Agency: HSCA
Originator: HSCA
From: FBI
Document date: 2/7/78
Document type: SUMMARY

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

9/21/201

AGENCY :

RECORD NUMBER :

RECORD SERIES:

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

HSCA

180-10071-10217

NUMBERED FILES

008695

Document Information

Released under the John

F. Kennedy

Assassination Recordi

Collection act of 1992

144 USC 2107 Notel.

Case#:NI 54653 Date:

10-23-2017

ORIGINATOR: HSCA

FROM:

FBI

TO:

TITLE:

DATE :

PAGES:

SUBJECTS :

02/07/1978

4

FBI, STAFF, ADMINISTRATION

OSWALD, LEE, BACKGROUND

GALE, JAMES

DOCUMENT TYPE : SUMMARY

CLASSIFICATION :

Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 3

CURRENT STATUS : Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 10/16/1996

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS :

Box 158.

v9.1

HH 54653

DocId: 32244659

Page 1

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## Page 2

KENNEDY

008695

INVESTIGATION INTERVIEW SCHEDULE

1.

Identifying Information:

Name JAMES H. GALE

Address SuTE 714, MOSBY BLOG.

city/State 10560 MAIN ST:

FAIREAX; VA.

Date of Birth

9-28-21

social Security 294-01-8383

?. Physical Description:

Height 6'

Weight 180

Ethnic Group...

WHITE

Date FEB. 7,1978

Place SAME

Telephone gma 591-5200

MOr S

spouse_

Children

COlOr EYeS BLUE Hair BLOND

Special Characteristics

Personal History:

a.

Present Employment:

Address

JAME

Telephone SAmE

b. Criminal Record

1. Arrests

2. Convictions

Additional Personal Information:

a.

Relative(s): Name

Address

ATTORNEY

b. Area frequented:

c. Remarks:

Investigator HAROLD LEAP & ROBERT GENZMAN

Date FEB. 8,1978

Form #4-B

NN 54653-«DooId: 32244659--Page 2-

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## Page 3

KENNEDY

SELECT COMMITTEE ON ASSASSINATIONS

NAME

James H. Gale

Suite 414, Mosby Bldg.

Address10560 Main Street

Fairfax, Virginia

Interview:

Date 2/7/78

Place

Time 1:00 p.m..

His law office

Harold Leap and Robert Genman interviewed James H.

Gale, formerly FBI Assistant Director, Inspection Division,

at his "law office in Fairfax, Virginia.

Gale was hired as a clerk for the FBI on November 29,

1939. He became an agent on June 21, 1943, and served as

Assistant SAC and SAC in Anchorage, and as SAC in Richmond;

Cincinnati,.

Washington field office, and Chicago. In 1963 he.

became Assistant Director of the Special Investigations Divi-

sion. He retired on October 1, 1971.

Gale related that on November 23, 1963, J. Edgar

Hoover

and Clyde Tolson asked him to conduct an inspection of

the FBI's handling of the Oswald case prior to the assassina-

tion of President Kennedy. In a memo to Tolson dated Decem-

ber 10, 1963, Gale determined that 17 FBI employees should be

disciplined for investigative shortcomings. Gale determined

that Oswald should have been on the Security Index, although

he feels that this would have made no difference in protecting

the President. Gale stated that he felt pressured to make

Interviewer

Theat

"(Signature)

Harold Leap - Robert Genzman

(Name)

Date Transcribed

2/8/78:

bymcp

(Ini

54653 DooId: 32244659

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## Page 4

James H. Gale Interview

Page

2

censures, since the Warren Commission would probably want

to know what actions had been taken to remedy the short-

comings.

Hoover agreed with Gale's findings, and Alan Bel-

mont disagreed.

In a memo

to Tolson dated September 30, 1964, Gale

recommended additional disciplining of eight of the 17 FBI

employees who had previously been disciplined. Gale stated

that this "second round" was based on the poor performance

of FBI employees as determined by the Warren Commission,

causing embarrassment to the FBI.

Gale was asked to explain the following passage from

page 5 of his September 30, 1964 memo:

The Bureau by letter to the Commission

indicated that the facts did not warrant

placing

a stop on the passport (of Oswald)

as our investigation disclosed no evidence

that Oswald was acting under the instruc-

tions or on behalf of any foreign government

or instrumentality thereof.

Inspector feels

it was proper at that time

• to take this

"public" position. However, it is felt that

with Oswald's background we should have had

a stop on his passport, particularly since

we did not know definitely whether or not he had

any intelligence assignments at that time.

Gale stated that this

public position was taken

to prevent embarrassing the FBI. With regard to the last

sentence of the passage, Gale stated that in light of

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## Page 5

James H. Gale Interview

Page 3

Oswald's background he felt that Oswald might have had

foreign intelligence connections - Soviet or Cuban - al-

though none was ever found.

He expressed dismay

• that

critics have interpreted this

sentence to refer to sus-

pected or confirmed connections between Oswald and any

U.S. intelligence agency. He admitted that this sentence

is ambiguous, but he stated that it was irresponsible with-

out even bothering to ask him to explain it.

Gale stated that he had no knowledge that Oswald

was ever an FBI informant. He conceded, however, that his

assignments connected with the assassination were limited

and he did not review FBI field office files which could

have contained information on this issue not maintained at

headquarters. He stated that agents sometimes had "vest-

pocket" informants which were never formally recorded. He

also stated that, as alleged, it would have been possible

for an FBI clerk to have checked file indices and found

Oswald listed as an information source.

Gale did not know of any FBI employees who may

have known about the destroyed Oswald letter, other than

what has been publicly established. He had no knowledge

about the Hosty notebook entry.

HH 54653 DocId: 32244659 Page 5

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