RE: ROBERT A. MAHEU APPEARANCE BEFORE THE COMMITTEE
Originator: SSCIA
From: MADIGAN, MICHAEL
To: MEMBERS, SELECT COMMITTEE
Document date: 06/10/1975
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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157-10002-10379

2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

Date: 10/08/93

Page: 1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : SSCIA

RECORD NUMBER : 157-10002-10379

RECORDS SERIES :

MEMORANDUM

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR : SSCIA

FROM : MADIGAN, MICHAEL

TO : MEMBERS, SELECT COMMITTEE

TITLE :

RE: ROBERT A. MAHEU APPEARANCE BEFORE THE COMMITTEE

DATE : 06/10/75

PAGES : 17

SUBJECTS :

JFK ASSASSINATION

MAHEU, ROBERT

MAFIA

GIANCANA, SAM

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION : T

RESTRICTIONS : REFERRED

CURRENT STATUS : P

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 10/07/93

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS :

Box 418

Folder 6

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

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(3) Maheu involvement in CIA domestic activities

In 1954 Maheu was recruited by the CIA for use

by the CIA's Office of Security for "extremely sensitive

cases."

He was paid $500 per month on the condition that

he move into his own private office (he had previously

shared office space with Carmine Bellino -- associated in

the past with illegal wiretapping) and be "on call" by the

Office of Security for sensitive assignments. The CIA doc-

uments do not indicate how long a period Maheu was on the

$500 per month retainer, but it would appear that this re-

tainer was only for the first year or two, i.e. 1954-55.

It was at this time that Maheu was first starting out in

the investigative area and in fact it was in the year 1954

that Maheu first formed his private investigations company

of Robert A. Maheu Associates. Through the previous testi-

mony of CIA official O'Connell we know that Maheu was used

for wiretapping and surreptitious entries.

O'Connell re-

calls one specific incident of Maheu entering la students,

apartment in Washington, D. C. for the CIA. Maheu can pro-

vide detailed testimony on exactly what he did for the CIA,

how often and where.

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(a) Wiretapping/Surveillance of Aristotle Onassis

In July of 1954 Maheu was hired by British

shipping interests sponsored by Stavros Niarchos.

During his

employment for Niarchos Maheu conducted a surveillance of

Aristotle Onassis in New York City. CIA documents indicate

that Maheu stated that he had technical coverage (wiretap)

of Onassis' New York apartment and that he used one of his

employees, John Frank, to perform electronic surveillance.

The CIA documents also indicate that Maheu hired a technician

by the name of "Leon" to perform this surveillance and that

the CIA "may have" been given some of the information.

received by Maheu from this technical coverage. Maheu can

provide an explanation for exactly what he did and what con-

nection he had with the Agency in this venture against

Aristotle Onassis.

(b) Procuring Females and Producing Films

of Foreign Leaders for the CIA

Maheu was used by the CIA in 1957, 1958, and

1959 on three different projects involving leaders of foreign

countries, her heads of State."

The first such project was

entitled ziproject-Happy_Daystand occurred in 1957. In this

project Maheu was requested by-the CIA to rent a movie studio

na California and make_up an actor to look like a foreign

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head of state.

Mahou

was to-produce a

wactorandyan actress simulating an?intimate/relationship

The CIA then, through its Technical Division, provided a

backdrop for the film, which would make the completed film

appear to.

be a film of the foreign leader having an affair

in Russia. The Agency was then to distribute the film in

the leader's country to embarrass him

and to make him angry

at the Soviets.

'CIA documents indicate that while the

film was completed

and sent to the office of security of

CIA, it was never distrubuted abroad. The second project

which the Agency asked Maheu to complete was entitled

"Project HARPSTAR." In

this

1958 project, Maheu was requested

to and did obtain a woman

send overseas to try and "culti-

vate" the same foreign leader about which the film was made.

The woman

was

apparently sent overseas but it is unclear

exactly what she did with regard to

the

foreign leader.

Maheu should be/able to provide the details. Maheu was in-

volved with. the CIA in still a third project, which was en-

titled "Project NORFOLK." In this project, Maheu was asked

to and

did

provide "female companionship" in June of 1959

for

foreign leader #2 (this head of state of a foreign

country is different: from the foreign leader heretofore

referred to in Projects Happy Days and HARPSTAR).

Maheu

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introduced- this woman, who was described_as a "partatime

actress and she was, instructed that the CIA

wanted here

to go to bed' with the foreign leader. The CIA rented a

house in Long Island for the female and the leader to stay

at, and they did stay there during the month of June 1959.

The CIA documents also reveal that mail sent between the

female and the leader was opened and that they were oth

wise surveilled. Maheu may explain upon whose authority

this was done and to what extent the CIA was involved.

Maheu will be able to testify about the exact instruc-

tions he received and the persons he dealt with at the CIA

in these three projects which were mounted against leaders

off foreig

cou

Maheu may also be able to provide

any hearsay knowledge that he might have about the use of

the CIA's Technical Services Division for other such pro-

jects or programs. Note: TSD also produced the poison

pills for Castro and, allegedly, poison virus for Lumumba.

(c) Maheu's Provision of Commercial

Cover

Facilities for CIA Agents

Maheu provided the CIA with (1) use of Maheu's

office as a live address for cover, (2) assistance in ob-

taining safehouses, (3) use of Maheu to provide cover employ-

ment for CIA personnel both in the United States and abroad.

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In this regard, CIA documents establish that Maheu provided

cover for a CIA employee

the washing tom DinGo. who, was

ostensiblynemployed in Maheuds- Washing ton office from,

September 1964 to June kg

It is unknown exactly what

this employee did in the United States. Additionally, CIA

documents establish that Maheu provided cover for a CIA

employee

in Ecuador

from August 1968 to December 1970.

Again, it is unknown exactly what this Agency employee did

in that country. Maheu should know details.

(d) Miscellaneous Activities of Maheu for CIA

International Labor

CIA documents seem to

indicate that Maheu was requested to provide the CIA with an

entree into the

international. labor

field. The documents

reference Maheu's involvement with

David. MacDonald

ormer

President

the United Stee

Workers

State, that information

was

passed from CIA Commercial Cover Division employees to

Maheu

The details and import of this are unknown at the

present time, and, of course, Maheu should be able to elab-

orate on what, if anything, was involved in this.

Howard Hughes Organization -- Much of the contact

between Maheu and the CIA occurred when Maheu was either

attempting to line up Hughes as a major client or actually

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