</s>104-10012-10063 ACT CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM RELEASE IN FULL DD/02/25/50.0 APPROVED FOR RELEASE 1892 15-5/31/1/2 RELEASE CA HISTOCIAL REVIEW PROCRAM 6 September 1975 MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION: Dan Rather and Les Midgley 3 September 1975 Mr. Rather said that CBS is working up a series of programs entitled, "The Assassinations, dealing with the assassinations of President Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, King, and the attempt on Gov. Wallace. He said they are King, and they attempt to gov. Wallace, He said that they any possible CIA connection with Oswald. He has facts about seems also, on its face, incredible that CIA had not had it union contact with an ex-Marine who worked in the Soviet Union contact on an ex. Marine who worked on the Soviet between an interview with him and made that difference wanted to make sure he had covered all the bets. He referred to the work of Mark Lane in this field of CIA referred to Dick the Kennedy death. Wanted to mark Lane on the subject of CIA connections with the Kennedy Death. We went over a variety of matters, but I essentially firmed up at the end by saying that CIA has no contact, with Oswald either during his Russian period or afterwards, that CIA's only records of Oswald came from our becoming that CIA is only records to embassies in Mexico City, which information is visits to embassies on Mexico City. which that CIA was absolutely no basis for a conclusion. some indications that Oswald was contrary; that Howard Hunt visited traveler that CIA was there, and that the Russian traveler than CIA had said there, that the Soviet Union. individual than Oswald, despite the coincidence of the dates of his residence in the Soviets Union. I ended by saying I of his residency in the USSR. I said by saying no information available within answers under oath, based on personal knowledge of the Soviet union. I could not the Agency that any additional information would surface in especially by Mr. Belin in the United States examined from 1965 on, investigations due to his personal interest in the matter. Mr. Midgly referred to the fact that some additional information is coming out from the FBI, and I pointed out

Summary: The memorandum details a conversation between Dan Rather and Les Midgley on September 3, 1975, regarding CBS’s planned series "The Assassinations," which includes coverage of the assassinations of President Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the attempted assassination of Governor Wallace. Rather expressed concerns about potential CIA connections to Lee Harvey Oswald, noting that while some facts suggest a possible link, there is no conclusive evidence. The discussion highlights CIA’s lack of documented contact with Oswald during his time in the Soviet Union or afterward, emphasizing that agency records on Oswald were limited to embassy reports from Mexico City. Midgley mentioned ongoing FBI investigations and referenced Allen Dulles’ comments on intelligence agent exposure, though no definitive conclusions were reached. The conversation also addressed J. Edgar Hoover’s concerns about false allegations against CIA and the Rockefeller Commission’s lack of authority over FBI files.  

Key People: Dan Rather, Les Midgley, Lee Harvey Oswald, Mark Lane, Dick Belin, Allen Dulles, J. Edgar Hoover, John Helms (Mrs. Helms)  
Key Locations: Mexico City, United States  
Key Events: CBS series planning, CIA investigation into Lee Harvey Oswald, Rockefeller Commission’s scope, FBI investigations, discussions on intelligence agency involvement in assassinations  
Key Organizations: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Rockefeller Commission

RFK Declassified Files

00459879_memo_of_conversation_dan_104-10115-10318.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search