Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: BRANIGAN, W. A.
To: SULLIVAN, W. C.
Document date: 02/23/1967
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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Released under the John E. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (41 USC 2107

Hotel

DATE 1714-2017

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER:

124-10058-10071

RECORD_SERIES:

HO

AGENCY FILE_ NUMBER:

62-109060-4620

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM:

BRANIGAN. W. A.

TO:

SULLIVAN. W.C.

TITLE:

DATE: 02/23/1967

PAGES: 2

SUBJECT: GARRISON, JAMES, BACKGROUND, COOPERATION

DOCUMENT TYPE:

ORIGINAL

CLASSIFICATION:

PAPER. TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

Unclassified

NEW

CLASSIFICATION:

REVIEW DATE:

STATUS

05/12/1998

Redact

UPDATE DATE:

06/01/2001

RESTRICTIONS:

JFK Act 6 (4)

COMMENTS:

DocId: 32138554

Page 1

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 t** uSe

Hotel.

DATE: 11-14-2017

PION CON N

NO. 10

•010-09

GSA GEN. REG. NO. 21

UNITED STATES GO

RNMENT

Memorandum

Loach

TO

: MT. M. C. Sullivad,

1 - Mr. solson

1 - MI.

DeLoach

1 - Mr. J.P. Mohr

DATE:

2-23-67

FROM

:IT. "o A. Branigan

Casper -

Callahan

Conrad -

Felt _

osen!

Sullivan

Tavel -

Trotter -

Tele. Room

Holmes -

Gandy -

SUBJECT:

ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT

JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY

NOVEMBER 22, 1963

DALLAS, TEXAS

- Mr. Hick

1

1

MI .

ROsen

-

Mr.

Sullivan

Mr.

Branigan

1. - Mr.

- KI. J.R. Malley

Lenihan

1 - Mr. C.G. Sullivan

In accordance with Mr. Tolson's instructions, there

is set out herein information obtained Iron Bureau files identi

fiable with Janes C. Garrison, District Attorney, Orleans Parish,

New Orleans, Louisiana.

BACKGROUND:

Garrisoy was born 11-20-21, Iowa. He attended

(school in New Orleans and

received an Lu.B

degree fron Tulane University in 1919. He was admitted to the

Louisiana State Bar in June, 1949. He served in the U. S. Army

from January, 1941, to March, 1946, both as an enlisted wan

and officer.

He was honorably discharged.

He seryed as_a

Special Agent of the FBI from March 5, 1951, resigning on

July 24,

1951, to enter military gervice. His services were

considered satisfactory.

Garrison was elected District Attorney of the Parish

01 orleans, New orleans, Louisiana, taking office in lay, llenas

He innediately became involved in & dispute with the New

Police Departuent over his professed desire to clean up the

On November 1 and 2,

clogging up the city jails and delaying justice by taking

excessive vacation periods.

Following such charges, the judges

involved instituted a defamation suit against Garrison.

trial received nation-mide publicity and Garrison was found

guilty on 2-6-63 of the charges and fined $1,000.

Garrison

appealed his conviction and on 11-24-64 the U. S. Suprene Court

reversed this conviction.

The Supreme Court held that the

glenent of

deliberate nalice was

attributed to Garrison.

lacking In the statenen

DEROGATORY DATA:

REG 13

Bureau files disclose we have unsubstantiated alle-

62-109060

M4441)

DocTd: 32138564°

CONTINUED IM

enVE

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Keleasetunder the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 m

Note).

DATE: 11-14-2017

Memorandum Branigan to Sullivan

Fe: ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY

of Orleans Parish. They are set out as follows:

On 3-20-63 Aaron M. Kohn, Managing Director, Metro-

politan Crime Commission, New Orleans, advised there was no

indication that Garrison, as District

Attorney, was involved

in any illegal graft.

However, on 2-28-65 Kohn said he had

received information that Pershing Gervais, Chief Investigator

of the New Orleans District Attorney's office, was involved in

a bribery situation.

Gervais was a controversial appointment

of Garrison's as he

had been dismissed from the New Orleans

Police Department in 1950 for conduct unbecoming an officer.

at око в:

Both are close personal friends based on World War II military

service. (62-9-33-381; 62-9-33-530)

NO 1227-C-TE advised he had been arrested in February,

1965, charged with pandering. subsequently, on 3-18-65 he was

contacted by

' a representative of the New Orleans District

Attorney's office and told that for $2,000 the case against

him would be dropped.

This source had

previously advised a

Louisiana State Legislator had been interceding for a well-known

New Orleans madam and he learned from this madam that for

$10,000 the New Orleans District Attorney's office would not

prosecute

her or her prostitutes.

(66-6353-2874)

On 7-27-66 NO 1439-C advised District Attorney Garrison

allegedly had purchased a bar in New Orleans and set up one

Jackie Lee as manager.

Lee,

according to the source, 1s a

homosexual. Source also said that Garrison is known to have

associated with prostitutes in New Orleans. (62-9-33-617)

NO 1390-PC advised on 10-21-66 he had learned that

Carlos Marcello on at least one occasion in the past had paid

round-trip air transportation for Garrison to Las Vegas,

Nevada.

Garrison; while in Las Vegas, stays at the Desert InI

Hotel and his bills are paid by that notel.

Marcello is a New Orleans gambler and la Cosa Nostra

hoodlun.

He recently attended a meeting with

• twelve other

hoodlums in New York City 9-22-66, which received wide-spread

publicity in the New York Clty area.

On 9-30-66 he assaulted

a Special Agent of the FBI and is awaiting Federal trial on

this charge.

NO 1309-C has told the New Orleans Office that

Garrison is politically ambitious and plans to run for Lieutenant

Governor in Louisiana during the Fall of 1967. (137-14333-5;

-92-2713-437)

ACTION:

For intormation.

ach

сдв.

-2 .

DocId: 32138554

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