Agency: HSCA
Originator: HSCA
From: CIA
Document date: 3/10/78
Document type: NOTES

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

4/18/201

AGENCY: HSCA

RECORD NUMBER :

180-10145-10214

RECORD SERIES :

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

CIA SEGREGATED COLLECTION

54-04-02

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: HSCA

FROM:

CIA

TO :

TITLE :

DATE:

PAGES:

SUBJECTS :

03/10/1978

12

Released under the John

Assassination Records

Collection Act of 1992

144 USC 2107 Notel.

Case#:NW 53080 Date:

06-05-2017

ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES

HUNT, E. HOWARD

CIA, FILES

DOCUMENT TYPE: NOTES

CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 1A; 1B

CURRENT STATUS :

Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 08/29/1995

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS :

Box 28

v9.1

HH 53080

DocId: 32273001

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Lesliè Wizelman.

#GC File

E. H. Hunt - Summary

3/10/785

The 56C file covers the period from July 4, 1965 - to

June 19, 1972

The file contains the following documents and information:

DA contract between the Agency and EiH. Hund, elfective.

July 4, 1965.

$ 19,880 per annum.

Employs Huntas

a "contract employee".

2 years

@ A memo fur 06C frum Chiet of Contract personnel Division, -

dated August 3, 1965. Subjeit: Retentiun of royalties bya

contract: employee.

states that Hunt "will apparently develop

a cover as a writer." Requests opinion reganding retention ot

royalties Hunt may eard

@- memo fur Chiet of contract Personnel Division from

Office of General counsel, dated Aug 1a, 1965. le retention

of rayalties..

"We belieue that Hunt is entitled to retain such

royalties without an offset against his Agency salary.

" "wehave

Hunt's

been aduised by mr. Gene steuens.: wE/support, that erashtes

cover does not include. the rale: of a writer; Hunt's couee

for status will only be a light one of a retried foreign service

atficer."

A memo

i from Chief, Covert Claims Branch to Chief, Contract

Personnel Divisiin, dated Sept 3, 1965. Ottie recommended deletion of

oftset paragraph in Hunt's contract. Acknowledges the ObLopinion

which determined Hunt may retain without Agency salary oftset

any future royalties: earned as a resultaf his literary elforts basedon

the fact cover does not include role of a writer."

74 53080

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2- Hunt summary

Chref,

G- memo tron contract employees Accounts section to.

Chief, Western Europe Dussion, dated out 13, 1965. Reports that

there is no record of receipt of outy status Reports fur

Hunt since his EOD Y July 1965. Reports are required in urder

to maintáin his leave account in accordance with the terms

of his contract.

- memo on bottom of page to compensation

and TaX DIvIsIUn

from chief of support, we DIvision: "Per

conversaton with

Me Thomas karamessines, ADDP , there will be no

Outy status Reports oubmitted on Hunt. This should be

used as the authority to contique his pay without

these reports."

@ memo fur Dep. Director fur support to Acting Chief,

western Europe Division , dated Nou 8, 1965 Hunt nas

requested reliet on housing costs. "4, Due to the operational

sensitiuety of Hunt's assignment, his request fur relief on his

housing costs was handled by me. Thomas karamessine..om

15 sept 1965, mr. Karamessines, approued hi being reimbursed

on a 25/25% bases for the excess allowable costs upto,

but not to exceed, 60 20 above his quarters allowance.

@memo, dated Feb 1, 1974 re

General Gaylor's recollections

bot regarding his knowledge:

of the writings of mr. Hunt and any.

official who might be aware of the circumstances of any Agency

involvement in that effort. a. "she became aware that Hunt,

while in wH, was accomplishing a steady flaw ot say books, and

that security approval was not being requested on the

manuscrists before submissión

to publishers. Gen. Gaynor

advised that a great

he raised the issue up front" on several

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occasions. The reaction he received to his raising the issue

was that "keep your stinking nose out of this business."'

He stated that be was lead to belleue that mr. Helms desired

to improve the image of the intelligence protession and thee

Agency and that Hunt's books were a part of the program

to do so. He stated that he was never told outright that this

was the case, but the responses he recelued lead him

to believe this was the case..

He suggested two peuple who might clear the Issue-

Ray Rocca and -walter pforzhermer "both of whom were involved

in the "image" materials. "Hestated that Pfurzheimer seemed tu be

aware of all the details -on on up to date basis - of Hunts departure.

from the agency to join the public relations frim, to the degree

that ven. Gaynor

gained the belief that Hunt was merely

moving his desk outside the building, but being pald by the

same source ou befure.

miss Ethel mendozce may alto help.

Also Anita Potocki

@ Feb 6, 1924- memo - On Feb 4, 1974-Horzhermer was

interuiewed..

"This internew was undertaken

... In anesfert to

determine

it Mr. Hunt had acted in any capacity in cooperation

with Counter Intelligence operations. When Pfurzheimer discouered

Hunt

had writen.

On Hazardow Duty, he called karamessines.

mop recalled that from the nature of mr. Karamessines

reaction that he had uncovered a sensitue matter of senion

officer concern. " Within 5 minütes, Helms called pfurzhermer

who remembers the substance of the conversation being "for Christ

saxe walter, this is

the first book to comealing and say

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something good about the Agency. " "why not leave the Goddam

thing alone." mel beheued that elms or karamessines

carld answer the questinot whether Hunt had Agency

sponsorship for his books.

Hed . The memo states that Hunt

was assigned to the affice of the Deputy Director for Operations

in Feb 1965. The first book was published during 1965

June 1965 - through sept 1966, Hunt was assigned to

madrid as a contract agent.: 1966-3 books appeared.

1967- 1 book.

1966, 1969, 1971, & 1922-1 book/yr..

Apil 30, 1970 - Hunt ottically retired as an Agency stuft

emplayee.

"The office of security record, did nut develup any.

indication that any of the Dauld St. John manuscripts

were ever submitted fur review in accordance with Agency

regulations.

9- memo fur record - Feb 6, 1974 "Subj: Possible Agency

Sponsorship of the

DauIc st. John Novels. A conference

was held with peuple from the Id offce. The speculation

was entertained that mr. t. Howard Hunt had, in fact, been under

Agency sponsorship with the knowledge of mr. Ruchard Helms

in his preparation of a series of spy novels under the

pseudonym, David st. John. It can be accepted as a reasunable

supposition that mr. Hunt had some highty cumpartmented

financial arrangement authorized by senur Agency officials

to write these books, then it is likely that this relationship

continued after ma Hunt officially retired. " "Minutes from the

offue of legislatue Conniel made references te a cuncern of

senator. Baker.

ouer an alleged hnancial relatonship between

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mr. Helms and mr Hunt which continued subsequent to mr Hunt's

formal retirement....

"Baker made reference to a payment

of some t

30,000 with the parenthetical comment that :

mr. Heims would nut have that amount of money from his

private tunds. A Employee of Io staff

opinioned that "if

the Agency had sponsored the st. John books, it was likely

that mr. Hunt had so informed Senatur Baker.".

(0) Interview with Rayund Rocca - Feb 14, 1974- Asked about

financing us thunt. "Mr Roccar responded "

"on the record" that he

has no knowledge of any such arrangements nor at any time was

he party to any assistance

ef or any requests for assistance

to mr. Hunt. " Ventured opinion that"

inallprobabolity.an official

acquiescence on the part of senior officials might have been

muolved rather than.

an official sponsorshin.

interview with chief, contract Personnel Division.

15 Feb 1974. Stated that " although it was not common

practice it was nut entirely unusual fur bighly sensitive

cuntracts to be administered without the cuntractirig

atficer being aware of the operational objective mudued. "

interuew with former chief of Support, western European

DIVISIUR = 1985

Date: 15 Feb 1974. Asked re Hunt's actruitern 1965

from his recollection it was Hunt's habit to deal onlywith

the most senior officer auarlable." 'He was never briefed on the

purpose of mr. Hunty mission..."

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* memo for record, dated alFeb 1974, de officeat.

Finance Records- E. Howard Hint.

Hunt-departed D.C. On 5 Put 1965 and araved madad on

16 Aug 1965. Hunt was paid through an account at theiriggs

Nat. Bank in D.C. An operational acc't was established für mr Hund

with Chase mannattan.

"There was no record of anyoperational

accounts or aduances being processed through thi channel. mr.

sale stated that this fact defined his concern. He felt that t

was inconceivable that mr.Hunt: could have undertaken

operational activity without some transfer of or accainting

for funds. " To date; nusuch records, have been developed.

No reference to a project or project digraph or operationa!

FAN number has been located. " All expenses connected with

mr. Hunt identined to date were

charged to the madrid

Statun support. A review made of: madrid Statiin records nos not

indicated any "Developmental and Target of upportunity (D8TO"

funds er "Other operational, Activity (007) " fund expended

by or on behalf at madunt. There two accounts would.

nurmally be the source of operational funding not charged

against a specific project activity." A review of travel vouchers

also fallect to dentity a project.. There was a voucher tur

a trip to PC

à returo to madid Jan 5-8, 1966. The voucher

states in the space prouded for the citatwo of the trauel order

number-"no travel order." theaceounting was approved and

signed by karameshes. @ no justificates or statement of purpose..

mr. Yale noted that the royalty offset waiver provisiun amended

to runt!s cuntract was, in his experience, somewhat unusual.

74 53080

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The office of Finance Director stated that from his experience,

mr. karamessines would have delegated all the arranging of "details"

surrounding an assignment such as mr. Hunt's to mc. Halpera...

He ottered his surprue"

at what he nerpreted to be reticence to date

tointerview mc.Halpern.*

I memo fur record- 2l Feb 1974 subj: watergate - Frank A.

o'malley. Mr. O'malley retired June, 1922. Prur to retirement he

was an offror in the External Emplyment Assistance Branch;

Retirement Activities Divistin of the othre ut Persunnel. He was tu assist

in finding post-retirement employment. He had been instrumental in the

placement of Itunt in the pubert R. mullen P.R. brm. The putpat

Prior to working for Personnel, s'malley served with the central

cover statt in the area dealing with the funding of covert action

projects. He had become famillar with achuter of Hunt while

Hunt functiuned on the lovert Acturtes Staff. O'malley first came

in contact with mullen company when he was attemsting to

handle the public relater effort of a rouest Agency actoites.

known as the Free Cuba Committee.

"In a response to a question as to whether or not executive level

interest was still being shown in mr. Hunt's post-employment

placement, mramally recalled that Helms, then Direltur, was listed

as a character reference on mr. Hunt's resume and Helms signed

a letter of recommendation to the kennecott Cupper co on Hunts behal'".

contact was maintaned with mr. Hunt at the mullen co on

a continuing basis, because mr O'malley war interested in mr.

Hunt for possible referrels fof other Agency retireers). He also

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understood there was cover ard cummercial staff interest in the

mullen Co-, and that mr. Hunt became instrumental in

discussing several aspects of the cover -operations. in his

capacity as an officer of the company.

mr. Hunt contacted O'malley on several occasions requesting referral

of retiring Agency employees with specific qualifications. -after Hunt

had joined the white House. Recalled a reauest for an individual

having skills in the area of locks and to surrept tour entry.

It was o'malley's impressun that the duties nuoued would include

the monitoring of a listening device in an undisclosed location

Hunt also requested a recommendatión of a security service

organization to carry au: an electronia cuuntermeasures

"sweep." a'malley suspected the electronic countermeasures sweep

was to be carried out in the offices of the committee to Re-elect

the pres. O'malley was asked if he ever referred anyone tu mccord

Associates. He had. l'malley recalled that at the time of Hunt's

assignment to madrid the statement disseminated fur consumption

within the Agency was that mr. Hunt was retiring.

This was not generally believed. He was quite certain that during.

this persod his uffice handled no project funding fur Hunt.

On mr. Hunt's return to staff employment the projects and tunding

which stopped in July 1465 were agan raumed.

da feb 1924- meeting with Sam Halpera. - He thought it was

entirely-posseble. Helms & karamessines handled the Hunt-madad, business

on ther own. He didn't know anythns.

1 Interview with furmer Deputy Chief uf Western European Divisin,

0DP - aa Feb 1924..

He stated the assignment of mr tunt to the

European division & to madridi "was handled without the benefit

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of the routine processing procedures through the western European

Division. Hunts assignment was coordinated and directed by

Karamessines. $ He was unaware of any spectic project or

target for Hunt.

Hunt produced positive intelligence

on the Iberian!

target during this period the officials responsible fur the affails

responsible fur this elturt within the western European Druisten.

were totally unaware of it. The maj. of info he had about Hunt

was hearsay, for examole, a comment was made by a mutual

acquaintance

to the effect that Huntstated that while in

madrid he was going to "play golf and write books!.

His personal opinion - that Hunt had no operational function and.

was simply granted the opportunity to write books for his own

personal gain at guut expene

I memo for the record, dated ao Dec 1973, conversation

with C/Iberion desk in 1964, 65.. He was told by

Eur " who had been tuld by karamessinies that Hunt was

to be assigned to madrid as DCOs as adrected assignment by Hehns.

the Ambassador would not have Hunt in the Embassy. After a couple

months as he was told that Hunt was going to spain under

nonofficial couer. It came to him trim karamessines on Helms'arder..

Hunt was to have the phone # of the cos, but he would do nothing

for the station. Hunt was to submit administratue vouchers for

reimbursement of his expenses $ they were to be paid, He knows

that there was no operatunal reporhig, tu indicate that Hunt was

dong anytbing:

cos-/madrid had told him that bedidn't know what

Hust did.

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-27 Feb 1924- search of Finance recuras to determine if a$30,000

payment to Hunt, that required no accounting, could be found.

EneckedTravel claus Er 1960-1972. Analyzed itunt's aduance

account for yr in madrid and have determined that

$33,500 was aduanced to hm for travel and transportation

with one trep to Paru to renew visal. One stem appeared unusual.=

an expenditure of # 1,600 fura sensitive operation which was

approued for write-off by mr. Desmond Fitzgerald on 1 June 1966.

"One strange aspect of the non-official cover assignment in madrid

is that all the costs were charged to the support allotment

of the EUR Division which is not normal as non-official

cover people are usually assigned to the project. Itisunusual

to have a case officer abroad for one year on an operationz!

assignment without him incurring aperationa! expenditures.

@ memo dated 9 may 1974, by Chief, OPS/OSG

re "Watergate

File Research- Final Report..

" Recalls that

there were occasional inquires

by Am. residents of madrid labout the reported presence in spain .

of 8.H.Hust. At no time did runt contact him. There was some info

in 197a concerning reported activities in Spain by Rubert vesco...

290ct 1924 memo from Dir. ut Security - "Leaue records reflect that

for the four week pay percod ending a3 Nouember 1963 Mr. Hunt

took a total of il hours sick leave and no annual leave. In the

following four week pay period, he took 3 hours sick leave.

and an hours annual leave. We are unable to further idently the

dates on which the above sick and annual leave were taken.

Traue) records reflect that mr. Hunt conducted no athclal travel

during the month of Nou. 1963.".

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AD memo fur record, 20 Sept 1974- by S.D. Breckinridge.

"Hunt's" travel recora shows otticial travel in September;

October and December, but none in November ; all of this

travel was to New York " "John Richards states that we

already knows, as a result of responses to previou requests..

that we have no records on sturgis that would show

similar information :, he wasnot an agency employee.

"security prouded us with a column by Jack Andersin, of

16 Aperl 1924, in which he covered the Hunt-sturgis rumur,

dismissingst. A copy of the news columnis attached. Mis would

suggest that, rather than police photographs of persons

rounded up and booked, the photographs in questiun are.

random snapshots of crowds. If this is correct there would be

no related police fingerprint records that could bechecked

fur verification.

da memo fur Deputy Directer für administration Frum Dir. of

Security

SUbj: EH. Hant.

Date 23 Oct 1924. DIscusses

allegation degarding Hunt # sturges. "Mr. Sturges was not ..

associated with the Agency in any manner in louember

1963." FBI Liaison officer interviewed Hunt on oct

1974 and Hunt aduved at that time that be had learned

of the assassination of JFK "on his car radio while be

was in a leave status

_In the Washington D.C. area."

(23

memo for the recurd, dated ao December 1923, by

Breckinridge...

Hunt was in the Do Division and in Aug 1964

was assigned to the wash. feld office. "I gave # as a

possible press treatment that Hunt was engaged in domestic

aperations (something senator Baker is pursuing) and that

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his assignment to spain latter the electin could be presented

as giving him time to cool otf."

Background = 19 June 1922

Employed by cIA trum Nou 19u9 untal his voluntary

reticement on 30 April 1970.

1971 - served as an adussor to Nixon- chiana trip.

"Subject is of current interest to the central Cover Staft

Dec 1950- assigned as chief as Station, mexico City.

serued as Chief of misslun there until 195-3

Talgigo, Japan- June 1954 to Feb 1957

COs-munteudeo, Uruguay until early 1960.

June 1960- assigned to Mexico City+ on Project - Bayof Pigs.

Nou 1961- reassegned

to the DOP /couert Action Staft

Jan 1962

to officeaf the Chief/DDP

July 1962 - 1

to the DODS Researchand Publications

Sechun in washington.

July 1964

to the DODS Couert Actun Staff

Feb 1965.

" office of the DDP LOperatuns Group

June 19i65 - seet 19606- contract agent-/madrid.

Sent 1966 Chief of European Couert Operation until

retirement 30 April 1970.

6 Nou 1920 - granted a covert security Approval tur

with

use by Central Cover Staff @ mullen

1a June 192a- Inquiry of Central cover staff on 19 tune 19)a

revealed that this is a current relahonship.

subject's see. file reflects that lunt in the past, has been of

operatural interest to me james Angleton.

74 53080

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