JFK Assassination System ; Date: 9/30/201 Identification Form Agency Information AGENCY: HSCA RECORD NUMBER: _ 180-10077-10499 RECORD SERIES: | NUMBERED FILES AGENCY FILENUMBER: 005820 Document Information ORIGINATOR: CITIZEN FROM: HURTADO, LILA F. TO: GAY, DONOVAN TITLE: DATE: 02/24/1978 PAGES: 22 SUBJECTS : HURTADO, LILA E. FBI, FILES DOCUMENT TYPE: LETTER CLASSIFICATION : — Unclassified ‘ RESTRICTIONS: Consulted CURRENT STATUS: = Withhold DATE OF LASTREVIEW: — 06/16/1993 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : INCLUDES ATTACHMENTS ALONG WITH PERSONAL REFERENCES. 116-15. BOX 116. FOLDER TITLE: v9.1 1 HW 50529 DBocld:322347941 Page 1
JFK Routing Slip 005820 NO. pate 2 | Af [26 document I.D. INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE INDEX COPY 'TO . Robert Blakey Lhertado ‘ZA Cary Cornwell ip! pn 2, Kenneth Klein i= A ofete Charlie Mathews . - Jim Wolf PB / LL. oy, Tin utton - fcr : =) _ Team #1 Team #2 Team #3 & i Team #4 Team#5 Special Instructions: Form #2 eoeers tr sere ee etre et eee ee DoclId: 322747941 Page 2?
HW 50529 005820 February 24, 1978 PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL Mr. Donovan L. Gay Chief Researcher Select Committee on Assassinations U.S. House of Representatives 3331 House Office Building Annex 2 Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Mr. Gay: Enclosed you will find supplemental documentation from my file re- cently released to me by the FBI. Also enclosed is a critique of the statements made by those interviewed which I have labeled Critique II for reference purposes. According to the cover letter from Allen H. McCreight, "Excisions have peen made from these documents and/or entire documents .. . the dis- closure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of the per- sonal privacy of another person... or. . . reveal the identity of an individual who has furnished information to the FBI under confi- dential circumstances or reveal information furnished only by such a person and not apparently known to the public or otherwise accessible to the FBI by overt means." Am I not entitled to equal protection under the law? The enclosed document is an invasion of my privacy and my character has been as- sassinated by persons who were virtual strangers. Totally unfounded and apparently unsubstantiated statements were made in 1971 and have been sitting in my file all these years. How do I know that my FBI file has not been used to deprive me of employment? Is my file coded? How has my file been used? Who has been privy to the information con- tained therein? The information I provided Agent Pimentel with in July 1971 was re- vealed by me under confidential circumstances - information which, at the time, was not apparently known to the public or otherwise accessi- ble to the FBI by overt means. Yet, apparently the FBI did not care to allow me equal protection under the law as my name is bandied about quite frequently in the enclosed document. I voluntarily came forth with my story in July 1971, so I fail to see how any of the information contained in the enclosed FBI document could pertain to anything that I myself did not bring to the FBI's attention; excepting, of course, damaging statements to my heretofore impeccable character. DoclId: 322747941 Page 3
AW 50529 I was not coerced into making my statement to the FBI in 1971; I dia what I had to do afraid that I might not be around long enough to ever document what I knew. Not only was there a ‘whitewash’ of the information I provided to Agent Pimentel, but I was never approached to read the initial FBI report for corroboration and/or signature. Why? The interviews conducted by the FBI in 1971 were based entirely on the FBI's original report - full of fallacious data and apparently deliberately distorted. The agent(s) line of questioning in the attached FBI document seems to lead the person being interviewed. Fach interviewee was asked questions in a manner implying that I had provided certain implications and/or innuendos - when the interviewee denied such innuendos, then the verbiage used by the interviewing agent inferred that I had lied. The enclosed FBI report is nothing more than a concentration of unsubstantiated phrases derogatory to the character of Huntington and myself. I can only wonder if the comments made by those interviewed were distorted and, if so, were they accidentally distorted or deliberately - in an attempt to reduce our credibility. I regret to say, Mr. Gay, that the information I provided Agent Pimen- tel in 1971 has been twisted to work against me. As you can see, the names of those interviewed have been deleted. Under such circumstances it is difficult to comment, but I've tried to do so as accurately and objectively as possible given the enclosed imposed framework. I never said that Huntington discussed the link between the Kennedy- King-Kennedy assassinations or the assassination tape with anyone other than myself. Yet each person interviewed was asked if Huntington mentioned the assassinations and/or the tape to them. I don't believe Huntington discussed his knowledge with anybody else, but the fact that none could corroborate this makes it look like I lied. Apparently each interviewee was asked about Huntington's political in- terests or if he was politically oriented. Now, with the exception of our conversation on election day 1968 and a couple of related comments made at a later date, that is the only time we ever touched upon a politically related subject. To make such a statement, one does not have to be politically inclined - Huntington just made an observation that turned out to be a shocking revelation. Each interviewee stated that Huntington had no political interests which, from observation, I would agree with. Yet, the way the interviews are written it appears that I claimed Huntington was politically oriented by phrases such as “any allegations purporting that he was politically inclined are false. That is a direct reflection upon my (non)credibility and I feel its use is deliberately misleading. From the repetition of the phrase "homosexual" with regard to Mueller and/or Huntington (which I feel is immaterial to the link between the Kennedy-King-Kennedy assassinations) I can only surmise that the in- terviewing agent(s) produced the word, rather than the interviewees’ voluntarily commenting regarding same. If this is true, then I feel that leading those interviewed was unfair and deliberately calculated. If I'm not mistaken, Hoover's program "Cointelpro” was partially de- Signed to rid our nation of those considered to be "aberrant". If correct, then Hoover's distaste - upon reading the enclosed FBI data - for homosexuals would have totally ruled out Huntington's credibility. Docld: 32247941 Page 4
HW 50529 Huntington was a very private type of person, like I am. I, believed Huntington when he said he'd met John and Robert Kennedy while in the Navy and I believed him when he said he played the assassination tape for Robert Kennedy. I don't believe that, under normal circumstances, Huntington would have mentioned the Kennedy brothers to me. Therefore, I wonder about the validity of those absolute and unsubstantiated statements in the report that say Huntington did not know Robert Kennedy. The phrase "very emotional girl" or "extremely emotional girl" is used repetitively in conjunction with myself. Of the names listed in the original FBI report, only Francesca Riviere knew me well enough to offer comment. Buck, Perwin, Borenstein, and Dr. D'Allesandro were business associates. Harlan was a friend of Huntington’s and Mueller’s whom I believe I saw socially no more than 4 or 5 times - accompanied by either or both Huntington and Mueller and including one occasion I stopped by alone to say ‘goodbye’ prior to leaving for St. Thomas. Mueller became closer to me than Harlan because I took care of Hunting- ton’s affairs. None of these people ever heard or saw me cry and I certainly never lied to any of them since I don't believe in lying. To my knowledge, Francesca Riviere has never heard or seen me cry and I’ve never lied to her either. Since the names of those interviewed are deleted, it is difficult to ascertain the number actually interviewed; 4 or 2 (specifically Buck and Perwin, with portions of one interview interwoven with portions of another?), repeatedly using the phrase “homosexual” and/or "very emo- tional girl". I find it hard to believe that these statements were made by more than a couple of individuals and am somewhat curious as to why these unsubstantiated comments were accepted as fact, especially considering probable bias on behalf of Buck and Perwin. I must admit that I'm curious about the political affiliation of the FBI agent who conducted the interview on Page 8. The comment "I guess Nixon is as good as anyone” belies Huntington's personal convictions and I will never believe he made that statement. Since I can't imagine who commented thusly, I will guess that it is credited to Harlan. Harlan was an elderly Cuban lady with broken English and not a great command of the English language. She was conversant, but did not pos- sess an extensive vocabulary and/or a penchant for “big words". If the statement was Harlan’s, then I doubt the veracity of the statement and word usage as really being hers. I say this because Nixon is from Southern California and, at the time of the interviews, was President of the United States. It is now a matter of record that some agents deliberately changed the statements/depositions of witnesses to Presi- dent Kennedy's assassination, so is it not possible that one could have tampered with any one of the statements contained in this report? I feel these pages are a deliberate misinterpretation of what I told Agent Pimentel in July 1971. Granted, the initial FBI report was so distorted that it would have been impossible to adequately follow up via interviews. My impression is that the FBI interrogators led the interviewees into making certain statements, the end result of which I consider to be libelous and defamatory to Huntington’s and my character. Obviously said statements were considered adequate for the FBI office in Los Angeles to stop the investigation - signed, sealed, and delivered right here in conservative Los Angeles. DoclId: 322747941 Page 5
HW 50529 Meanwhile in Puerto Rico I was lead to believe the investigation con- tinued long after the fact; I was advised to change my identity and disappear by an apparently solicitous FBI agent. Last, but not least, I was administered what I would term "psychological fear conditioning" by Agent Pimentel. Why did this continue long after these interviews were conducted? Why didn't Agent Pimentel show me a copy of his report for corroboration and/or signature before he filed the report? Who was in charge of the San Juan FBI office during the period July-November 1971? Who was in charge of the Los Angeles FBI office during the same period? What is the political affiliation of said agents? I’m sorry, Mr. Gay, but between that original FBI report and these interviews I detect foul play. The whitewash on the report and these defamatory unsubstantiated interviews don't sit right with me. Believe me, if any one of the individuals interviewed knew me well enough to legitimately offer such comments then I would not contest their opinion. However, if I am correct in surmising the identity of those interviewed, none of them ever were in a position to legitimately make such comments about my character. I hardly think any one of those interviewed could be considered to have the necessary expertise and knowledge to label Huntington a “pathological liar" and/or a “homosexual”. Judging from the cover letter, there is probably more documentation being withheld from my eyes. I would like to see all documentation - without deletions. Until I'm allowed to do so, I’m deing denied the right to constructively comment and I'm also being denied equal pro- tection under the law. _I find that the reference to a man I may (or may not) have been “roman- tically involved with” distasteful and totally irrelevant to the issue. Not only has my privacy been invaded but further abused in that the name of the man has been deleted as well as (assumed) followup. I hereby request that the name and followup data be released to me for comment. I feel that my credibility has been assailed and that future employment with (or separate from) the government has been jeopardized by the contents of this supplementary data. Since I am concerned about the acceptance of my credibility and for my future, I have taken the liberty of enclosing 3 job references and 3 character references for your per- usal. Should you need further references, please advise and I shall obtain. In light of the above, I can only hope for a prompt response. In the meantime, I do hope you will try to have someone interview Ceil Freilich (see Item #15 attached for details). If she will consent to such an interview, then perhaps you will at least see that Huntington was con- cerned about President Kennedy's assassination and, in fact, discussed a reporter friend's knowledge as to WHO and WHY was behind it. Per my last discussion (telephonically) with Ceil, she seemed to recall that Robert Mueller was present and heard Huntington make the statement; furthermore, she seemed to think that Mueller knew the identity of the reporter. Sincerely, Ia 2? u. Cn Lila F. Hurtado DoclId: 322747941 Page 6
HW 50529 "CRITIQUE II" REF: 8/2/71 airtel from L.A. to Hoover. Assuming Dr. D'Allesandro is the name deleted - at no time did I indicate to Agent Pimentel that the doctor even knew of the assassination tape. ae ee a In reference to the tape, I mentioned Ron Buck's name as the maker and ‘keeper’ of said piece of evidence. Since Dr. D'Allesandro was Huntington's physician for a limited period of time and Huntington was heavily sedated after his second heart attack, it is possible that Huntington talked too much while sedated. It is possible that Huntington, while under sedation, mentioned knowledge of a link between all three assassinations; it is possible that Huntington may have mentioned the existence of physical evidence (i.e., the assassination tape per se). However, I was not present in Huntington's hospital room; consequently, I can only present the possibilities. JI do know that Dr. D'Allesandro was not a close confidante of Huntington's in normal life. IF, and that's a big if, Huntington revealed any information pertaining to the assassinations to Dr. D'Allesandro, it would have to have been while under the influence of drugs. Joseph Borenstein was Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Factory and Dr. D'Allesandro was one of the Board's directors. To the best of my knowledge Borenstein was close to D'Allesandro. For a period of time, Borenstein was very close to Huntington ~ as friend, confi- dante, lawyer, accountant, and employer of Huntington. Boren- stein visited Huntington several times while the latter was in a Chicago hospital recouperating from a second heart attack. This I know to be fact because Huntington spoke with me telephonically from his hospital room; Huntington spoke with difficulty due to heavy sedation and Borenstein was present in the hospital room. When 1 spoke to Agent Pimentel in July 1971, I emphasized that I ' believed Borenstein was either connected to or directly responsible for Huntington's death. Although Borenstein was Huntington's confi- dante and friend during the time of Huntington's second heart attack, I firmly believed that Huntington would not have discussed the assasSination tape and/or his knowledge of the assassinations with Borenstein on a conscious level. I do believe that Huntington could have mentioned his Knowledge of links between said assassinations and/or the existence of physical evidence to Borenstein while under the influence of drugs. The knowledge Huntington had of the assassinations weighed heavily upon his mind and terrified him. If I had not been sitting at my desk on election day '68 and if Huntington had not been in an ap- parent state of shock, I would never have known what I do about the assasSinations. Had Huntingtc: not been so disturbed that day and had he been in a normal frame of! mind, I would not be privy to the information. Docld: 32247941 Page 7? / OR ee ATENEO eR ET ET PE NTC IE NOT Eh at ERE ES IEEE IETS POE EET,» ee
HW 50529 REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover entitled “Sirhan Bishara Sirhan". Bottom of Page 4 - obviously this is a portion of an interview with a male, probably with Ron Buck. “Huntington had no interest whatsoever in politics; had never, to his recol- lection, mentioned the Kennedys, Martin Luther King, or showed any ‘concern over the Nixon Presidential Election." Since Ron Buck made the assassination tape without the knowledge of his prominent guests, obviously there are no witnesses to that event. Huntington is no longer alive to comment on his knowledge of the tape's contents (in a level of detail greater than my own knowledge). Ron Buck is privy to the information as to WHO, How, and WHY the three biggest crimes of a decade were committed; it is also possible that he functioned in more than a role of observer. Thus, is it not logical that he would deny knowledge of said tape? . Would it not be logical to state that Huntington had no interest - whatsoever in politics? That ‘whatsoever' is unequivocal and abso- lute and I must contest its validity in light of the information Huntington revealed to me in 1968. To the best of my knowledge Huntington was not a politically oriented man. Some people enjoy discussing politics and it is a distinct part of their life. I don't believe Huntington was the type of man to openly discuss his political preferences with anyone. He never men=- tioned politics per se to me in the entire year and a half that I worked with him. I, too, was not politically oriented until I became privy to the ‘existence of the tape and the shocking information contained on it. Then I developed what I would term a moral, sociel, and political conscience — which is what I believed happened to Huntington. He would NOT have discussed the assassination tape with me under normal circumstances, of that I am convinced. All I can say is that I believe Huntington developed his apparent state of shock by coming to terms with his conscience. I just happened to be there at the right time to hear him vocalize his shock at the results of the election which resulted in a conversation about the tape. I repeat that under normal circumstances and in a normal frame of mind, he would never have divulged to me what he did that day. Knowledge of that tape made him live in fear for the lives of those he loved, his own, and mine once he shared the information with me. He begged me not to tell the FBI what he knew and stated that they could not be trusted; if I ever revealed what I knew our lives would be on the. line. I believed him then and only after his death in Chicago (which I do not believe was a natural death), afraid that I might die next, did I decide to approach the FBI with what I knew. From the contents of the original data and these supplementary pages it is obvious that Huntington was right about not entrusting the FBI with the information. For a report to end up being a complete abortion, distortion of facts, and whitewash - for these pages to contain such fallacious information about my character in an obvious attempt to discredit my reliability ~ I would say Huntington mew exactly what he was talking about. DoclId: 322747941 Page 6 2B
3. REF: 8/13 71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, page 5. "Does not believe (she) ever discussed this matter with Huntington. Huntington did not know Robert Kennedy." Obviously an interview with a female due to the spacing ~ Lea Purwin? Per my conversation with Agent Pimentel in July 1971, I referred to Perwin/Purwin (phonetically) solely as the executive assistant/ personal secretary of Ron Buck. I indicated that I felt she was in Love with Buck, but that I did not believe the feeling was mutual. I provided her latest place of employment to the best of my knowledge. At no time did I infer that she was knowledgeable of the assassina- tion tape from either Buck or Huntington. If, indeed, this is an interview with Perwin, I fail to see how she felt qualified to make such an absolute statement that Huntington did not know Robert Kennedy. Her relationship with Huntington was primarily business, in her capacity as Buck's secretary; occasionally Huntington escorted her to the L.A. Factory (private club) as a con- venience. ‘Huntington was aware of the priorities in Perwin's life: Perwin was loyal to herself and Ron Buck ~ in that order. And, in this context, I seriously doubt whether Huntington would ever have discussed the assassination tape and/or Robert Kennedy with Perwin. Huntington was a very private sort of person and was not the type to discuss problems. I don't feel I would have learned so much about his life if I had not experienced so many bad times with him. Please bear in mind that as Huntington's personal secret.ary/business manager I maintained his general ledgers and filed receipts for expenses. In that capacity, it is not difficult to ascertain one's life-style and/or preferred associates. Huntington, when faced with obstacles, soon learned who his real friends were. As soon as he lacked the funds to entertain lavishly (at home and The Factory), give thoughtful gifts, flowers, etc. the number of those loyel to him in times of adversity dwindled to three~ a little black laborer, Livingston Wilburn; Robert Mueller, and; myself. There was one couple in L.A., a doctor and his wife, who were close to both Huntington and Mueller; however, I don't believe Huntington ever kept them informed as to his difficulties. he REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of page 5. Obviously an interview with Ron Buck from the spacing. "Discussing the Kennedy assassination and is positive (he) never had a discussion with either Robert Kennedy or William Huntington regarding (deleted ~ too lengthy to guess as verbiage, estimated to pertain to 'assassina-— tion cape’). If my assumption is correct, then I believe this to be a correct statement. Considering Huntington's secrecy about the tape, I don't believe he ever discussed Said tape with Buck. I gathered at the time that Huntington came by the tape without the knowledge of Ron Buck. And, cxintrary to the FBI's initial report, Buck did not play the tape for Huntington and Robert Kennedy. HW 50529 DocId:32247941 Page 9 D>
be EeEs 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of page 5 (Ron Buck) emphasized Huntington's non-political status and was pos itive that any allegations purporting that he was politically in- clined are false." In light of my comment in Item #2, I would agree with this statement. However, I never did tell Agent Pimentel that Huntington was politically inclined: I merely provided Pimentel with the information pertaining to the assassination tape. For Hunting-— ton to have revealed this information to me does not mean that he was ‘political’ or "politically inclined’. ; _6, REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 5. "(Ron Buck knew) Lila Hurtado, who was employed as a Secretary by Huntington, but was not well enough acquainted with her to make a statement regarding her reliability." If, indeed, this a statement by Ron Buck it is correct. Our association was entirely on a busi- ness level. 7, REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 5. "Robert Kennedy was never (in Ron Buck's office) nor was he ever at The Factory while Huntington was present." The statement, if I am correctly filling in the blank, could or could not be correct as I was not in a position to know. Per my conversation with Agent Pimentel in July 1971, I could only surmise as to where Huntington might have played the assassination tape for Robert Kennedy. My guess at the time was either Buck's office (in the absence of Buck) or at The Factory, especially since Huntington had keys to both (as decorator). 8, REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, bottom of Page 5. "However, he (Huntington) was financially irresponsible; he was a . homosexual; and frequently lied without any reason."' I should like to comment here that Huntington was an artist not an accountant. That's why he needed and wanted a capable person to handle his ledger and maintain accurate records. He had a celebrity clientele, many of whom considered they were doing Huntington a favor by giving their business to him. In Hollywood the name of a good interior decorator gets exposure as much as good gossip. Huntington knew he would never collect a good portion of his outstanding accounts receivable, but he aid not have to resort to listings in either the white or yellow pages of the phone book, In light of this, I would say he,was a shrewd businessman, as his success was greatly due to word of mouth personal recommendations. The periodic mention of thomosexuality' can only be construed as a means of discrediting the man. In my opinion, whether Huntington was or was not a homosexual is totally irrelevant and immaterial to the issue at hande There are many men who have seemingly effeminate gestures, attitudes, etc. but they are not homosexuals. Many men share apartments or even buy houses as a joint venture, but they are not homosexuals. JI was an extension of Huntington's right arm for 14 years and I would never say he was a homosexual. Since I never went to bed with the man I could not, in good conscience, state he either leaned toward or was in fact a homosexual. Once again, I feel this statement is an assumption and achieves nothing more than slandering the reputation of a man who is no longer alive to comment (as if it were an important issue). HW 50529 Docld:32247941 Page 10 4h
For some time Huntington promised monieS due creditors believing monies to be forthcoming from accounts receivables. When it became apparent to me that funds would not come in on schedule, I urged Huntington to level with his creditors — that he didn't have the funds and didn't know when same would come in = to avoid potential lawsuits. There was a ridiculous rumour that Huntington had funds in a Swiss account. Consequently, he knew the creditors would not believe him if he told the truth. Enough creditors mentioned this rumour to me so I know it was fact. Huntington feared that if he told the creditors that he was without funds that his reputation as a decorator would suffer. Finally I reached the point of des~ paration and informed Huntington that he would level with his creditors or I would leave his employ. fn view of the fact that it ~ was I, rather than Huntington, who bore the brunt of creditor com plaints, bad language, etc. in answering the office phones, Hunting— x ton cemplied with my request. Huntington made his biggest mistake in investing money (when he had it) in the Chicago Factory. He put all eggs in one basket and there was no return. Consequently, he lost his L.A. slientele because he was never available to consult with them on projects, new homes, etc. 9. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle Page 6. Judging from the spacing and the comments, I can only. assume the interviewee was Lea Perwin/Purwin. “Huntington was a homosexual, and he lived with another homosexual named (Robert Mueller). Once again I feel that affixing 'homosexual' labels to either of these gentlemen is not only unwarranted, but that it shows a deliberate attempt to slander their character. JI vaguely remember that Hoover himself had an intense dislike for homosexuals and, of course, if the interrogating FBI agent were aware of Hoover's dis- taste with homosexuality, the reperitive use of the word would obviously achieve the creation o unsavory’ characters. 10. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle Page 6. "Huntington was . . . almost a psychopathic liar, and in (her) opinion, ended up believing many of the lies he told." To the best of my knowledge, Perwin had neither a psychology nor a psychiatric background and thus makes me wonder about the FBI's acceptance of her statement as absolute fact since she's not an expert in either field. Furthermore, the statement is not substantiated by events which led the interviewee to make such a statement. . ll. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 6. "(She) had never heard him mention the Kennedys, Martin Luther King, nor had he expressed concern over the election of Nixon." Interestingly enough, the last sentence in that paragraph closes with "but that Huntington was not acquainted with Robert Kennedy." Now, if Perwin never heard Huntington mention the Kennedys, then how would she know that he was not acquainted with Robert Kennedy? Is that comment based on the Tact that because Huntington never mentioned the Kennedys to her that was an indication that he did not know RFK? Is it not possible that Huntington chose deliberately not to men- tion the names of certain people to Perwin? Just because she was an acquaintance does not necessarily mean she would have been privy to the names in his personal phone directory. I have said before, and I will say it again - Huntington was a very private kind of man. | HW 50529 Docld:32247941 Page 11 5s —— | > f
Tete tatiana aise et ee 12. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 6. "Advised that if any such incident as the alleged tape recording had occurred, and it had been discussed with either (Ronald Buck. or) “William Huntington, that (she) would have been aware of it from both of them. (She) advised that (she) would recall if anv such discus= sion had taken place, and that none had." The only woman who could possibly presume herself so knowledgeable would be Lea Perwin. She obviously felt she was knowledgeable of everything that happened in both men's lives. Is it not possible that Ron Buck could have made a tape recording either in his home or office that she would not have been aware of? Ron Buck did not strike me as the type of man that could ever be manipulated by a woman; consequently, he would have no reason to 'clear' any taping with her before doing So. Considering the volatility of such an ‘assassination tape’, lI seriously doubt whether Buck would have taken it upon himself to even mention it to Perwin ~- ever. In light of what Huntington told me on that election day in 1968, he had told nobody about the tape until he told me. He made it clear to me that, had he not been so upset with the election returns, he never would have mentioned it even to me. Consequently, I find it difficult to believe that Hunt- ington would have ever felt inclined to discuss the tape with Perwin. Moreso because her employer made the tape. From the tone of this report, the FBI believes this woman's state- ments to be highly credible. I'd like to know what makes her state- ments more credible than mine. IF the interviewee is indeed Perwin, and in light of the fact I told Agent Pimentel I believed she was in love with Ron Buck, then I fail to comprehend the degree of cre- dence assigned to her comments. 13. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, bottom of Page 6. "Advised that Lila Hurtado .. . was a very emotional girl, and: that she was presently employed in San Juan, Puerto Rico." Two things disturb me about this statement: how a virtual stranger to me could feel qualified to state that (I was or was not) a very emotional girl and how Perwin knew that, as of August 1971, I was working in San Juan. I was living in St. Thomas when I last spoke with Huntington prior to his demise and the people I met in L.A. during my July 1971 visit had no connection to Lea Perwin. I shall reserve comment on "very emotional girl" until later. 14. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page’?. I'ma bit stymied about the identity of the person interviewed; obviously it’s with a male due to the spacing. I can only surmise that it might be an interview with Robert Mueller due to the phrasing. "(He stated) that Huntington had absolutely no political interests; that (deleted), had asked him to vote in the last two elections, one Presidential and one State, prior to Huntington going to Chicago, and that Huntington had declined to do so." Once again, I never did state that Huntington was politically oriented. Whether Huntington ever voted in any election I would not know. It seems to me that the FBI agents overemphasized the phrase "political interests'; Huntington's votin- record was not the real issue at hand, rather his knowledge of an assassination tape, of which I understood only Buck, Huntington, and myself were aware of. , HW 50529 DBocld:322747941 Page 12 Zé
15. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 7. "(He) never knew Huntington to make any statements or express any concern regarding the assassinations of the Kennedys or Martin Luther King." IF this is an interview with Mueller, then I have reason to believe he was frightened and perjured himself. On approximately 2/6/78 I had occasion to speak with Ceil Freilich here in Los Angeles (213/275-8658) to enquire if she'd heard of the whereabouts of Mueller. Ceil, a nurse, and her husband Mike, a doctor, were rather close to both Mueller and Huntington. They entertained each other at their respective residences. She then informed me that she'd spoken with Marshall at Abbey Picture Frames (in L.A.) and that friends of Mar- shall's, namely Nick and George, reportedly saw Mueller in Palm Springs just two weeks prior to our conversation. Evidently Mueller {4s managing a motel in Palm Springs, but she did not know the name of the motel. I explained that I lacked the funds to search for Mueller; she suggested I contact Marshall. Well, I've spoken with Marshall on and off during the last year about Mueller's whereabouts and Marshall promised to let me know if he heard about Mueller. Obviously, I'm not within the privileged inner circle as Marshall chose to discuss Mueller with Ceil and not with me. Now you know as much about Mueller's whereabouts as I do. I took the liberty of mentioning the last conversation I had with Ceil about a year ago, the one in which she told me Huntington told her that he knew a reporter who was in Dallas when JFK was assassi-~ nated. Huntington told her that said reporter told him (Huntington) that he (reporter) knew WHO was behind the Kennedy assassination and WHY. A year ago Ceil seemed to think that the reporter was a male. I asked her specifically if the reporter could have been Dorothy Kilgallen, and she said "no, I think it was a man." Ceil reiterated the contents of the conversation we held a year ago, but this time she revealed something she didn't tell me before ~ that Mueller was present when Huntington discussed the JFK assassi~ nation with her, and she seémed to think that Mueller knew referenced reporter as well. I then told Ceil that I've been fighting a one woman battle for over a year and I was soliciting, at long last, some > corraborative support from her end. She seemed to be reluctant to ao so and stated that she wanted to discuss it with Mike, her husband. She has children and’ I'm sure she'd prefer to stay out of this whole thing for the safety of herself and her family. In any event, she was preparing to go to Switzerland for a couple of weeks, and would probably not reach a decision until her return. By the way, her husband's office number is 213/653-6350. _ 16. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 7. "(He) never heard Huntington make any statement regarding any type of tape recording." IF this was, indeed, an interview with Mueller then I would say this is probably true. To coin a phrase that's been much used in reference to myself, Huntington felt that Mueller was too excitable/emotional to know about Huntington's financial difficulties. In league with Huntington, I refrained from commenting about same until Huntington recuested a $5,000 loan from Mueller. Mueller couldn't imagine at th: time why Huntington would ask for ‘the monies. Huntington was in Chicago at the time, around summer "69 | HW 50529 DBocld:322747941 Page 13 7
ae I believe, and I decided it was time to fill Mueller in on Hunting- ton's financial situation. The series of accidents to Huntington were well on their way and I told Mueller that he should think twice about the loan if, in any way, it was going to be a hardship for him to repay. I stated that I believed the hard times had only just begun for Huntington because Huntington had information that linked the Kennedy—King~Kennedy assassinations and, furthermore, Huntington knew WHO was behind them and WHY. I don't believe Huntington ever mentioned his knowledge of the assassinations or the ‘assassination tape’ to Mueller. When Huntington died in Chicago, in the manner related to me by Mueller, then Mueller was convinced that Huntington was murdered because of what he knew of the assassinations. Mueller told me that himself, on a Hollywood street corner, in July 1971. Mueller was absolutely terrified and his body shook all over. He cried and begged me to tell the FBI in San Juan what I knew upon my return. He also told me that he'd made a report to the L.A. FBI office just a few days before I arrived to the extent that Huntington might have been murdered for knowledge of the assassinations. Mueller informed me in July 1971 that he lost his job at the bank because the I.R.S. tried to attach his salary for payment of Hunting- ton's $1,500 debt and in the process labeled him a 'homosexual'. Since it is against bank policy for any officer to be a corporate officer of a firm, and Mueller was a corporate officer of Hunting- ton's business in name only for a month, this fdct also contributed to his dismissal at the bank. Mueller claimed that the I.R.S. had attached both his house in the Hollywood hills and his car as payment of Huntington's I.R.S. debt. I accepted Mueller's statement at face value and had no reason to doubt his sincerity. 17. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 7. Nadvised that Lila Hurtado was employed by William Huntington -as a secretary, and took care of some of his interests after Hun- tington went to Chicago." If paying Huntington's apartment expenses out of Huntington's funds would be considered taking care of some of Mueller's interests, then I guess the statement is correct. 18. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, bottom of Page 7. "(He) stated that Lila Hurtado was an extremely emotional girl". The constant repetition of this phrase makes me wonder if this was a voluntary observation of Mueller's or if the words were prompted by the interviewing agent. 1 find it hard to believe that Mueller. would ever use that terminology with reference to myself. Again, there is no substantive data to support such a statement. 19. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, bottom of Page 7. "That she was, (he) believed, romantically involved with (extensive deletion). To discover that my romantic affiliations were even revealed and, furthermore, deleted from my view is beyond compre= hension to me. Certainly I should be entitled to know the name deleted and the balance of information pertaining to that individual in order to comment on the veracity of such a statement. I'm sorry, but I hardly see where any aspect of my love life has anything to do with the existence of an ‘assassination tape', especially since I've always kept my personal relationships out of the office. I hereby request the individual's name and information pertaining to “that individual. I feel that .. right to privacy has really been invaded and abused at this poinc. HW 50529 DBocld:322747941 Page 14 A
te ne Ran ceopeciee de takin dale nected ater dh nee tees te 2 Serene 20. IF indeed this was an interview with Robert Mueller, then I wonder why no reference was made to Mueller's prior visit to the FBI. According to Mueller (when we were talking on a Hollywood street corner) he had visited the Los Angeles office of the FBI just a couple of days prior to my visit. I had no reason then to doubt that he visited the FBI and told them what he knew about Huntington's death nor do I have reason to doubt him now. To the best of my knowledge, Mueller had never lied to me nor should he have ever felt cause to do so. Consequently, I wonder about what this interview does not say. Is it not possible that the interviewing agent could have made some omissions? In light of Mueller'’s and my conversation in Hollywood that day, I find this interview amazingly ‘sparse’. 21. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, top of Page 8. "That (he) considered any allegations that Huntington was emotionally concerned about any political matter were undoubtedly false." Again I would like to reiterate that I don’t believe Huntington ever dis- cussed the assassination tape with anyone other than myself. In light of the conversation Mueller and I had in Hollywood, I find it very difficult to believe that Mueller would have made this state- ment. I wonder if the interviewing agent distorted Mueller’s comment. I also wonder, given the circumstances that led to Mueller’s dismissal from his job, if Mueller was intimidated by the FBI and too fearful to correct any obviously erroneous statements. 22. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 8. From the spacing this is obviously an interview with a woman. Once _ again it is hard to ascertain who is being interviewed, but I will surmise either Perwin or Rosita Harlan. "(She) stated that he never had any discussion with (her) regarding any allegations involving the Kennedy assassinations or the assassina- tion of Martin Luther King." I've already commented upon the circumstances that led Huntington to inform me of the assassination tape; in a normal state of mind, I don't believe he would have discussed the issue with me. The chances of him discussing same with anyone else I would estimate to be 1,000 to l. 23. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Pase BT "(She) stated that he had no political interests."' Again, in general, 7 that statement would be true; excepting, of course, certain informa- tion he had knowledge of and was afraid to discuss with anyone, parti- cularly the FBI. 24, REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 8. "She advised that prior to the 1968 elections, (she) asked him who he thought (she) should vote for, and his comment was 'I guess Nixon is as good as anyone'."' Never in a million years would I believe Hunt- ington made that statement - to anyone. I base this upon the conver- sation we had on election day 1968 - the degree of his emotions and physical state would belie any such comment. I believe the interviewee or interviewer is putting words in Huntington's mouth. Huntington had no stomach for conflict - he would avoid conflict and even walk away from it. Considering the volatility of most political conversations, I think Huntin; n would have remained silent for fear of starting an argument. : HW 50529 Docld: 32247941 Page 15 G
26. HW 50529 Rosita Harlan was seemingly close to both Huntington and Mueller. _ Harlan's name was mentioned (by me) only as a means of contacting Mueller, if necessary. She was the one who arranged for Mueller to meet with me in July 1971 during my visit to L.A. When Huntington could no longer afford to place ersonal calls from Chicago to L.A., both Mueller and Harlan would phone me for news of Huntington. There were times that I felt one or both were on 'fishing expeditions'. Huntington was my employer and, because I had to manage his affairs in his absence, I know I often ruffled some feathers in not going beyond the social amenities. If Huntington wanted to share something, he would ask me to call one or both and relay specific message(s). If memory serves me correctly, I did not see Harlan more than 4 or 5 times (socially with either Huntington or Mueller, or accompanied by both, long enough for coffee and a roll, and once on my own prior to leaving Los Angeles for St. Thomas). I don't believe in lying and there's no place in my life for those who do. I feel that I have been instilled with the proper values in life; I have a good sense of what's right and wrong; I'm a strong willed person and will defend principles and/or those I have faith in with a loyalty rarely found. I try to live by the Golden Rule and would not. do or say anything that I would be ashamed of later, as it's I who has to live with my conscience. I have always been considered a reserved, serious, intense person. There's been little laughter in my life with little time: for tears as I've had to work hard to survive. I ama truthful person; I am mature beyond my years due to my life experiences. I am very selective about those I allow to be close to me; I'm highly principled and expect the same of those I associate with. Last, but not least, I live by my convictions. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 8. "(She) advised that to (her) knowledge, Huntington did not know Robert Kennedy, and that if he had ever been in contact with Kennedy, or if any allegations regarding the Kennedys had been made to him, that (she) is certain that (she) would be aware of them." IF indeed this was an interview with Perwin or Harlan, and in light of the apparent _ - social amenities observed by myself when either was in Huntington’s presence, I find it hard to believe either indi- vidual would have been in a position to offer such a statement -- legitimately. As I’ve stated before, Huntington was a very private type of man. I am convinced I would not have been privy to the in- formation Huntington provided me in the fall of 1968 had he not been so distressed about the outcome of the election and the fact that the man who won the election was connected to the data on the assassi- nation tape. Docld: 32247941 Page 16 Hf
7 ow 25. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 8. "She advised that (she) knew Lila Hurtado and that Hurtado is an ex-— tremely emotional person; she would cry at the slightest provocation; she had a tendency to exaggerate things out of complete proportion; and (she) considered her extremely unreliable." A. I've had many high pressured jobs with lots of responsibility. I often performed when I should have had the assistance of one or two individuals. If I were ever considered unreliable, emo- tional, or dishonest, I don't believe I would have held the positions I did. B. I hardly think Huntington would have entrusted me with his business and personal affairs had I displayed any one of the above traits. Of the names listed in the initial FBI report, only one was in a position to comment about my character - Francesca Riviere. In early 1968 Francesca worked for me part time at UCLA. By the fall of 1968 she was working part time in Ron Buck's office. And it was Francesca who informed me of the position available as the personal secretary for the interior decorator of The Factory. I was told that referenced man was recovering from a heart attack and that Lea Perwin (phonetic) would handle the interview. Perwin interviewed me in person, seemed satisfied that. l was capable of assuming the responsibilities, and then told me Robert Mueller would contact me via telephone for a further interview. Mueller did so and I was finally hired to work for Huntington. QO Francesca and I remained friends until she left Los Angeles for San Francisco around April 1970. Shortly thereafter I moved to St. Thomas. Our relationship disintegrated pri- marily due to a wide gap caused by our life experiences. \ We have not resumed old ties. At present she lives at 300 Entrada Drive in Santa Monica, California (213/454-0892). The name of Francesca Riviere was mentioned solely because she and I began a search of Buck’s office one evening for said tape. I did not tell her specifics, merely that the tape was connected to the assassinations. As of winter '75-'76, Riviere told me she had never been approached personally, telephonically, or via mail by the FBT The other names were business acquaintances except for Mueller and Harlan. Huntington and I agreed that Mueller couldn't handle stress. I refrained from telling Mueller about Hunt- ington's financial problems until things got so bad I had to say something to get Mueller to economize. He displayed his - ability to cope with the situation and I took it upon myself to tell him that things wouldn't get better - only worse. At that time I informed Mueller of the assassination tape - my belief that the "accidents" to Huntington were deliberate at- tempts to break Huntington down, ruin his business reputation, all because of what he knew about the assassinations. I re- member that occasion well because I opted to break my silence of the tape and Huntington's predicament, but I felt that since Mueller was about to *. rrow $5,000 against his house for a. loan to Huntington, he deserved to know the truth and make his decision accordingly. HW 50529 Docld:32247941 Page 17 JD
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M.A. SCHAPIRO & Co.. INC. ONE CHASE MANHATTAN PLAZA NEW YORK. N.Y. [0005 TELEPHONE: (212) 425-6600 CABLE: MASCHAPIRO February 16, 1978 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I have known Lila Hurtado since November, 1972. She was my supervisor during a period of five months in which we worked for the same firm. We also became close friends and have kept in contact to the present time. Miss Hurtado has asked me to make comment on certain following quoted statements made about her character: ".,..an extremely emotional person"...."cries at the slightest provocation"...."has a tendency to exaggerate out of complete proportion".....considered extremely unreliable." In the more than five years that I have known Miss Hurtado, under both professional and personal circumstances, I would never have used any of the above descriptions to apply toward her personality. She is, in my opinion, an intelligent and capable person and has always been responsible about her duties. To the best of my knowledge, she has never exhibited the overwrought personality described above, and I have many times relied upon her good judgements as well as level-headed advice. If further detailed response is necessary, I am willing to attest to any information of which I might have first-hand knowledge. Sincerely,, a Cynthia J. Berkey Asst. Vice President( Research Department HW 50529 DBocld:32247941 Page 20
HW 50529 SUF February 22, 1977 To Whom it May Concern: I have known Miss Lila Hurtado for over 7 years in both a professional and personal capacity. During this time she has shown herself to be reliable, trustworthy. and loyal. Miss Hurtado's ability to handle situations under pressure has been shown in her career record, and I have had the:.. chance to observe her wonkvatticloséimandeznd. When Miss Hurtado mentioned that allegations had been made against her as being "extremely emotional", with a tendency to "cry at the slightest provocation", I felt it necessary to refute them. She is neither "Extremely emotional", nor does she"cry at the slightest provocation. Other slanderous remarks such as Miss Hurtado is “extremely unreliable" and "has a tendency to exaggerate things out of complete proporgtion".are also untrue. As I mentioned above, she is a very reliable person, trustworthy, and factual, more inclined to understate rather than overstate a Situation. I find the above allegations against Miss Hurtado both cruel and unnecessary, and wish to set the record straight. Your further investigation into this matter will bear me out. Very truly, Susan Forrest Associate Producer KHJ-TV Hollywood, California SF:leg cc: L. Hurtado DoclId: 322747941 Page ?1