ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET ATTACHED MEMORANDUM: GORDON NOVEL
Originator: CIA
From: ROMAN,JANE CI/LIAISON
To: CI/R&A-  MR. ROCCA
Document date: 05/25/1967
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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1104-10312-10018:

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

PONE SECRETE

ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET

SUBJECT: (Öptional)

FROM Janc Roman. CI/Liaison

450:26035

EXTENSION

• NO

bullding)

DATE

68571

OFFICER'S

INIMALS

FORWARDED

25 May: 1962

COMMENTS Num

whom. Dran

ash commentira

across columa

CLARGA

Ms. Rocca

$ 3.

FORM

3-62

610 USE

EDITIONS.

DIRONSUS S SECRET

EJ CONFIDENTIAL

INTERNAL

USE ONLY

UNCLASSIFIED

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-

VIN

17287

25 May 1967

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

SUBJECT: Gordon NOVEL

1.

On 23 May Mr. Papich left with us a copy of attached

FBI teletype.

FBI Will confirm this information by formal

memorandum.

2.

MT. Papich requested information on two points with

permission

to make our reply available to the Attorney General:

s) nature and extent of CIA interest in the

Double-chek Corporation.

b)

our comments and observations on the daft

"letter purportedly prepared by Gordon NOVEL.

03. 3.

After consultation with Mr. Jacob Esterline, DC/WH,

Mr. (Jamos Powel1) SOD, and Mr. Lawrence Houston, OGC, the following

reply was

given Mr. Papich:

nice!

1.

Tra.

"Birmingham widors".

No individual bearing

the name of Gordon NOVEL had any connection with

Double-chek nor with CIA.

MI. Lawrence Houston is in constant touch

with the Deputy Assistant Attorney General.

Nathaniel Cossack, on this matter, and will

1 Couty k.

tell him about present developments.

Mr. liouston conments that anyone could

have prepared the letter but it really does

sound like NOVEL's cock-eyed approach rather

than Garrison. There is a fair chance that

...

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i da

•z-

NOVEl might have written it. This will probably

mako anothor headiine for Garrison but we

don't feel it could do the Agency much damage".

4.

On the question of the alleged gunshot fired at NOVEL,

Mr. Papich advised that the FBI is not investigating the matter.

It has not been confirmed as yet that anyone did shoot at novEl.

J. ROR&I

DDP/CI/Llalson

CC:

OGC

DC/WH - MT.

SOD

CI/REA- Mr.

a poviously turndeed

CI/LSN- FBI 10g-w/attachment

• .=

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AI APPROXIMATELY SIX ZERO FIVE PM THIS DATE A MESSENGER

DELIVERES A LETTER ADDRESSED TO ROBERT E. RIGHIMYER, SPECIAL

AGENT IN CHARGE, NEW CRLEANS OFFICE, FEDERAL SUREAU OF INVESTIGATION,

LOUiSiANA

SEVEN ZERO DUE LOVELA AVENUE, NEW ORLEANS, bAO, TO THIS OFFICE.

LETTER WAS MARKED " BY HAYD" AND HAS FROM JIM GARRISON, DISTRICT

ATTORNEY, PARISH OF ARLEANS•

THE LETTER WHICH IS DATED MAY TWENTYTWO SIXTYSEVEN STATES

" DEAR MR. RISHTMY??:

SEVERAL DAYS AGO WE OBTAINED WHAI APPEARS TO BE THE INITIAL DRAFT

OF A LEITEP WRIITE: SY GORDON NOVEL SHORTLY BEFORE HIS RECENT

DEPARTURE FRO! NEW ORLEANS. THIS DRAFT WAS WRITTEN ON YELLOW

PAPER IN PENCIL AND APPEARS TO BE AN INITIAL FORMULATION OF A LETTER

WHICH HE SUSSEQUENTLY WROTE FOP. MAILING. I NOTICE IN HIS LETTER

A REFEFENCE TO INQUIRIES BY THE BUREAU WITH REGARD TO THE DOUBLE-

CHEK CORPORATION WISH HE MENTIONS. CONSEQUENTLY, I AM ENCLOSING

FOR YOUR INFCRNATICN A PHOTOSTAT OF THE HANDWRITTEN DRAFT AS WELL

AS OUR TYPEWRITTE: TPANSCRIPT.

END PAGE ONE

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..GE TWO

I AM SURE THAT YOU ARE MUCH MORE FAMILIAR WITH DOUBLE-CHEN THAN

WE ARE BUT WE HAVE NOTED THAI IN " THE INVISIBLE GOVERNMENT®, THE

RECENI SOON BY WISE AND ROSS ABOUT THE C.I.A.; DOUBLE-CHEK IS

MENTIONED ON PAGES SEVENTYNINE, EICHTY, EIGHIY SIX - EIGHTY NINE,

NINETY THREE - NINETY FIVE, ONE FIVE SIX AND TWO SIX THREE.

AS YOU WILL NOTE, THE PHOTOSTAT OF THE HANDWRITTEN DRAFT

IS NOT VERY DISTINCI. IF YOU DESIRE, I WILL BE HAPPY

TO MAKE THE ORIGINAL DRAFT AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION BY A

REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUR OFFICE OR WE CAN PHOTOGRAPH COPIES AND

SEND THEM TO YOU.

I WILL BE HAPPY TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE BUREAU ANY

OTHER INFORMATION WHICH WE MAY HAVE WHICH MAY BE OF SERVICE

IN THIS CONNECTION.

SINCERELY,

JIM GARRISON

DISTRICT ATTORNEY "

THE LETTER ENCLOSED A PHOTOSTAI OF THE HANDWRITTEN DRAFT

REFERRED TO IN GARRISON'S LETTER, AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S

TYPEWRITEEN TRANSCRIPT WHICH STATES AS FOLLOWS:

• TRANSCRIPT OF WRITTEN DRAFT OF LETTER FOUND IN APARTMENT

OF GORDON MOVEL AFTER HIS DEPARTURE FROM THE CITY

DEAR MIR. WEISS:

END PAGE TWO

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PAGE THREE

THIS LETTER IS TO INFORM YOU THAT DISTRICT (SIC) JIM GARRISON

HAS SUBPOENAED MYSELF AND AN ASSOCIATE TO TESTIFY BEFORE HIS

GRAND JUPY ON MATTERS WHICH MAY BE CLASSIFIED TOP SECRET.

ACTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS CONNECTED WITH DOUBLE-CHEX CORPORATION

IN MIAMI IN FIRST QUARTER OF NINETEEN SIXTYONE.

WE HAVE NO CURRENT CONTACT AVAILABLE TO INFORM OF THIS SITUATION

SO I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF WRITING YOU DIRECT AND

APPRISING YOU OF CURRENT SITUATION. EXPECTING YOU TO FORWARD

THIS THROUGH APPROPRIATE CHANNELS.

OUR CONNECTION AND ACTIVITY OF THAT PERIOD. INVOLVES INDIVIDUALS

PRESENTLY ... ABOUT TO BE INDICTED AS CONSPIRATORS IN MR.

GARRISON'S INVESTIGATION.

WE HAVE TENPORARILY AVOIDED ONE SUBPOENA NOT TO REVEAL DOUBLE-

CHEK ACTIVITIES OR ASSOCIATE THEM WITH THIS MESS. WE WANT OUT

OF THIS THING BEFORE THURSDAY THREE/ /SIXTYSEVEN. OUR STTORNEYS

HAVE BEEN

TOLD TO EXPECT ANOTHER SUBPOENA TO APPEAR AND TESTIFY ON THIS

MATTER. THE FIFTYH AMENDMENT AND/OR IMMUNITY (AND). LEGAL TACTICS

WILL NOT SUFFICE.

MR. GARRISON IS IN POSSESSION OF UNSWORN PORTIONS OF THIS

TESTIMONY. HE IS UNAWARE OF DOUBLE-CHEK'S INVOLVEMENT IN THIS

MATTER BUT HAS STRONG SUSPICIONS. I HAVE BEEN QUESTIONED

EXTENSIVELY BY LOCAL FBI RECENTLY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I WAS

INVOLVED WITH DOUBLE-CHEX'S PARENT-HOLDING CORPORATION DURING

ELiD PAGE THREE

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TAGE. FOUR

INAT TIME. MY REPLY ON FIVE QUERIES WAS NEGATIVE. BUREAU

M'AWARE OF DOUBLE-CHEK ASSOCIATION IN THIS MAITER. OUE ATTORNEY'S

AND OTHERS ARE IN POSSESSICN

OF COMPLETE SEALED FILES CONTAINING

ALL INFOPRATION CONCEPNING MATTER. IN THE EVENT OF OUR

SUDDEN DEPARTURES EITHER ACCIDENTAL OR OTHERWISE, THEY ARE

INSTRUCTED TO SIMULTANEOUSLY RELEASE SAME FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINY

IN DIFFERENI AREAS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

APPROPRIATE COUNTEPACTION RELATIVE TO GARRISON'S INQUISITION

CONCERNING US MAY BEST BE HANDLED THROUGH MILITARY CHANNELS

VIS (A) VIS DOI. A. MAN. GARRISON IS PRESENTLY COLONEL IN

LOUISIANA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD AND

HAS READY RESERVE STATUS. -

CONTACT MAY BE HAD THROUGH OUR ATIORNEYS OF CURPENT RECORD.

PLOTKIN, ALVAREZ, SAPIR.

MR. GARRISON'S LETTER IS NOT BEING

ACKNOWLEDGED BY THIS OFFICE.

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