Don Hewitt (CBS) and the JFK Assassination

Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001
From: "R.R."
To: John Judge

     Something significant happened today which we must seize on.

     This afternoon I watched an interview on MSNBS of Don Hewitt, long
     time CBS producer of 60 Minutes. It was a retrospective. It
     occurred to me as I sat there, "geez, ask Hewitt what he thinks of
     how the media covered the JFK assassination." Seconds later, the
     interviewer (I forget his name -- but NBC's top political analyst)
     asked Hewitt "What about the JFK assassination . . . any regrets
     or comments." I nearly fell over.

     Here's some of the things Hewitt said, as best as I can remember:

          I never believed Oswald did this alone

          The more you look into it, the more there is something
          there . . . something not right with the Oswald
          conclusion

          I believe Oswald and Ruby were somehow connected. I
          don't believe Ruby was some ordinary guy who just
          decided to walk into the DPD basement and shoot Oswald.

          He ordered Dan Rather to go to Zapruder's house, knock
          him out, take the film, copy it and return the film,
          allowing CBS lawyers to handle the assault charge . . .
          he then called Rather and told him not to do it.

          He claims he asked RFK if he believed in Oswald being
          the lone assassin, to which RFK replied "What difference
          does it make; it won't bring him back." Hewitt then
          commented that he believed RFK really felt and knew
          otherwise.

          He said all the top JFK advisors - Sorenson, Kenny
          O'Donnell, Pierre Salinger etc, know or knew something
          that they did not want to talk about. (To this I add
          that in two conversations with Pierre Salinger, he was
          quite willing to talk about it with me over the phone -
          a total stranger - telling me he was convinced the mafia
          did it, and he was astonished at some of the medical
          evidence uncovered by the JFK Records Act. I am trying
          to reach Salinger by phone to alert him to Hewitt's
          comments.)

     I plan to write to Hewitt and I suggest the rest of you do so. He
     is 78. He is retiring soon, apparently. This has to be something
     eating away at him, or at least something that he could retire on
     if prompted with the kinds of quick summaries you can produce
     regarding the medical evidence, New Orleans, Collins Radio, the
     recent COPA suit. Don't bury him with too much detail; tantalize
     him with nuggets.

     Let's not blow this.

     R.R.

--------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 13:32:39 -0400
To: R.R.
From: John Judge
Subject: Re: CBS's Don Hewitt's interview today on MSNBC

     Well R., it's interesting, but he's [Don Hewitt] had many years to
     do something about all this on 60 Minutes and not a peep. This
     information is apparently also in his new memoirs book. No cost in
     saying it as he retires -- it's a weak whistle-blowing then.

     Jim Hougan told us a story about Hewitt at the Lost River
     conference last year. When Jim first came to work at 60 minutes,
     Hewitt, who was the gatekeeper deciding what stories would or
     would not run on 60 minutes, took Jim to lunch. Hewitt said he had
     heard Jim was a "conspiracy theorist" and Jim countered by saying
     that he worked on Watergate, which was a conspiracy, not a theory.

     Hewitt said that one was known about, though, and asked for an
     example of a conspiracy that had been kept quiet for a long time.
     Jim pointed to the JFK assassination. Hewitt said "I know more
     about the JFK assassination than anyone here at CBS". Jim,
     astonished, asked why that was, and Hewitt revealed that CBS had
     gotten the Zapruder film and appointed staff, including himself,
     to study the assassination in depth. Jim, still astounded, asked
     what their conclusion had been, since he never saw it reported
     anywhere. Hewitt said they had concluded Oswald could not have
     killed Kennedy acting alone, there had to be another gunman
     involved. Jim asked why they didn't say that on CBS. Hewitt
     replied, "Oh, I know what you are thinking -- conspiracy! But we
     never found any evidence of a connection between Oswald and the
     other gunman." Thus, the paradigm is insured.

     Also, beware such a "revelation" from the top. It may just be
     honest musings finally safe to vent, but it could also be a
     preface for Gus Russo's and Max Holland's thesis that the Kennedy
     boys had it coming, since they worked so hard to kill Diem and
     Castro, and stirred up a response from Cuba via Oswald. Ruby and
     McWillie had Cuban ties (delivering CIA financed weapons to
     Castro), and the whole Mexico City operation was to link Oswald to
     Castro.

     I have information collected over the years that the original plan
     was to blame Castro and invade Cuba that day! Navy seals teams
     were on the ground ready to hit Castro, and troops were loaded
     onto transport planes for the invasion November 22. Then all was
     called off. My best guess is that because Oswald survived the
     police attack at the theatre, they had a talking head instead of a
     "Dead Red" Castro lover, and had to back off for fear he would
     blow the story. Ruby was sent to make sure he shut his mouth. He
     was already saying too much.

     JJ