Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-12
Gibbons Says
Probe Plots 10
Destroy Labor
BY LEE M. COIN
Star stan Writer

49, 1870
Harold j. Gibbons, the No. 2
Teamster, charged today that
the Senate Rackets Committee
is "out to destroy the labor
movement"
Replying bitterly to accusa-
tons by Chairman Mcclellan,
Democrat Of Arkansas, Mr..
Gibbons said the committee IL
using its investigation Of the
Teamsters Union to "set the
stage by lies and ISLANDERS for
vicious and restrictive legisla-
ton" against unions.
Senator Mcclellan yesterday
concluded hearings on Mr..
Gibbons by charging he had
encouraged violence, used dicta-
torial tactics, misused union
funds, associated with hood
lums, rugged his own election,
bought his way into the Team
sters and otherwise abused his
trust.
Striking back, Mr.. Gibbons
called this indictment "dishon-
est, prejudiced and unfair" He
insisted that II refuted these
charges conclusively and fully"
and challenged the committee
and its staff, to debate these
charges in public ). where the
cloak Of senatorial immunity
will not protect them"
''Risked My Life"
Mr.. Gibbons, who is President
James r. Hoffa's executive as
sistant, emphatically denied O
long list of allegations, includ-
ing the charge that he has en-
trenched gangsters and hood
lums in union Office. II have
risked my life fighting gang
sters and hoodlums," he in
sisted.
He pinned much Of the blame
for "this attempt to destroy
unions" on Committee Counsel
Robert F. Kennedy. Mr.. Ken
nedy, he said, Gin his conduct
of the committee gives the ap-
pearance Of q young million
aire out Summing"
The counsel, Mr.. Gibbons
added, has never Demon
strated his ability to earn q |
dollar, except through snepo-
tism based upon his family's |
millions and his brothers (Sen-
ator Kennedy, Democrat Of
Massachusetts, political posi-
tion."
Kennedy's Reply
Informed Of Mrh Gibbons
blast, Mr.. Kennedy replied:
I'VE join a long list in the
Harold Gibbons hate club. If
everyone is wrong in the United
States, but James Hoffa and
Harold Gibbons, God help us
all"
AS for the charge that he
wants to destroy unions, Mr..
Kennedy observed that the
AFL-CIO expelled the Team
sters last year, so the labor
federation must also be out to-
destroy unions"
Before the committee recessed
for the week end yesterday, Mr..
Kennedy charged that Mr.. Glib
bonS and other Teamster on
Gals funneled about $1,000 in
1855 and 1856 to Nate Stein, q
public relations man from
Beverly Hills, Calf. Much of
the money, according to Mr..
Kennedy, came from Mr.. Hof-
fa's own Local 299 in Detroit.
Refuses to Answer
Mr.. Stein invoked the Fifth
Amendment in refusing to
answer all pertinent questions.
Included in the payments to
Mr.. Stein, Senator Mcclellan
said, was $4,000 to finance his
trip to Israel In 1855. Evidence
indicated the chairman said,
that $1,000 paid to q lawyer
by Mr.. Gibbons Central Con-
terence of Transfers was passed
on to Mr.. Stein.
Stein, Senator Mcclellan said,
was $4,000 to finance his trip
to Israel in 1855. Evidence in
dictated the chairman said, that
$4,000 paid to a lawyer by Glib
bons' Central Conference of
Teamsters was passed on to
Stein.
Mr.. Gibbons testified he paid
the $4,000 to the lawyer, Sam
uel Feldman Of New York, for
legal services. He maintained
he had no knowledge of Mr..
Feldman's turning the money
over to Mr.. Stein. Mr.. Kennedy
said Gibbons and Stein were
sharing a hotel room in New
York on the day the public re-
lations man received the money.
Conceding that perhaps the
unions $1,000 was "lost," Mr..
Gibbons promised to investi-
gate. If Mr.. Stein received the
money, he said, "the union will
!.