criminal Division information. Our recommendations are as follows: Item 1- We have no objections to the declassification and release of this information found in this item. Item 2- This document can be released in its entirety. Item 3- The material outlined in pencil found on pages 1 and 2 should be deleted because it appears to be outside the scope of the JFK Act. The remaining material found in this document can be released in its entirety. Item 4- Our information can be released subject to the deletion of material outlined in pencil pursuant to subsection 3 of section 6 of the Act. 157 - (0008 - 0 FES, 5- Our information can be released subject to the . deletion of material outlined in pencil pursuant to section 10 and subsection 3 of section 6 of the JFK Act. It is our understanding that you have consulted with the other concerned agencies in regard to their information found in these documents. Top Secret Material Attached Unclassified Upon Removal of Classified Attachment HW 53244 DoclId:32202450 Page 2?
< ~ nisin If you have any questions concerning this matter, please call Keith Dyson of my staff on 514-0874. Top Secret Material Attached Unclassified Upon Removal of Classified Attachment yoo, HW 53244 Docld:32202450 Page 3
SSC] BOX #2 64-4 MEMORANDUM ‘ phy To: Terry Lenzner ; 8). Lo From: Marc Lackritz Conversation with Will Wilson, Wednesday, February 6, 1974 DERMAL BASE iN FULL t t I spoke toWill Wilson, former Assistant Attorney General in O 7 © RELEASE IN PART z =) — LJ ; charge of the Criminal Division, on February 6, 1974, at approximately 6:15 p.m. Wilson presently has offices at 1003 International Life Building, ad Austin, Texas. His home telephone is 512/GL3-0559, and his office phone is 512/472-1766. The purpose of the telephorie call was to learn if Wilson ™. had any information relating to the waived grand jury appearance of Robert Maheu in early 1971 or relating to the acquisition of the Dunes Hotel by Hughes in 1970. Q . Wilson recalled that the Justice Department had an investigation o going on in Los Angeles back in 1970 and 71. He believes that the strike force had an investigation into skimming in Las Vegas and had requested Robert Maheu's presence before a grand jury out there. Apparently, Maheu did not want to appear before the grand jury, and informed the U.S. Attorney in charge that he would voluntarily appear before officials at the Department of Justice rather than go before the grand jury. When the U. S. Attomey checked with superiors at the Department of Justice, everyone apparently thought that the appearance in Washington would be sufficient, and so defers to Crungya | CiA HAS NO OBJECTION TO cel a en cermin PECEASSIFICATION AND/OR Division ay ASE OF THIS DOCUMENT relese, » hrfs FD Mar 74 44 DoclId:322027450 Page 4
_Wilson could recall no conversations with John Mitchell about the appearance of Maheu at the Department of Justice, ,he said that Maheu's appearance was well-known within the Department. He said that he received no direction from Attorney General Mitchell to make these arrangements. Wilson stated that the details for the appearance were worked out cy) 60by Lynch, Wilson , and the attorney out on the strike force who subsequently = became chief of the Kansas City Strike Force. (At one point in the interview, ' Wilson thought this individual was David Nissen.) Wilson stated that the 1~ purpose for his close examination of Maheu was to discover if there had rs been any secret trades among the casino owners in Las Vegas and if there . were any "capitalized skim" that was included in the sales price. Wils on wm stated that he did not find any such skim after his examination of Maheu. od Wilson stated that he was convinced that Parvin-Dohrman as sellers of a casino had retained an over-ride ("skim "), but that that was always difficult to prove in the cases that came before the Department. Wilson indicated that he got nothing from Maheu that was very satisfactory to support his theory of capitalized skim. Wilson was also aware that the organized crime section had discussed the matter with staff of the Anti-Trust Division of Justice. The . * Pare Ree Le ect, CT SR 4 hae Conaseee e elt Organized Crime division wanted Anti-Trust Division personnel to be assigned to the strike forces themselves. Wilson took up this problem of getting the bulaty it 43 44 Docld:32202450 Page 5 )
44. Docld:3227027450 Page 6 -7- Wilson stated that a lot of effort was going into the skimming operations in Las Vegas by the Criminal Division. Wilson felt that Maheu would be a very helpill witness because of his hostility wh Hughes because of the recent break. However, even with Maheu's hostility, he was not a particularly helpful witness (surprise!), Wilson could recall no meeting with John Dean and Attorney General Mitchel in which they discussed the acquisition by Hughes of the Dunes Hotel. While Wilson Stated that he wouldn't rule it out, he said that it was unlikely. Wilson also recalls no investigation into the Dunes, although there was a large investigation into Continental Connectors and Parvin-Dormann. Wilson noted that Justice Douglas was on retainer to Parvin-Dorhmann, and that he was convine§Ss Parvin-Dorhmann ran a skimming operation in Las Vegas. Wilston stated that he learned of all this background information concerning Maheu from a secret file in the Justice Department. He stated that there was a Giacamo file in the Organized Crime Section, and among ~ those files was a special] secret file on Robert Maheu. ‘Wilson recalled discussing this matter with J. Edgar Hoover, since Hoover had apparently fired Maheu upon learning of his organized crime connections. (This makes no sense.) Wilson stated that these files were either in the central filing room in the Department or Possibly could be back in the Criminal Division. Other individuals who saw these files on Giacamo and Maheu included Bill Lynch, Attorney General Mitchell, Henry Petersen, and Jack Keeny. Jack Keeny now heads up the fraud section of the Criminal Division, and Ed