(404-10096-10193 24 June 1976 MEMORANDUM FOR | ‘THE © RECORD SUBJECT: . Senators Church and Schweiker News Conference Concerning Release of Senate Select Committee Warren Commission Report i. The. following is a summary of the 23 June 1976 news conference sponsored by Senators Church and Schweiker concerning the release of the Senate Select Committeé report relating to the investigation - of the assassination of President Kennedy: “Senator Church opened the news. conference with a brief: statement outlining the- history of the: Senate . Select Committee and indicated that this report represents - the last of -five reports issued by the. Committee during its tenure. Senator Church praised Senator Schweiker and Senator Hart for their investigation concerning the Kennedy assassination and said that the report's central. conclusion is that senior officials of both the CIA and the FBI failed to turn over relevant information to the Warren Commission. Senator Church indicated that the reasons for the failure to turn over this relevant information are unclear ‘and then quoted from the report to the.effect that: the: possibility exists that this non-disclosure was intentional. Senator Church concluded his opening. statement by recommending: that the matter be referred to. the newly created oversight committee with the recommendation that - the committee a continue this investigation to resolve unanswered questions. Senator- Church then gave ‘the floor to Senator. Schweiker. Attached hereto is a copy of Senator Schweiker's opening statement. Following Senator Schweiker's reading of this statement the news conference was opened to questions from reporters. A general description of the questions and responses” thereto follows: RETURN To c ackground Use On © Not * Reproduca.
14-00000 QUESTION: The report states there is no hard evidence of a conspiracy. Is there circumstantial evidence? | | Seitator Schweiker answered that the report leaves unanswered many. questions that need to be resolved and there is sufficient evidence to warrant additional ‘investigation. QuEsTrON: Why isn’ t Senator. Hart here? Senator Schweiker replied that Senator Hart had supported him fully throughout the investigation put that Senator Hart had been detained at another engagement and had called Senator. Schweiker only minutes before the ‘start of ‘the press conference to indicate that he could not be. ‘Present. .” . , “QUESTION: What. are the names of ‘the senior — ‘ -dntelligence officers who withheld information from the Warren Commission? - .: ‘Senatory Schweiker replied that Hoover and Helms failed to provide the Warren Commission with “all relevant information but beyond those ‘two individuals the investigation has not. ‘been completed. | vo, oe | QuEsTrON: ‘Allen: Dulles ‘who was a member. of. ‘the. Warren Commission knew about assassination plots against Castro. Why ‘didn't he provide , the Warren Commission with this datat Senator Schweiker replied ‘that ‘there is no indication any other member besides Allen Dulles knew of the assassination plots. A _ QUESTION: Were there any important facts left out of the report for security reasons? Senator Schweiker replied in the negative. _
14-00000 QUESTION: Was there a conspiracy to cover up? Senator Schweiker replied that neither Helms of the CIA nor Hoover of the FBI told the Warren Commission, nor individuals within their respective agencies responsible for investigating the assassination of President Kennedy, of plots to assassinate Castro. QUESTION: Have you referred ‘this matter to the Justice Department? Senator Schweiker replied that he had taken no action in this regard and intended to ' leave this matter to-the judgment of the f oversight committee.. - QUESTION: What is left to be done in the way of investigation? Senator Schweiker replied that the question of - how high up and the purpose of the “cover up" ‘needs to be pursued, as well as several other. ~ leads not identified within the report. - question: - Why has the oversight committee (Senator Tnouye) stated that they will not decide for six months whether to take up this matter? Senator Schweiker replied that he has talked . 'to Senator Inouye and that Senator Inouye has promised to bring this matter before the oversight committee. . QUESTION: Was AMLASH a. “double agent? Senator Schweiker replied that the Cuban. ‘government had an excellent intelligence network in the US and the question of whether AMLASH was a double agent and whether Castro knew of AMLASHs activities with CIA: is very important issue. QUESTION: You have indicated that you do not ‘have faith in the Warren Commission investigation, therefore, do you then not believe that Oswald was the lone assassin?
14-00000 Senator . Schweiker replied that the Warren Commission was missing several. ingredients when they made their investigation and therefore he (Schweiker) could make no decision on the matter. QUESTION ADDRESSED TO SEN. CHURCH: Do you agree -with Senator Schweiker that there was a cover up? Senator Church stated yes, he agreed with the report and the decision to publish it, however, Helms has not been fully interrogated on this ‘matter and there are several important leads that need to be followed up. Senator Church _stated- that Helms was interrogated but the committee did not have time to complete the _ “whole chain of necessary questions. As an ‘example one:response Helms gave before the . Committee as t.o why he had not informed the - Warren Commission of the pilots against Castro ._ was that “no. one asked hin.” oo Senator Schweiker commented that. more - ‘leads are “coming in even now. Many of: those leads are “not in the report and that people. are volunteering information on, this even: ‘how - ; QUESTION: | Is there enough evidence. to. reopen a £ull scale investigation. of . the ‘Kennedy: assassina~ tion? a Senator Schweiker replied that if Oswald had been’ . convicted the. trial would later have been declared a mistrial solely on: the basis of the FBI's destruction of Oswald's note in the 7 Dallas office. He added that yes there is enough - ‘evidence to open a full scale investigation, but ‘the next. step would be for: the oversight committee. to pursue . ‘the leads. QUESTION: ADDRESSED TO SENATOR. CHURCH: Would you require further evidence before you feel that a full scale. hearing. should be convened? Senator “Church replied yes, this is incomplete and there is. not enough evidence yet to open “a full seale hearing. .However, it should. be investigated further. :
14-00000 x QUESTION ADDRESSED TO SENATOR CHURCH: Was there a4. reason for the cover. up? , -Senator Church replied he had no ‘judgment on that. There could be many reasons "we just don't know." QUESTION: - How far up did the cover up go? Senator Schweiker replied that he doesn‘ t know, his committee ran out of time to pursue . this and this is the next logical lead to pursue. He added that Mr. McCone has testified that he did net know of CIA attempts to — ‘assassinate Castro. Senator Church interjected ‘that the state of the investigation does not show whether there was a conscious effort . to cover up. - Senator Church eaid there could be several other ‘reasons such as one frequently pointed out that since Allen Dulles was on the Warren Commission thereswas no need to tell the Commission. - QUESTION: ‘Are any ‘of the participants in the cover uP still employed by the CIA or FBI? Senator Schweiker replied it would be unfair to answer this question and. that there could or. could not be current employees involved. QUESTION: What about the interest of President Johnson in 1967? Senator Schweiker replied again this” was an example where they did not fully ‘reopen the investigation and conducted only a pro” “forma inquiry where several important leads “fell through the cracks." QUESTION: Is there any new information in the report? : Senator. Schweiker replied a couple of leads such as Cuban intelligence agents moving in flights in cockpits within Mexico and the US and -then on to Cuba.
14-00000 . QUESTION: Do you know that the man riding in. the cockpit of the aircraft was a Cuban intelligence agent? . Senator . Schweiker replied that there is strong ' evidence that one of the Cubans mentioned. in one of these two leads in the report was a Cuban intelligence agent. QUESTION: - What are ‘other. motives in President Kennedy" s assassination? - “Senator. ‘Schweiker: replied that he hated to ‘speculate on this matter and that it: eould -.-have been Castro retaliation, retaliation by _-anti-Castro grops OY ait could even involve am the Mafia. - a QUESTION: Since you say. Mr. Helms aia. not ‘gurei1t “his responsibility: in this regard, ‘what are eyou doing: to terminate his ambassadorship? ‘Senator - Schweiker replied he: had made no judgment - -on this. matter and will wait for the oversight “committee | continuance of the investigation. (This was the ‘Last question ‘and the news conference, ended. ) 2. The ‘above description of the question and. answer period. ‘during the news ‘conference was compiled. from notes taken by the undersigned and should .not | be treated ag:averbatim. transcript or complete account of all that was stated. we