MEMO: HANDLING OF TAPES OF NOSENKO'S TESTIMONY
Originator: CIA
From: BRECKINRIDGE, S.D.
To: MEMO FOR THE RECORD
Document date: 1978-07-27 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

# DOCID-32370228

## Page 1

JEK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : CIA

RECORD NUMBER

:104-10147-10166

RECORD

SERIES: JFK

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

: 80T01357A

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

AGENCY ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM

BRECKINRIDGE, S.D.

TO : MEMO FOR THE RECORD

TITLE

:MEMO: HANDLING OF TAPES OF NOSENKO'S TESTIMONY

DATE

: 07/27/1978

PAGES

3

SUBJECTS : TESTIMONY

HEARING

HSCA

TAPES

NOSENKO

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER

CLASSIFICATION

: CONFIDENTIAL

RESTRICTIONS : 1A

CURRENT STATUS

: RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

07/22/93

COMMENTS

JFK60 : F2: 1993.07.22.18:05:38:000520

Released under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act of

1992 (44 USC 2107 Note). Case#:NW

65924 Date: 10:26:2021

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

104-10147-10166

, NW 65924 Docld:32370228 Page 1

---

## Page 2

CONFIULINIA OLC RECORD COPY

0L0 418&838

27 July 197.8

Nosenko

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

SUBJECT : Handling of Tapes of Nosenko's Testimony

1. The testimony of Nosenko on 19 and 20 June,

during the Executive Session ot the HSCA at ClA, was

recorded under special agreement. Nosenko would not

agree to the recording unless the tapes were to be

held at CIA by someone personally acceptable to him--

in this case,

Vasia Gmirkin.

When we realized that the

testimony had not been transcribed and that Nosenko

and Gmirkin were to be in

an extended travel status,

we arranged to have Gmirkin's supervisor, Michael Sednaoui,

approved by Nosenko to handle and protect these tapes.

The HSCA finally provided this week a court reporter

experienced in transcribing tapes.

When it was learned

that Mr. Sednaoui would be out of

town on Thursday and

Friday of this week and Monday of next week it was

realized by HSCA that the tapes would not be available

for use on

these days.

Mr. Blakey phoned on Tuesday

asking that arrangements be made.

2. I told Blakey that I was not in a position to

unilaterally modify the agreement that he and I had with

yome Bly the

Nosenko. The testimony was recorded only because of the

special personal arrangements that were acceptable to

Nosenko.

We had

arranged for a substitute acceptable

to Nosenko, but unfortunately he is going to be away for

three of the days that the Committee had hoped to work

on the transcript. I pointed out to Mr. Blakey that we

had been surprised at the

delay in preparing

the trans-

cript of the testimony, which was a contributing cause

to the present problem. Blakey then produced some horror

stories to build a case of our dereliction in this matter.

One story was that when the reporter came to transcribe

his notes, he was "denied" access to the tapes.

I told

Blakey that this was very unlikely but that I could not

recall the story and certainly did not recall being

asked about it; inquiry of Rodger Gabrielson confirmed

this. It is possible that the transcriber came without

CONRDENTIAL

21574

NW 65924 Docld:32370228 Page 2

---

## Page 3

announcing his intention and that the tapes were not

available simply because Gmirkin was not available as

no advance arrangements had been made; however, this

is speculation. Blakey then said that the reporter

had been

put in a room with a typewriter but was told

he could not use that typewriter because it belonged

to someone who was on leave, and that a half day

was

lost while he waited. I characterized the story as

"wild". I said it was difficult for me to believe

that a grown man could not make his needs known in the

modern

age of telephones.

Blakey asked if I wanted

this in writing.

I said that I was sure that anyone

who would tell that story would be willing to put it

in writing. He then said that some of his people

thought that we "were hassling them again."

I laughed

at that and replied that the witness was the one who

was being hassled

has a and chat t

it was a matter of great

personal import to him, and that was the only thing I

was concerned about.

I could not break my word to

Nosenko and would not, but I would explore what we

might do.

Blakey asked me

to get word back to the

HSCA chief clerk,

Miss Elizabeth Berning.

3.

I arranged through CI Staff and LA Division,

after discussion with Mr. Sednaoui, to have a cable

sent to Gmirkin. He and Nosenko were scheduled to

arrive at their next stop Wednesday evening.

The

request was whether Nosenko would accept me in lieu

of Sednaoui for Thursday, Friday and Monday as guardian

of the tapes.

Unfortunately, the scheduled flight was

reported as cancelled, and travel had to be by an

indirect route, spending Wednesday night at a different

location.

The travel could not be completed until

Thursday afternoon.

I called Miss Berning this morning

and reported to her that travel problems had delayed

a response and that the transcriber could not have

access to the tapes today:

I arranged with her to

call her at home this evening, based on arrangements

I had made to be notified as

soon as word is received

in response to our earlier inquiry.

Assuming that

Nosenko accepts me as a substitute I will so advise

Miss Berning and she will arrange for a

transcriber

to work at the Agency on Friday and Monday.

4. Finally, Nosenko authorized by cable my

nandling the tapes, while sednaoul is away.

The HSCA

has missed one day's transcription, but will get

2

CONFIDENTIAL

NW 65924 Docld:32370228 Page 3

---

## Page 4

CONAIDENTAL

Friday and Monday in, which otherwise would have been

missed:

And we have kept our commitment with Nosenko.

it sire.

S.D. Breckinridge

Distribution:

Orig - OLC/Subj

1 - OLC/Chron

1 - SA/ DDCI

3

CONFIDENTIAL

NW 65924 Docld:32370228 Page 4

---