GARRISON AND THE KENNEDY ASSASSINATION GORDON DWANE NOVEL.
Agency: CIA
Originator: CIA
From: ROCCA, RAYMOND G., C/CI/R&A
Document date: 05/31/1967
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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31 MAY 1967

MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT; GARRISON and tha funnedy dosagaination;

•Gordon Uvanc NOVEL,

2.25: 305696

Summary of contenta.

206/26: 697628

Gordon Lwane NOVEl, haa both claimed and denied affillation

with GiA, thorough records check hae chown no such affillation, It

seems plausible that the NBG is supporting and financing NOVEL in,

order to win a large audience for a later expose of GARRISON. In

support of this plan NBC or NOVEL may haye exaggerated hia préeumed

relationship with Sergio ARCACHA Smith (who was aloo not CIA-

emplomall into an Agency ahilletier ind mey bore eteged a densic.

ambush in Nashville: The NBC program; however, is roportedly still

weeky away, and moanwhile GARRISON la attacking CIA rehomontly,

2, Gorion Dwane NOYaL and his lawyere reportedly have

chalmed that he was assoclated with CIA, but have thon denied auch an

aasociation. One lawyar latar relterated the clalm!

SPare dog

"???

3, The flles of the following Agency components have been

chocked for any-record of Gordor Duane NOVEl, including alternative

spelling", All chocke were negative (CIA held no nigymation about

Nayes before the GARRISON probe started.

& •

RID,

CI/DA,

Office of Security,

WH/Cuban Operatione Group:

Domestic Contact Sarylce.

Interagency Source Register.

Domestic Operationa Divlsion,

Archives,

010

9r8 inc

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1. NOVich renaina mysterloun, Although the presa hag

devoied much space to him, low facta have emerged.. He has baen

descolbed as a 2? Joat old formor ouncy of a bar in the French.

Juarter of Now. Oiloans and is in export in clectronica, Now

O loans States - Item, 25 Apoll 1967, AaEBlzeport/UDB-792487

27 Merl 1967) terma him a formor electronica salesman.

Me sans

1216

5.: Nothing has beon printed about the source or sources of his

mondy, since he left New Orleans fox Columbus, Onlo, in mid-March

1967. It is knowa, however, that ho la at liberty on a $10,000 bond,

The New Orleana Staten • Itom sald on 25 April 1967 that NOYEL lives

In a ront frogapartment in Colunbug and dilros guwad car with

dealer a tage,

• ...

1125.001

The Washington Daily Nowa of 27 March 1967 stated that

during the weekend of 25-26 March NOYEL was in the Wachington axea

lactyally it was McLean, Virginia, a site which might have been chosen

to lind an air of plausibility to his clalma of working for CIA).. There

1967, the Washington firm REDEX 1a operatod by FURR and Richard ii.

BAST, who is described as 'unscrupulous and untrusiworthy!.: BAST:

produces and sells, among other things, audlo aid counter-audio devices.

Tho fact that NOVEL was a salcsman of electronica gear suggoate the ..

otherwise unnupportod hypothels that he may haye had an earlier rela

Monship with REDEX, BAST; or FURR) I

7. Lon 29 March 1967 the Now Orleang Tal offica reported 7 /

(Illa 89-59) that NOVEy, had made a long distingo call to that offico

from an unknown place. Among hla remarka way the comment that be

Ind "nut furnished GARRISON with any Information about "double check!

of Miaml, which he inferred was a fringo Cuban operation In the Miami =

area but did not further identily." (Comment: Operation Double Chok

Appears on PP. 95, 76, 82, 84, 88, 89, 90, 146, and 216 of The Invisibla

Goverament, by Darld Wiso and Thomas B, Rosor The book erroneously!

SCORE

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dascribos Double Chek as a covar and funding machanism for rociulting

and paying imerican flyora who participaied at thu. Bay of Plys: Tha

General Counsel has Informod GI/FiA that in fact Doubla, Ghalt was

creatod altes the deatha of the flyora lor the solo purpose of making

payments to their widows.)

B. I I snornorandum DBB 76600, 29 Maici 1967, reported

enother long distance call by NOVEl, to tha New Orleans office, NOVEi

said that p/alter SHERIDAN, vino du a Washlngton NBC neva reportar, see pss,

had the number of the telophone at which NOVEl, could ba reached. Ho

also sale that when he was given the polygraph test in Virgirla,

SHERIDAN waa present, He added that ha had siven SHERIDAN Iniorma-

Hon about polygraph taste run by GARgises staft,

.9.: An 8 May 1967 memorandum from tho Associats General

Counsel states that he was given Information about the GARRISON 1-

vestigation by a Washington lawyer named Jack Miller, that Walter

SHERIDAN was the source of Miller's Information, that NBC has done

a thirty minute show on GARRISON, and that it plans an hour-long show

' The show la expectad le "32=y" CARPISANY

10, In addition to hia referenca to Doublo Chal, NOVEL and hia ›

lawyers bave made diract but contradictory statements about Cla.

1o14

: 2 . :

"I think Garriaon will expose some CIA operationa

In New Orleans:" (Ney Orleana Jimas - Playune, 19 April

1967

b.: NOVEL reportedly stated to a roprosentative of a

well known news medla "that he was employed by the Contral

Intelligence ngoncy (CIA) and that the burglary of the munitions

bunker at Houma, Louldlans, was not an actual burglary,". Ho

contended that ClA had made arrangements with the SCHLUMBERGER

Well Drilling Corporailon to kao, ammunition, bomb casings,

ind other materlal In that bunker: Ha

"Indicatod that he (NOVEL)

jind /Surglo/ Arcacha Smith aro stlll employed by the CIA."'

NOVEl. and othera took bomb cosings and other Items from fie

bunkur about three months aft :r the Bay of Digo, (Source: 1'3%

memorandum, Now Orloana cifice, 20 April 1967) (Comments

Careful checking has shown thit Cla did nos bayo & contrace with

.?::

SEEM

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SCHLUMBERGER, as NOVEL has alleged, and did not havo

any munitions of similar materlala stored with SCHLUMBERGER

or it the Houma Alt Base.

"way motorlale pickup" was mado by

NOVEL and others "at tha diractlon si his CIA contact,"

Part of NOVEL's Job for CIA "was to operate the Evergroen

Advartising Agency as a front for CIA communicationa".

NOVEl prepared special rudio commercials for uso in the

United States and Canada. ipto alert agents to the date of the

Bay of Piga Invasion," Among code words used by NOVEL

were "Star Christmas Trava" and "Holiday Irees". His

agency placod $72, 000 worth uf radio tima in 1960.. (AP.:

¿New Orleans, 45 April 1967) (Comments Ae was previoualy

ruportud, there la no record of the "Eyergreen Adyertioing

Aguney". -VH/COG querled a knowledgeable staff employse;

-riow COS ln Santo Domingo, Who repllod in Santo Domingo

13173. 12 May 1967, that NOVEL's allegations aro not truey

thist he had nover heard of NOVEL, his egency, or the code

were used on IMHOPE for paych readong only", they were

not sent out over U.S, commoycial stations. The cable added

that the Cubin Free Committoe did contract time for routine

exile broadcaste on a New Orleans station.

It le clear, bow-

eyer, that NOVEL allegatlong do not concom such broadcanta:)

d. Sliven PLOTKIN, NOVEL's lawyes In New Orleans, wald

that lie would neither confirm nor deny NOVEL's claims of

ClA unployment, Hia lawyor la Columbus, Jorry WEINER i

Bald, "It's utterly ridiculous;

NOVEL, ls not now and never;

has been a CIA agent," (New Orlana Statos - Item, 25 Aprl

:1967.)

•. On 25 April 1967 NOVEL, himself Bald in Columbus,

"Tho slatemente that I worked for the ClA are

absolutely In

correct, ir,": (AP, 25 Aptll 1967,)

gre

P.S.

15112:

SEORET

÷ 17

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f.

NOV&l'a Naw Orleans attorney, Stave PLOTKIM,

said ha "served as an Intermediary between the CiA and

anti-Castro Cubans In New Oloans and Miami bofure the

April, 1961, Bay of Pigs lavasion,. Plotlin maintained,

though, that Novel had 'lttle of nothing to do with the Bay

of Pigs invasion and certainly had absolutely nothing to do

with the ussassination of President Kennedy,!" (The

Washinzton Post, 26 May 19571)

12.

On 7 May 1967 NOVEL agaln telephoned the FBI's office in

New Orloans. He sald that in the near future GARRISCN would accuse

tho fBI of possessing originals of live letters, ond from Clay SHAW

to Davla FURlIE, one from LeO HarVay OSWALD tO SHAW, one from

FERRIE I0 JACK KUBY, OnO frOM RUBY tO OSWALD, and une Ixam

Senator and former Attorney General Robert Kennody to MERRIE, Ho

added that GARRISON haa a typawritor which FERRIE owned in 1 953, and

also has two typewritors, porsonal and bualness, belonging to SHAW.

He sald that GARRISON's chiof Investigator, Willlam GURVICH,' hae

à closa relative, living in Russia, who was Instrumental la designing

the MiG..

He remarkei thai GAinisOl, plane te cabpoena an ettornoy,

Inu MARTIN, allegedly assoclated with CIA, He sald that Layton:

Patrick MARTENS was the "othar" marine probably involved in the :

Houma bunker burglary. (FBI memorandum DBB 80563, 9 May 1967.)

(Cornment: Mr. Arthur Dooley of CI/R&A knew a Waltez SHERIDAN (sa?

who lo bellevad Identical with the Walter SHERIDAN of this report,

who was in IBI spocial agent, and who worked for Senator Robarte

Kennody when he way Attorney Gonoral.)

On or about 1l May 1907 GARRISON accused two lawyars,

no of thony PLOTKIN,- of receiving CiA monsy, "yo know that

'Plotkin has been raceiving money, if only through an Intermediary;

from thu CIA," Both lawyers denied the chargo.: (Naw Orleans, AP,

11 May 1967.) GARRISON later broadened this changa lo includo all.

defense attorneys."Every lawyer Involved in this case, without ex

caption, involyed in the attompis to derall the invastigation, has been

connactod by us with the Contra! Intelligence Agency, Garrison sald."

(Washington Post, 29 May 1967.)

4702000/00

. AVES 0M

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13.. On 22 May 1967 NOVEL tolephonod an unidenilfied pezoon

In New Crleans and said that at 0200 hours on 21 May he and a frlond of

eleven yuars, Gary EDWARDS, vere siting in a radio station truch In

Nashvillo, Tennesseo, Bulleta wore fred at the truck, Nolther nan

was struck by i bullet, but both were cut by flying glass.. Tha

Nashvilla police lound the glass in the left dous of the truck shattered

and four or five indentationg made by bullete on the right side of the

truck's paneling. They sald that the ilret soport to them wins made

by Charles F. WALKER, presidant of radio siation WKDA, Who said

that NOVEL had beon wounded by a snipur and that ha had come to

Nashutile at the requeat of WKDA and had agreed to disclose informa

thon that "would blow the Now Oricano lavestigation, wida open." A?

Nashville police detectlve said five shota were fired at the truck and.

that traces, apparently of blood, ware found. Howavei, Nashvilla

sudborilies noted that Mr. WALKER firet telophonod them thireen s

hours after. the allegod Incident. By then NOVEL and EDWARDS. were

allegedly in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Efforts made in Kentucky to

varily NOVEL's claim that hla infurles had been treated at a hospital!

were unsicessful. WALKER said that juat before the ahooting NOVeY

was du to vergo di suturdag to Calumbue.. Ho sald thre NOVEl and

EDWARDS left Nashville Immedlately after the shooting and that

EDWARUS was proceeding to Washington, EDWARDS' real name.

according lo another but unidentifled spokeaman for the radio statlon,

1a Gorald MUNDY? (Now Orleano Statea-Item, 22 May 1967 )

Several newspaper have carried the story that NOVEL Is

ruing GARRISON for $50, 000,0000 /00

IS, IMWAVE wAs Asked to show a Miami Horald phosograph of

NOVEl, to a well placed and well informed aaset, AMOT/2, without

dévulging NOVUL's namo o, making any statement about hiin, IMWAVE

1427. 27 May 1967, reported that AMOT/2 did not recogaiso the photo

and could not identlly the person whose llleneas he saw. The purposs

was to test the possibility that NOVEL had been inyolved in CIA activi-

ties undei another name,

16. It is

requested that the Offico of the Musistant to the Director

advise c/ian whether if har pay information about Walter SHERIDAN,

SECRET

YES GILY

64021.

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Gorald MUNDY &Gary ÜDWARD3, and any association betwecri

thom, an well'is any Information abouf whethor Station WKDA 1n

Nashylllo lu affillated by otharuino associator with NDC:

17.. If the

surmise that NBC le bullding un NOVEL an a latler

day David. who is to slay the jolly green giant is corroct, then a CLA

exposura of NOVEL's claims of Agency affiliation as false migit be

damaging to vur. own intorests, On the other hand, the likelihood

that in NBC inti-Garrison program is still weeks away from prasen-

tation la disturhlog.: A recent Hairla suxvey (Wauhington Pos:, 29

May 1907) 0h0a that 66% of tho perions querled now ballure that the

abbasairation was not the work of one ran but was rithor part of a

broador plot or conspiracy. : The Garrison probs la termed a major

contributor tu the growing public doubt, GAHRISON's venemous -

attack on Cirl curing his 4DG Interview of 28 May 1967 vas preceded.

by a barrage of darlier charges and will predictably ba followed by i

1276I6.

18.. There inay be a shadow of justification for NOVEL's claim

of association with ClA. fio has asserted inat he kaow Sergio ARCiGri

Smith and that ARCACHA was ons of the participants in tha plekus at

the Houma bunker, Our recorde show that ClA never recruited of pald

"ROACHS directly. He wag, however, the delegate of the Frente

Revolucionario Democratico (FRD, or Democratic Repolutionary Front)

in New Orlone. Ha roportud to fRD headquartera in Miani by mall..

The IRI was created with CIA aublatance, guidanco, and inanclal

support la May 1960. Its loader was Di, JOse MIRO Cardora. He or

ble assistants tay have passed funds to ARCACHA, who may have

brlefed or evun employed NOYEly

19. On 28 May 1967 NOVEl, pent the following telegram to the

poL:

"Richard Helma

"Centril Intelligence Agency McLuan Vir

"Atta UNCLE Hugra Good Guya Div. Regarding Garrison

conspiracy case; code refarence JACKASS. Doar Richard.

Souty recording to the Jolly green glant (My. Garrison) 'You

¡re paying my logal foes in Louialuna and Ohio, "'

SECRET

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"Since my attorneys are crying and pressing me because

of not being puld for my varlous logal wrecking moves on his

Jolly big fraud, I am going to Insiruct them to send you chapa

Inmeliately an itemizod bill,

11, and I do mean l1, Garrison

la corruci, l am going to Instruct tha same attorneys to sue

the ho-- out of your bad guys Ir the accounting department for

wolching on your debts,

Instead of a no comment s.O.P. reply

họyy about a public ha-hs,

"P.S.

Right now I don't think sending him to Viet Nana

la a good Idea la view of national interest anymore. Parhapa

Roine ho could reopen tho case on Chogars assausination, Ho

bolloves Brutus and Casolus yora frained.. Lika In his vordo,

beyond a shadoy of a doubt, absolutoly," Truly yours

gordon Novel:

UNGLE 4-0. .M4-911

The partlal sontence reading.'

",,:I am going to Instruct

tho same atiosloyo in due the h-- out of your had guys in the accounting

departinent for welching on your debts", quoted out of conteri, viouid

reinforce NUVEL's false claim to affillation with CIA,. It will be inter-

osting to note waother ho roleades this telegram to the press.

Addendum

It has bean noted that NOVEL probably served as an FBI Informant

for an unknown parlod before he left New Orleana In mid-March 1967.

*'BI report DBB 73269, Now Orleana office, 21 February 1967, la

ascrloud los "confiduntial source who in the past furnished Inauificient

Inforination lo determine rellability," This source describes the group

that carrlud out the theft from tho Houma bunker as consisting of his

own ex-wife (but not hirself) i hia partnor (unidentifled), Sergio

ARCACH' Smith, David FERRIE, two ex-marines,

and anothe, man?

also unidentified. He also said that one of the cara used for the trip to

Houma was his own 1956 Lincoln Supreme. This ropori contalns no men

tion of ClA. The New Orleans States - Item of 25 April 1967 quotes

NOViL as saying that CIA ordered him to join the group, which ho:

Identller us consisting of ARCACHA, FERRIE, reveral Cubans, And

206.v9

61963

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"anothur figure In the case",

Ho Is aloo quoted as saying that ho

made the trip in his own car,

a Lincoln,

Raymond Q, Rocça

C/CI/REA

EYES SME

646%15

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