Agency: HSCA
Originator: CITIZEN
From: HURTADO, LILA F.
To: GAY, DONOVAN
Document date: 02/24/1978
Document type: LETTER

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

9/30/201

AGENCY :

RECORD NUMBER :

RECORD SERIES :

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

HSCA

180-10077-10499

NUMBERED FILES

005820

Document Information

ORIGINATOR:

FROM:

TO :

TITLE:

CITIZEN

HURTADO, LILA F.

GAY, DONOVAN

DATE:

PAGES:

SUBJECTS :

02/24/1978

22

HURTADO, LILA E.

FBI, FILES

DOCUMENT TYPE: LETTER

CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS:

Consulted

CURRENT STATUS : Withhold

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 06/16/1993

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS :

INCLUDES ATTACHMENTS ALONG WITH PERSONAL REFERENCES. 116-15. BOX 116.

FOLDER TITLE:

v9.1

HH 50529

DocId: 32247941

Page 1

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## Page 2

JFK Routing Slip

005820

NO.

DATE

2/28/28

locument I.D. INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE

INDEX

COPY 'TO

Kurtads.

bila-

Robert Blakey

Cary Cornwell

perso

referesce Kenneth Klein

Charlie Mathews

7BI File

Jim Wolf

Tiny Hutton

Jackie Hess

clift renton

Team #1

Team #2

Team #3

Team #4

'Team# 5

Special Instructions:

Form #2

74 50529

DocId: 32247941

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## Page 3

005820

February 24, 1978

PERSONAI, & CONFIDENTIAI

Mr. Donovan L. Gay

Chief Researcher

Select Committee on Assassinations

U.S. House of Representatives

3331 House

Office

Building

Annex 2

Washington, D.C.

20515

Dear Mr. Gay:

Enclosed you will find supplemental documentation from my file re-

cently released to me by the FBI.

Also enclosed is a critique of

the statements made by those interviewed which I have labeled Critique

II for reference purposes.

According to the cover letter from Allen H. McCreight, "Excisions have

been made

from these documents

and/or entire documents

the dis-

closure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of the per-

sonal privacy of another person

.. • or

.. • reveal the identity of

an individual who has furnished

information to the FBI under confi-

dential circumstances or reveal

information furnished only by such a

person and not apparently known to the public or otherwise accessible

to the FBI by overt means."

Am I not entitled to equal protection under the law? The enclosed

document is an invasion of my privacy and my character has been as-

sassinated by persons who were virtual strangers.

Totally unfounded

and apparently unsubstantiated statements were made in 1971 and have

been sitting in my file all these years.

How do I know that my FBI

file has not been used to deprive me of employment?

Is my file coded?

How has my file been used? Who has been privy to the information con-

tained therein? •

The information I provided Agent Pimentel with in July 1971 was re-

vealed by me under confidential circumstances - information which, at

the time, was not

apparently known to the public or otherwise accessi-

ble to the FBI by overt means.

Yet, apparently the FBI did not care

to allow me equal

protection under the law as my name is bandied about

quite frequently in the enclosed document.

I voluntarily came forth with my story in July 1971, so I fail to see

how any of the information contained in the enclosed FBI document

could pertain to anything that I myself did not bring to the FBI's

attention; excepting, of course,

heretofore impeccable

character.

damaging statements to my

NW 50529 DooId: 32247941 Page 3

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I was not coerced into making my

statement to the FBI in 1971; I did

what I had to do afraid that

ever document what

I might not be around long enough to

I knew.

Not only was there a

"whitewash'

of the

information I provided to Agent Pimentel, but I was never approached

to read the

initial FBI

report for corroboration and/or signature.

Why?

The interviews conducted by the FBI in 1971 were based entirely

on

the FBI's original report - full of fallacious data and apparently

deliberately distorted.

The agent(s) line of questioning in the

attached fBl document seems to lead the person being interviewed.

Each interviewee was

asked questions in a manner implying that I had

provided certain implications and/or innuendos - when the interviewee

denied such innuendos, then the verbiage used by the interviewing agent

inferred that I had lied.

The enclosed FBI report is nothing more than

a concentration of unsubstantiated phrases derogatory to the character

of Huntington and myself.

I can only wonder if the comments made by

those interviewed were distorted and, if so, were they accidentally

distorted or deliberately - in an attempt to reduce our credibility.

I regret to say, Mr. Gay, that the information I provided Agent Pimen-

tel in 1971 has been twisted to work against me.

As you can

see, the names of those interviewed have been deleted.

Under such circumstances it is difficult to comment, but I've tried to

do so as accurately and objectively as possible given the enclosed

imposed framework.

I never said

I that Huntington discussed the link between the Kennedy-

King-Kennedy assassinations or the assassination tape with anyone

other than myself.

Yet each person interviewed was asked if Huntington

mentioned the assassinations and/or the tape to them.

I don't believe

Huntington discussed

I his knowledge with anybody else,

but the fact that

none could corroborate this makes it look like I lied.

Apparently each interviewee was asked about Huntington's political in-

terests or if he was politically oriented. Now, with the exception of

our conversation on election day 1968 and a couple of related comments

made at a later date, that is the only time we ever touched upon a

politically related subject.

To make such a statement, one does not

to be politically inclined - Huntington just made an observation

that turned out to be a shocking revelation.

Each interviewee stated

that Huntington had no political interests

which, from observation, I

would agree with. Yet, the way the interviews are written it appears

that I claimed Huntington was politically oriented by phrases such as

any allegations purporting that he was politically inclined are

false."

lhat is a direct reflection upon my (non) credibility and I feel its

use is deliberately misleading.

From the repetition of the phrase "homosexual" with regard to Mueller

and/or Huntington (which I feel

immaterial to the link between the

Kennedy-King-Kennedy assassinations) I can only surmise that the in-

terviewing agents) produced the word, rather

than the interviewees'

voluntarily commenting regarding same.

If this is true, then I feel

that leading those interviewed was unfair and deliberately calculated.

If I'm not mistaken, Hoover's program

"Cointelpro" was partially de-

signed to rid our nation of those considered to be "aberrant".

correct, then Hoover's distaste - upon reading the enclosed FBI data -

for homosexuals would have totally ruled out Huntington's credibility.

HH 50529 DooId:32247941 Page 4

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Huntington was a very

private type of person, like 1 am.

huntington when he said he'd met John and Robert Kennedy while

on desert tennedy while a te

Navy and I believed him when he said he played the assassination tape

for Robert Kennedy.

I don't believe that, under normal circumstances,

Huntington would have

mentioned the Kennedy brothers to me.

Therefore,

I wonder about the validity of those absolute and unsubstantiated

statements in the report that say Huntington did not know Robert Kennedy.

The phrase "very emotional girl" or "extremely emotional girl" is used

repetitively in conjunction with myself. Of the names listed in the

original FBl report, only Francesca Riviere knew me well enough to

offer comment.

Buck, Perwin, Borenstein, and Dr. D'Allesandro were

business associates.

Harlan was a friend of Huntington's and Mueller's

whom I believe I saw socially no more than 4 or 5 times - accompanied

by either or both Huntington and

Mueller and including one occasion I

stopped by alone to say

'goodbye' prior to leaving for St. Thomas.

Mueller became closer to me than Harlan because I took care of Hunting-

ton's affairs.

None of these people ever heard or saw me cry and 1

certainly never lied to any of them since I don't believe in lying.

To my knowledge, Francesca Riviere has never heard or seen me cry and

I've never lied

to her either.

Since the names of those interviewed

are deleted, it is difficult to

ascertain the number actually interviewed; 4 or 2 (specifically Buck

and Perwin, with portions of one interview interwoven with portions of

another?), repeatedly using the phrase "homosexual" and/or

tional girl". I find it hard to believe that these statements were

than a couple of individuals and am somewhat curious as

to why these unsubstantiated comments were accepted as fact, especially

considering probable bias on behalf of Buck and Perwin.

I must admit that I'm curious about the political affiliation of the

FBI agent who conducted the interview on Page 8. The comment "I guess

Nixon is as good as anyone" belies Huntington's personal convictions

and I will never believe he made that statement. Since I can't imagine

who commented thusly, I will guess that it is credited to Harlan.

Harlan was an elderly Cuban lady with broken English and not a great

command of the English language.

She was conversant,

but did not pos-

sess an extensive vocabulary and/or a penchant for "big words". If

the

statement was Harlan's,

then I doubt the veracity of the statement

and word usage as really being

hers.

I say this because Nixon is from

Southern California and, at the time of the interviews, was President

of the United States.

deliberately

It is now a matter of record that some agents

changed the statements/depositions of witnesses to Presi-

dent Kennedy's assassination, so is it not possible that one could have

tampered with any one of the statements contained in this report?

1 leel these pages are a deliberate

misinterpretation of what I told

Agent Pimentel in July 1971.

Granted, the initial FBI report was so

distorted that

it would have been impossible to adequately follow up

via interviews. My impression

is that the FBI interrogators led the

interviewees into making certain statements, the end

result of which I

consider to be libelous and defamatory to Huntington's and my character.

Obviously said statements were considered adequate for the FBI office

in Los Angeles to stop the investigation - signed, sealed, and delivered

right here in conservative Los Angeles.

NW 50529 DooId: 32247941 Page 5

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## Page 6

Meanwhile in Puerto Rico I was lead to believe the investigation con-

tinued long after the fact; I was advised to change my identity and

disappear by an apparently solicitous

• FBI agent.

Last, but not least,

I was administered what I would term "psychological fear conditioning"

by Agent Pimentel.

Why did this continue long after these interviews

were conducted?

Why didn't Agent Pimentel show me a copy of his report

for corroboration and/or signature before he filed the report?

was in charge of the San Juan FBI office during the period July-November

1971?

Who was in charge of the Los Angeles FBI office during the same

period?

What is the political affiliation of sald agents?

I'm sorry, Mr. Gay, but between that original FBI report and these

The whitewash on the report and these

defamatory unsubstantiated interviews don't sit right with me.

Believe

me, if any one of the individuals interviewed knew me well enough to

legitimately offer such comments

then I would not contest their opinion.

However, if I am correct in surmising the identity of those interviewed,

none of them ever were in a position to legitimately make such comments

about my character.

I hardly think any one of those interviewed could

be considered

to have the necessary expertise and knowledge to label

Huntington a "pathological liar" and/or a "homosexual".

Judging from the cover letter, there is probably more documentation

being withheld from my eyes.

I would like to see all documentation -

without deletions.

Until I'm allowed to do so, I'm being denied the

right to constructively comment and I'm also being denied equal pro-

tection under the law.

1 find that the reference to a man I may (or may not) have been "roman-

tically involved with" distasteful and totally irrelevant to the issue.

Not only has my privacy been invaded but further abused in that the

name of the man has been deleted as well as (assumed) followup.

hereby request that the name and followup data be released to

me for

comment.

I feel that my credibility has been assailed and that future employment

with (or separate from) the government has been jeopardized by the

contents of this supplementary data.

Since I am concerned about the

acceptance of my credibility and for my future, I have taken the liberty

of enclosing 3 job references and 3 character references for your per-

Should you need further references, please advise and I shall

obtain.

In light of the above, I can only hope for a prompt response.

In the

meantime, I do hope you will try to have someone interview Ceil Freilich

(see Item #15 attached for details). If she will consent to such an

interview, then perhaps you will at least see that Huntington was con-

cerned about President Kennedy's assassination and, in fact, discussed

a reporter friend's knowledge as to WHO and WHY was behind it. Per

furthermore, she seemed to think that Mueller knew the identity of the

reporter.

Sincerely,

citado

Lila F. Hurtado

NW 50529 DocId: 32247941 Page 6

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## Page 7

"CRITIQUE II"

Assuming Dr. D'Allesandro

I. Rate name dirted -m no time dover indicate to Agent Plesater

that the doctor even knew of the assassination tape.

In reference to the tape, I mentioned Ron Buck's name as the maker

and 'keeper' of said piece of evidence.

Since Dr. D'Allesandro was Huntington's physician for a limited

period of time and Huntington was heavily sedated after his second

heart attack, it is possible that Huntington talked too much while

it is possible that Huntington may have mentioned the existence

of physical evidence (i.e.,

the assassination tape per se). However,

I was not present in Huntington's hospital room; consequently, I

can only present the possibilities.

I do know that Dr. D'Allesandro

was not a close confidante of Huntington's in normal life.. IF, and

that's a big if, Huntington revealed any information pertaining to

the assassinations to Dr. D'Allesandro, it would have to have been

while under the influence of drugs.

Joseph Borenstein was Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Factory

and Dr. D'Allesandro was

one of the Board's directors. To the best

of my knowledge Borenstein was close to D'Allesandro.

For a period

of time, Borenstein was very close to Huntington - as friend, confi-

lawyer,

accountant, and employer of Huntington.

stein visited

Huntington several times while the latter was in a

Chicago hospital recouperating from a second heart attack.

This I

know to be fact because Huntington spoke with me telephonically from

his hospital room; Huntington spoke with difficulty due to heavy

sedation and Borenstein was present in the hospital room.

When I spoke to Agent Pimentel in July 1971, I emphasized that I

believed Borenstein was either connected to or directly responsible

a rented an

for Huntington's death. Although Borenstein was Huntington's confi-

dante and friend during the time of Huntington's second heart attack,

I firmly believed that Huntington would not have discussed the

assassination tape and/or his knowledge of the assassinations with

Borenstein on a conscious level.

•I do believe that Huntington could

have mentioned his knowledge of

links between said assassinations

and/or the existence of physical evidence to Borenstein while under

the influence of drugs.

The knowledge Huntington had of the assassinations weighed heavily

upon his mind and terrified him. If I had not been sitting at my

desk on election day 168 and if Huntington had not been in an ap-

parent state of shock, I would never have known what I do about the

assassinations. Had Huntingto:

not been

so disturbed that day and

had he been in a normal frame of mind, I would not be privy to the

information.

NW 50529 DooId: 32247941

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## Page 8

2.

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover entitled "Sirhan

Bishara Sirhan".

Bottom of Page 4 - obviously this is a portion

of an interview with a male, probably with Ron Buck.

"Huntington

had no interest whatsoever in politics; had never, to his recol-

lection, mentioned the Kennedys,

Martin Luther King, or showed any

concern over the Nixon Presidential Election."

Since Ron Buck made the assassination tape without the knowledge

of his prominent guests, obviously there are no witnesses to that

Huntington is no longer alive to comment on his knowledge

of the tape's contents (in a level of detail greater than my own

knowledge). Ron Buck is privy to the information as to wHo, now,

and WHY the three biggest crimes of a decade were committed; it is

also possible that he functioned in more than a role of observer.

Thus, is it not logical that he would deny knowledge of said tape?

Would it not be logical to state that Huntington had no interest

whatsoever in politics?

'whatsoever' is unequivocal and abso-

lute and I must contest its validity in light of the information

Huntington revealed to me in 1968.

To the best of my knowledge Huntington was not a politically oriented

Some people enjoy discussing politics and it is a distinct part

of their life.

I don't believe Huntington was the type of man to

openly discuss his political preferences with anyone.

He never men-

tioned politics per se to me in the entire year and a half that I

worked with him.

I, too, was not politically oriented until I became privy to the

existence of

the tape and the shocking information contained on it.

Then I developed what I would term a moral, social, and political

conscience - which is what I believed happened to

Huntington.

would NOT have discussed the assassination tape with me under normal

circumstances, of that I am convinced. All I can say is that I

believe Huntington developed his apparent state of shock by coming

to terms with his conscience.

I just happened to be there at the

right time to hear him vocalize his shock at the results of the

election which resulted in a conversation about the tape.

I repeat

that under normal circumstances and in a normal frame of mina, he

would never have divulged to me what he did that day Knowledge of

that tape made him live in fear for the lives of those he loved,

his own, and mine once he shared the information with me.

He begged

the FBI what he knew and stated that they could not

be trusted; if I ever revealed what I knew our lives would be on the

I believed him then and only after his death in Chicago (which

I do not believe was a natural death), afraid that

I might die next,

did I decide to approach the FBI with what I knew.

From the contents

of the original data and these supplementary pages it is obvious that

Huntington was right about not entrusting the FBI with the information.

For a report to end up being a complete abortion,

distortion of facts,

and whitewash - for these pages to contain such fallacious information

about my character in an obvious attempt to discredit my reliability

- I would say Huntington knew exactly what he was talking about.

NW 50529 DooId: 32247941 Page 8

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## Page 9

REF: 8/13 71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, page 5.

"Does not believe (she)

ever discussed this matter with Huntington.

Huntington did not know Robert Kennedy."

Obviously an interview

with a female due to the spacing - Lea Purwin?

Per my conversation with Agent Pimentel in July 1971, I referred to

Perwin/Purwin (phonetically) solely as the executive

assistant/

personal secretary of Ron Buck. I indicated that I felt she was in

love with Buck, but that I did

not believe the feeling was mutual.

I provided her

latest place of employment to the best of my knowleage.

At no time did I infer that she was knowledgeable of the assassina-

tion tape from either Buck or Huntington.

If, indeed, this is an interview with Perwin, I fall

to see how she

felt qualified to make such an absolute statement that Huntington

did not know Robert Kennedy.

Her relationship with Huntington was

primarily business,

in her

capacity as Buck's secretary; occasionally

Huntington escorted her to the L.A. Factory (private club) as a con

venience.

Huntington was aware of the priorities in Perwin's life: Perwin was

loyal to herself and Ron Buck - in that order.

And, in this context,

I seriously doubt whether Huntington would ever have

discussed the

assassination tape and/or Robert Kennedy with Perwin.

Huntington was a very private sort of person and was not the type

to discuss problems.

I don't feel I would have learned so much about

his life if I had not experienced so many bad times with him.

Please

bear in mind that as Huntington's personal secretary/business manager

I maintained his general ledgers and filed receipts for expenses.

In that capacity, it is not difficult to ascertain one's life-style

and/or preferred

associates.

Huntington, when faced with obstacles, soon learned who his real

friends were.

As soon as he lacked the funds to entertain lavishly

(at home

and The Factory), give thoughtiul gifts, flowers,

etc. the

number of those loyal to him in times of adversity dwindlea to three-

Huntington ever kept them informed

4.

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of page 5.

Obviously an interview with Ron Buck from the spacing.

"Discussing

the Kennedy assassination and is positive (he never had a discussion

with either Robert Kennedy or William Huntington regarding

deleted-

coo Lengthy to guess as verbiage, estimated to pertain to

assassina.

cion tape'). If my assumption is correct, then I believe this to be

a correct statement.

Considering Huntington's secrecy about the

tape, I don't believe he ever discussed said tape with Buck.

gathered at the time that Huntington came by the tape without the

knowledge of Bon Buck. And, contrary to the FBI's initial report,

Buck did not play the tape for luntington and Robert Kennedy.

NH 50529

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5.

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from LoA. to Hoover, middle of page 5.

"(Ron Buck) emphasized Huntington's non-political

status and was pos

Itive that any allegations purporting that he was politically in

clined are false."

In light of my comment in Item if2, I would agree

with this statement.

However, I never did tell Agent Pimentel that

Huntington was politically inclined: I merely provided Pimentel with

the information pertaining to the assassination tape. For Hunting-

ton to have revealed this information to me does not mean that

'political' or 'politically inclined'.

6. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 5.

"(Ron Buck knew) Lila Hurtado, who was employed as a Secretary by

Huntington, but was not well enough acquainted with her to make a

statement regarding her reliability."

If, indeed, this a statement

by Ron Buck it is correct. Our association was entirely on a busi-

ness level.

?. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 5.

"Robert Kennedy was never (in Ron Buck's office) nor was he ever at

The Factory while Huntington was present." The statement, if I am

correctly fitting in the blank, could or could not be correct as

I was not in a position to know. Per my conversation with Agent

Pimentel in July 1971, I could only surmise as to where Huntington

might have played the

assassination tape for Robert Kennedy

guess at the time

was either Buck's office (in the absence of Buck)

or at The Factory, especially since Huntington had keys to both

(as decorator) •

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, bottom of Page 5.

"However, he (Huntington) was financially irresponsible; he was a

homosexual; and frequently lied without any reason."

I should like

to comment

here that Huntington was an artist not an accountant.

That's why he needed and wanted a capable person to handle his ledger

and maintain accurate records.

He had a celebrity clientele, many

of whom considered they were doing Huntington a favor by giving their

business to him. In Hollywood the name of a good interior decorator

Huntington knew he would never

collect a good portion of his outstanding accounts receivable, but

he did not have to resort to listings in either the white or yellow

pages of the phone book.

shrewd businessman, as his success

1àsnt ga this, tay dut

personal recommendations. The periodic mention of 'homosexuality'

can only be construed as

a means of discrediting the man. In my

opinion, whether Huntington was or was not a homosexual is totally

irrelevant and immaterial to the issue at hande

who have seemingly effeminate gestures, attitudes, etc. but they

are not homosexuals. Many men share apartments or even buy houses

as a joint venture, but they are not homosexuals.

I was an extension

of Huntington's right arm for la years and I would never say he was

a homosexual. Since I never went to bed with the man I could not,

in good conscience, state he either leaned toward or was in fact a

homosexual.

Once again, I feel this statement is an assumption and

achieves nothing more than slandering the reputation of a man who is

no longer alive to comment (as if it were an important issue).

HH 50529 DocId:32247941 Page

10

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## Page 11

For some time Huntington promised monies due creditors believing

monies to be forthcoming from

accounts receivables.

When it became

apparent to me that funds would not come in on schedule, I urged

Huntington to level with his creditors - that he didn't

have the

funds and didn't know when same would come in - to avoid potential

lawsuits.

There was a ridiculous rumour that Huntington had funds

in a Swiss account.

Consequently, he knew the creditors would not

believe him if he told the truth.

Enough creditors mentioned this

so I know it was fact.

Huntington feared that if he

told the creditors that he was without funds that his reputation

as a decorator would suffer.

Finally I reached the point of des

paration and informed Huntington that he would level

with his

creditors or I would leave his employ. In view of the fact that it

was I, rather than Huntington, who bore the brunt of creditor com

plaints,

bad language, etc. in answering the office phones, Hunting-

ton complied with my request.

Huntington made his biggest

mistake

in investing money (when he had it) in the Chicago Factory.

He put

all eggs in one basket and there was no return.

Consequently, he

lost his LoA, alientele because he was never available to consult

with them on projects, new homes, etc.

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from I.A. to Hoover, middle Page 6.

Judging from the spacing and the comments, I can only.

assume the interviewee was Lea Perwin/Purwin.

"Huntington was a

homosexual, and he lived with another homosexual named (Robert

Mueller)."

Once again I feel that affixing 'homosexual' labels to

either of these gentlemen is not only unwarranted, but that it shows

a deliberate attempt to slander their character.

I vaguely remember

that Hoover himself had an intense dislike for homosexuals and, of

course, if the interrogating FBI agent were aware of Hoover's dis-

taste with homosexuality, the repetitive use of the word

obviously achieve the creation of unsavory characters.

10.

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle Page 6.

"Huntington was • :

almost a psychopathic liar, and

opinion, ended up believing many of the lies he told." Io the best

of my knowledge, Perwin had neither a psychology nor a psychiatric

background and thus makes me wonder about the FBI's acceptance of

her statement as absolute fact since she's not an expert in either

Furthermore,

the statement is not substantiated by events

led the interviewee to make such a statement.

11. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 6.

"(She) had never heard him mention the Kennedys, Martin

Luther King, nor had he expressed concern over the election of Nixon."

Interestingly enough, the last sentence in that paragraph closes with

"but that Huntington

was not acquainted with Robert Kennedy."

if Perwin never heard Huntington mention the Kennedys, then how would

she know that he was not acquainted with Robert Kennedy? Is that

comment based on the fact that because Huntington never mentioned

the Kennedys to her that was an indication that he did not know REK?

Is it not possible that Huntington chose deliberately not to men-

tion the names of certain people to Perwin?

an acquaintance does not necessarily mean she would have been privy

'to the names in his personal phone directory.

and I will say it again - Huntington was a very private kind of man.

NW 50529 DocId: 32247941 Page 11

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## Page 12

12.

13.

14.

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 6.

"Advised that if any such incident as the alleged tape recording

had occurred, and it had been discussed with either (Ronald Buck or)

William Huntington, that (she) would have been aware of it Irom both

of them.

She advised that she would recall if any such discus

sion had taken place, and that none had." The only woman who could

possibly presume herself so knowledgeable would be Lea

• Perwin.

She obviously felt she was knowledgeable of everything that happened

in both men's lives.

Is it not possible that Ron Buck could have

made a tape recording either in his home or office that she would

not have been aware of? Ron Buck did not strike me as the type of

man that could ever be manipulated by a woman; consequently, he

would have no reason to 'clear' any taping with

her before doing so.

Considering the volatility of such an 'assassination tape', I

seriously doubt whether Buck would have taken it upon himself to even

mention it to Perwin - ever.

In light of what Huntington told me

on that election day in 1968, he had told nobody about the tape

until he told me. He made it clear to me that, had he not been so

upset with the election returns, he never would have mentioned it

even to me.

Consequently, I find it difficult to believe that Hunt-

ington would have

ever felt inclined to discuss the tape with Perwin.

Moreso because her employer made the tape.

From the tone of this report, the FBI believes this woman's state-

ments to be highly credible.

I'd like to know

what makes her state-

ments more credible than mine. IF the interviewee is indeed Perwin,

and in light of the fact I told Agent Pimentel I believed she was

in love with Ron Buck, then I fail to comprehend the degree of cre-

dence assigned to her comments.

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, bottom of Page 6.

"Advised that Lila Hurtado

..was a very emotional girl, and that

she was presently employed in San Juan, Puerto Rico."

Two

things

disturb me about this statement: how a virtual

feel qualified to state that (I was or was not) a very emotional girl

and how

Perwin knew

Juan.

I was living in St. Thomas when I last spoke with Huntington

prior to his demise and the people I met in L.A. during my July 1971

then that ine

stranger to me could

that, as of August 1971, I was working in San

visit haà no connection to Lea Perwin. I shall reserve comment on

"very emotional girl" until later.

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 7.

I'm a bit stymied about the identity of the person interviewed:

obviously it's with a male

due

to the spacing.

I can only surmise

that it might be an interview with Robert Mueller due to the phrasing.

"(He stated) that Huntington had absolutely no political interests;

that

(deleted), had asked him to vote in the last two elections, one

Presidential and one State, prior to Huntington going to Chicago, and

that Huntington had declined to do so."

Once again, I never did state that Huntington was politically oriented.

Whether Huntington ever voted in any election I would not know.

seems to me that the FBI agents over-emphasized the phrase 'political

interests'; Huntington's votiug record was not the real issue at hand,

rather his knowledge of an assassination tape, of which I understood

only Buck, Huntington, and myself were aware of.

NW 50529 DooId: 32247941

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15.

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 7.

"(He) never knew Huntington to make any statements or express any

concern regarding the assassinations of the Kennedys or Martin Luther

then I have reason to

believe he was frightened and perjured himself.

On approximately

2/6/78 I had occasion to speak with Ceil Freilich here in Los Angeles

(213/275-8658) to enquire if she'd heard of the whereabouts of Mueller.

Ceil, a nurse, and her husband Mike, a doctor, were rather close to

Mueller

and Huntington.

They entertained

each other at their

respective residences.

informed me that she'd spoken with

Marshall at Abbey Picture Frames (in L.A.) and that friends of Mar-

shall's, namely Nick and George, reportedly saw Mueller in Palm

Springs

just two weeks prior to

our conversation.

Evidently Mueller

is managing a motel in Palm Springs, but she did

not know the name

of the motel. I explained that I lacked the funds to search for

Mueller: she suggested I contact Marshall.

Well, I've

spoken with

Marshall on and off during the last year

about Mueller's whereabouts

and Marshall promised to let me know if he heard about Mueller.

Obviously, I'm not within the privileged inner circle as Marshal

hose to discuss Mueller with Ceil and not with me. Now you know as

much about Mueller's whereabouts as I do.

not veiler win bed and no

I took the liberty of mentioning the last conversation I had with

Ceil about a year ago, the one in which she told me Huntington told

her that he knew a reporter who was in Dallas when JFK was assassi-

nated.

Huntington told her that said reporter told him (Huntington)

that he (reporter) knew WHO was behind the Kennedy assassination and

WHY.

A year ago Ceil seemed to think that the reporter was a male.

I asked her specifically if the reporter could have been Dorothy

Kilgallen, and she said "no, I think it was a man."

Ceil reiterated the contents of the conversation we held a year ago,

but this

time she revealed something she didn't tell me before -

that Mueller was present when Huntington discussed the JFK assassi-

nation with her, and

she seemed to think that Mueller knew referenced

reporter as well. I

then told Ceil that I've been fighting a one

woman battle for over a year and I was soliciting, at long last,

some

corraborative support from her end. She seemed to be reluctant to

do so and stated that she wanted to discuss it with Mike

her husband.

She has children and' I'm sure she'd prefer to stay out of this whole

thing for the safety of herself and her family. In any event, she

was preparing to go to Switzerland for a couple of weeks, and

would

probably not reach a decision until her return. By the way, her

husband's office number is 213/653-6350.

16. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 7.

"(He) never heard Huntington make any statement regarding any type

of tape recording." IF this was, indeed, an interview with Mueller

then I would say this is probably true.

To coin a phrase that's

been much used in reference to myself, Huntington felt that Mueller

was too excitable/emotional to know about Huntington's financial

In league with Huntington,

I refrained from commenting

about same until Huntington requested a $5,000 loan from Mueller.

Mueller couldn't imagine at the time why Huntington would ask for

the monies. Huntington was in Chicago at the time, around summer '69

NW 50529 DocId: 32247941 Page 13

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I believe, and I decided it was time to fill Mueller in on Hunting

ton's financial situation.

The series of accidents to Huntington

were well on their way and I told Mueller that he should think twice

about the loan if,

it was going to be a hardship for him

the Kennedy-King-Kennedy assassinations and, furthermore, Huntington

knew WHO was behind them and WHY. I don't believe Huntington ever

mentioned his knowledge of the assassinations or the 'assassination

tape' to Mueller.

When Huntington died in Chicago, in the manner

related to me by Mueller, then Mueller was convinced that huntington

was murdered because of

what he knew of the assassinations.

Mueller

told me that himself, on a Hollywood street corner, in July 1yl_.

Mueller was absolutely terrified and his body shook all over. he

cried and begged me to tell the FBI in San Juan what I knew upon

my return.

He also told me that he'd made a report to the L.A. FBI

office just a few days before I arrived to the extent that Huntington

might have been murdered for knowledge of the assassinations.

Mueller informed me in July 1971 that he lost his job at the bank

because the I.R.S. tried to attach his salary for payment of Hunting-

ton's $1,500 debt and in the process labeled him a

' homosexual'.

Since it is against bank policy for any officer to be a corporate

officer of a firm, and Mueller was a corporate officer of Hunting-

ton's business in name only for a month, this fact also contributed

to his dismissal at the bank.

Mueller claimed that the I.R.S. had

attached both his house in the Hollywood hills and his car

as payment

of Huntington's I. RoS. debt.

I accepted Mueller's statement at face

value and had

reason to doubt his sincerity.

17. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 7.

"advised that Lila Hurtado was employed by William Huntington

as a secretary, and took

care of some of his interests after Hun-

tington went to Chicago.!.

If paying Huntington's apartment

expenses

out of Huntington's funds would be considered taking care of some of

Mueller's interests, then I guess the statement is correct.

18.

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, bottom of Page 7.

that Lila Hurtado was an extremely emotional girl"

The constant repetition of this phrase makes me wonder if this was

a voluntary observation of Mueller's or if the words were prompted

Again,

19. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead

memo from L.A. to Hoover, bottom of Page 7.

"That she was, (he) believed, romantically involved with (extensive

deletion)."

To discover that my romantic affiliations were even

revealed

and, furthermore, deleted from my view is beyond compre-

hension to me.

I should be entitled to know the name

deleted and the balance of information pertaining to that individual

in order to comment on the veracity of such a statement. I'm sorry,

but I hardly see where any aspect of my love life has anything to

do

with the existence of an 'assassination tape', especially since I've

always kept my personal relationships out of the office.

I hereby request the individual's name and information pertaining to

that individual.

I feel that

right to privacy has really been

invaded and abused at this point.

NW 50529 DocId: 32247941 Page 14

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## Page 15

20. IF indeed this was an interview with Robert Mueller, then I wonder

why no reference was made to Mueller's prior visit to the FBI.

According to Mueller (when we were talking on a Hollywood street

corner) he had visited the Los Angeles office of the FBI just a

couple of days prior to my visit.

I had no reason then to doubt

that he visited the FBI and told them what he knew about Huntington's

death nor do I have reason to doubt him now. To the best of my

knowledge, Mueller had never lied to me nor should he have ever felt

cause to do so.

Consequently, I wonder about what this interview

does not say.

In light of Mueller's and my

conversation

in Hollywood that day, I find this interview amazingly 'sparse'.

21.

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead

memo from L.A. to Hoover, top of Page 8.

"That (he) considered any allegations that Huntington was emotionally

concerned about any political matter were undoubtedly false."

Again

I would like to reiterate that I don't believe Huntington ever dis-

cussed the assassination tape with anyone other than myself.

In

light of the conversation Mueller and I had in Hollywood, I find it

very difficult to believe that Mueller would have made this state-

ment.

I wonder if the interviewing agent distorted Mueller's comment.

I also wonder,

given the circumstances that led to Mueller's dismissal

from his job, if Mueller was intimidated by the FBI and too fearful

to correct any obviously erroneous statements.

22.

REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 8.

From the spacing

this is obviously an interview with a woman.

Once

again it is hard to

ascertain who is being interviewed, but I will

surmise either Perwin or Rosita Harlan.

"(She) stated that he never had any discussion with (her) regarding

any allegations involving the Kennedy assassinations or the assassina-

tion of Martin Luther King."

I've already commented upon the circumstances that led Huntington to

inform me of the assassination tape;

in

a

normal state of mind, I

don't believe he would have discussed the issue with me. The chances

of him discussing same with anyone else I would estimate to be 1,000

to 1.

23. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from I.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 8.

"(She) stated that he had no political interests.

" Again, in general,

that statement would be true; excepting, of course, certain informa-

tion he had knowledge of and

was afraid to discuss with anyone, parti-

cularly the FBI.

24. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 8.

"She advised that prior to the 1968

elections, (she) asked him who he

thought (she) should vote for, and his comment was

'I guess Nixon is

as good as anyone'

" Never in a million years would I believe Hunt-

ington made that statement - to anyone.

I base this upon the conver-

sation we had on election day 1968 - the degree of his emotions and

physical state would belie any such comment.

I believe the interviewee

of interviewer is putting words in Huntington's mouth.

Huntington had no stomach for conflict - he would avoid conflict and

even walk away from it.

Considering the volatility of most political

conversations, I think Huntin; n would have remained silent for fear

of starting an argument.

HH 50529 DoOId: 32247941 Page 15

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## Page 16

Rosita

Harlan was seemingly close to both Huntington and Mueller.

Harlan's name was mentioned (by me) only as a means of contacting

Mueller, if necessary.

She was the one who arranged for Mueller

to meet

with me in July 1971 during my visit to L.A.

When Huntington could no longer afford to place personal calls

from Chicago to L.A., both Mueller and Harlan would phone me

for news of Huntington. There were times

that I felt one or

both were on

'fishing expeditions'

Huntington was my employer

and, because I had to manage his affairs in his absence, I know

I often ruffled some feathers in not going beyond the social

amenities.

If Huntington wanted to share

something, he would

call one or both and relay specific message (s) .

If

memory serves me correctly, I did not see Harlan more than 4.

or 5 times (socially with either Huntington or Mueller, or

accompanied by both, long enough for coffee and a roll, and

once on my own prior to leaving Los Angeles for St. Thomas).

D. I don't believe in lying and there's no place in my life for

those who do.

I feel that I have been instilled with the

proper values in life; I have a good sense of what's right and

wrong; I'm a strong willed person and will defend principles

and/or those I have faith in with a loyalty rarely found.

try to live by the Golden Rule and would not

do or say

anything that I would

be ashamed of later, as it's I who has

to live with my conscience.

I have always been considered a

reserved, serious, intense

person.

There's been little laughter

in my life with little time for tears as I've had

to work hard

to survive.

I am a truthful person; I am mature beyond my years

due to my life experiences

I am very selective about those I

allow to be close to me; I'm highly principled and expect the

same of those I associate with. Last, but not least, I live by

my convictions.

•26. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 8.

"(She) advised that to (her) knowledge, Huntington did not know

Robert Kennedy, and that if he had ever been in contact with Kennedy,

or if any allegations regarding the Kennedys had been made to him,

that (she) is certain that (she) would be aware of them."

IF indeed

this was an interview with Perwin or Harlan, and in light of the

amenities observed by myself when either

was in Huntington's presence, I find it hard to believe either indi

vidual would have been in a

position to offer such a statement --

legitimately.

As I've stated before, Huntington was a very private

type of man.

I am convinced I would

formation Huntington provided

so distressed about the outcome of the election and the fact that

the man who won the election was connected to the data on the assassi

nation tape.

NW 50529 DocId: 32247941 Page 16

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25. REF: 8/13/71 letterhead memo from L.A. to Hoover, middle of Page 8.

"She advised that (she) knew Lila Hurtado and that Hurtado is an ex-

tremely emotional person; she would cry at the slightest provocation;

she had a tendency to exaggerate things out of

and (she) considered her extremely unreliable Complete proportion;

A. I've had many high pressured jobs with lots of responsibility.

I often performed when I should have had the assistance of one

or two individuals. If I were ever considered unreliable, emo-

tional, or dishonest, I don't believe I would have held the

positions I did.

B. I hardly think Huntington would have entrusted me with his

business and personal affairs had I displayed any one of the

above traits.

C. Of the names listed in the initial FBI report, only one was

in a position to comment about my character - Francesca Riviere.

In early 1968 Francesca worked for me part time at UCLA. By

the fall of 1968 she was working part time in Ron

Buck's office.

And it was Francesca who informed me of the position available

as the personal secretary for the interior decorator of The

Factory.

I was told that referenced man was recovering tron

a

neart attack and that Lea Perwin (phonetic) would handle the

interview. Perwin interviewed me in person,

seemed satisfied

that. I was capable of assuming the responsibilities, and then

told me Robert Mueller would

contact me via telephone for a

further interview.

Mueller did so and I was finally hired to

work for Huntington.

Francesca

and I remained friends until she left Los Angeles

for San Francisco around April 1970. Shortly thereafter I

moved to St. Thomas. Our relationship disintegrated pri-

marily due to a wide gap caused by our life experiences.

We have not resumed old ties.

At present she lives at 300

Entrada Drive in Santa Monica, California (213/454-0892).

The name of Francesca Riviere was mentioned solely because she and I

began a search of Buck's office one evening for said tape.

I did

not tell her specifies merely that the tape was connected tò the

assassinations.

winter 175-176, Riviere told me she had never

been approached personally, telephonically, or via mail by the FBT.

The other names were business acquaintances except for Mueller

and Harlan.

Huntington

and I agreed that Mueller couldn't

handle

stress.

I refrained from telling Mueller about Hunt-

ington's financial problems until things got so bad I had to

say something to get Mueller to economize.

He displayed his

ability to cope with the situation and I took it upon myself

to tell him that things wouldn't get better - only worse.

At

that time I informed Mueller of the assassination tape - my

belief

that the "accidents" to Huntington were deliberate at-

tempts to break Huntington down, ruin his business reputation,

all because of what he knew about the assassinations.

I re-

member that occasion well because

I opted to break my silence

of the tape and Huntington's predicament, but I felt that

since Mueller was about to

* reow $5,000

against his house

for a loan to Huntington, he deserved to know the truth and

make his decision

accordingly.

NW 50529 DocId: 32247941 Page 17

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## Page 18

Juliary 2, 1978

To Whomise: May Concern.

:: Henlemen:

o herely offer.my umpression of the

residity de Chandeter of i are Muras

am a housewife and biather of tus

and have Crown Do. Histado. for iter years. We

met during a period when we were employed

derictly across. the hall in the bame office lauding

it ho that des is one of the seok;

dependable people lie lever met. She has an extreme

loyalty to Conmitment, is deep, sensative and no

me entire one asleen man.

stating that the Wanes Cry at the slightest

provocation. To suggest that File Faye turtado

exaggerate)

nate tatement, File Metal Coes not

, ever, or does the lever make a statement

that wist tatoe fact as the knows it. The

loes not exaggeate. Mist of the peape

who find he dippicult to understore or

accept are usually peaple Who Cannot Race hes

total honesty.:

Shave never known Fild Faye to leas to

low instional level and lin fact, there were

times that it cans have conceially happened

---

## Page 19

genua luel axo her Character cortainis,..

oyalty, honesty aid dedication to the thing's

and people the belies in The's one of the

Feet peape die we net bugges

pthing let a totally piend: elong

human being; Want lie a definite Wrong to

Mo. Hurtado.

Thank you:

Jis Baerie Arkus.

then.

NH- 50529 -DocId: 32217941 Pate 19-

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## Page 20

M. A. SCHAPIRO & CO.. INC.

ONE CHASE MANHATTAN PLAZA

NEW YORK. N.Y. 10005

TELEPHONE: (212) 425-6600

CABLE: MASCHAPIRO

February 16, 1978

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I have known Lila Hurtado since November, 1972.

She was my

supervisor during a period of five months in which we worked

for the same firm.

We also became close friends and have

kept in contact to the present time.

Miss Hurtado has asked me to make comment on certain following

quoted

statements made about her character:

"...an extremely emotional

person"...."cries at the slightest

provocation"

"has a tendency to exaggerate out of complete

proportion"

.....considered extremely unreliable."

In the more than five years that I have known Miss Hurtado, under

both

professional and personal circumstances, I would never have

used

any of the above descriptions to apply toward her personality.

She is, in my opinion, an intelligent and capable person and has

always been responsible about her duties. To the best of my

knowledge, she has never exhibited the overwrought personality

described

above, and I have many times relied upon her good

judgements as well as level-headed advice.

If further detailed response is necessary, I am willing to attest

to any information of which I might have first-hand knowledge.

Cynthia J. Berkey

Asst. Vice President

Research Department

HH 50529

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## Page 21

SUF

February 22, 1977

To Whom it May Concern:

I have known Miss Lila Hurtado for over 7 years in both

a professional and personal capacity.

During this time

she has shown herself to be reliable, trustworthy, and

loyal.

Miss Hurtado's ability to handle situations under pressure

has been shown in her career record, and I have had the:.

chance to observe hers.workvattlclosei.range.nd.

When Miss

Hurtado mentioned that allegations had been made against

her as being

"extremely emotional", with a tendency to

"cry at the slightest provocation", I felt it necessary

to refute them.

She is neither "Extremely emotional"

nor does she"cry at the slightest provocation.

Other slanderous remarks such as Miss Hurtado is "extremely

unreliable"

and "has

tendency to exaggerate things out

of complete proporation" are also untrue. As I mentioned

above, she is a very reliable person, trustworthy, and

factual,

more inclined to understate

a situation.

I find the above allegations against Miss Hurtado both

cruel and unnecessary, and wish to set the record straight.

Your further investigation into this matter will bear me out.

Very truly,

swant forest

Susan Forrest

Associate Producer

KHJ-TV

Hollywood, California

SF:1cg

Cc: L. Hurtado

HH 50529 DocId: 32247941 Page 21

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## Page 22

February

9, 1978

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,

Lila Hurtado is, to the best of my knowledge, a reliable and

truthful person and does not have a tendency to display any

emotional

breakdowns.

I know her to be serious and hard

working and someone

to

be depended upon in times of crises.

Sincerely,

Faucesca Riviere

Francesca Riviere

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22

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## Page 23

1939

BARBIZON INTERNATIONAL, INC.

689 FIFTH AVENUE

NEW YORK, N.Y. 10022

(212) 826-0409

May 2, 1975

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I am pleased to recommend Ms. Lila Hurtado for full-time employment with any

firm having a need for her services.

Ms. Hurtado has been employed by Barbizon International, Inc. from September 17,

1974 through May 2, 1975 and functioned as my Assistant and Administrative Co-

ordinator.

In this capacity

she has proven herself to be of outstanding ability

in every sense of the word. Her competence, affinity for accuracy, loyalty,

integrity, and respect for

corporate confidentiality is unquestioned. Were it

not for her personal decision to reside on the West Coast her employment with

us would be on-going.

Ms. Hurtado's presence in the offices of Barbizon International, Inc. will be

sorely missed. I would be happy to discuss, by telephone, further details with

Wolf

Executiv

Vice Presiden

IH 50529 DocId: 32247941 Paqe 23

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## Page 24

MGM C. ND HOTEL

August 21, 1974

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Much to my regret the New York Branch Office of the MGM Grand Hotel must dis-

pense with the services of Ms.

Lila Hurtado.

She has been working on collect-

ions for some time now (actual DOB 11-16-73) and the Hotel feels the job is

unsuitable for a woman. She's over-qualified for any other position here.

She is an intelligent, perceptive, capable, innovative (systems and proced-

ures), loyal, efficient, diligent, and cooperative young woman. She has a

strong administrative background in addition to excellent office skills.

Without reservation I highly recommend her in fulfilling any position she

applies for.

In the event you wish to discuss Ms. Hurtado on the phone, please call me in

the evening at home (914/352-0759) due. to the volume of daily incoming tele-

phone calls in

the office.

Sincerely,

Harold M. Golub

Eastern Representative

HH 50529 DocId: 32247941

1350 Avenue of the Americas-29th Floor• New York. New York 10019 (212) 581-8200

Page 21

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## Page 25

307

EAST 54+1

CLUB EL MOROCCO

* PRIVATE CLUB

STREET. NEN YORK. NY. 10022 (212) 752-2960

July 18, 1972

To Whom It May Concern:

This is to confirm that Miss Lila Hurtado was employed by

our organization in

the capacity of Membership Secretary

from November 22, 1971 through July 21, 1972.

Her duties in this position consisted of acting as the

Administrative

Assistant to the secretary of the club in

all matters dealing with the proposing of candidates, the

processing

under the Club's By-Laws and Rules of those

candidates

elected for Membership to include the forward-

ing of their invitations and the classifying and posting

of their acceptances

in the different club categories - a

responsible activity requiring executive attention to de-

tail.

With the club initial Membership goal having now been reach-

ed, the position of Membership Secretary has been done away

with.

Consequently, Miss

Hurtado's fine

service to the club

is no longer

required.

I feel that Miss Hurtado, with her secretarial as well as

executive talents, can be an excellent Administrative Assist-

ant in the widest

variety of endeavors.

I can recommend her,

also, for her detailed ability as well as capacity for work.

Yours truly,

Any . . Joe.

Secretary

GMTJ: js

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Arsonal i Confidential

Mr. Go and Fore

Sorry

To send your derated copies,

buT typewrite broke down,.

usee

in othere need impet implied

I'd like to see all

It dou could eins wait else

like into on man I was bel eied to

be romantically involved with i related, not.

"Libra

HH 50529

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