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CTKA formerly published Probe Magazine. Most of the articles on this site first appeared in Probe. We will occasionally add new articles as appropriate. 

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A Letter to James Corbett

by Frank Cassano

Dear James Corbett:

This letter is in regard to your interview with John Hankey which was broadcast on December 4, 2010.

I am a student of the JFK assassination and an interested and impartial observer.

I just finished re-listening to the interview this morning when it became obvious that the end portion of the interview has since been edited out. Removed.

It cuts out just as you can be heard redirecting Mr. Hankey to “the CTKA hit piece” put out by Jim DiEugenio.

Fortunately, I held on to the original-length version!

I don’t know which was more hilarious—Hankey saying that by 1972 he had “made himself an expert” in the JFK case, or the part where Hankey says that he “dropped out of college to get an education.” I’m going to have to remember that one in case I’m ever asked to deliver a speech to aspiring students—it’ll undoubtedly save them large on pesky tuition fees.

Hankey’s harangue of Jim DiEugenio kicks in around the 27 minute mark. By the way, it’s pronounced “Dee U Geenio”... not “Dee U Haynio.” The name is Italian, not Spanish. How do I know this? Well, it’s because I’m familiar with the work of both DiEugenio and Hankey.

Here is the fair and balanced way in which Hankey introduces DiEugenio:

He’s a guy of great repute, and you hear intelligent people, who I believe are honest, and so on, referring to him with great deference, and...I think that he’s an operative. He’s certainly attacking the conclusions that I’ve drawn in a wildly unprofessional and unintelligent fashion. I mean, the guy has written extensively. He’s very, very well-versed. He’s very knowledgeable, and nothing I’ve ever seen that he’s written has been incredibly stupid...

An operative? Wildly unprofessional? Unintelligent? Are we talking about the same Jim DiEugenio here?

Since Hankey brought it up, kindly allow me to point out the many times Hankey strayed during this interview. Talk about being unprofessional? Wrong names. Wrong dates. Wrong numbers. Wrong memos. Wrong automobiles. And personal smears galore.

By the way, throughout most of the interview I couldn’t help but notice the sound of a baby crying. Who was that—Hankey’s fact checker?

Errors made by Hankey:

• Jim DiEugenio’s book is called The Assassinations, not The Assassins.
• Hankey mistakenly says that Hoover supervised the Cubans. Host Corbett had to correct him that he (Hankey) actually meant George H.W. Bush—not Hoover.
• When Hankey talks about Fletcher Prouty reading the famous newspaper article in Australia, Host Corbett points out that the article in question appeared in the Christchurch Star in New Zealand—not Australia. –To which Hankey reacts: “Um, OK, very good. Thank you very much. I’m sure that you’re correct.” [LOL!]
• Hankey then says that Prouty wrote NSAM 273 (which Hankey refers to as “273”), which Hankey says outlined Kennedy’s intentions of withdrawing 1,000 troops out of Vietnam by Christmas. In fact, it was NSAM 263 which detailed Kennedy’s intentions of withdrawing 1,000 troops out of Vietnam by Christmas 1963—and all troops by the end of 1965. NSAM 273 was a REVERSAL of NSAM 263, which ultimately resulted in the deployment of 185,000 troops into Vietnam by the end of 1965.
• Hankey says that Oswald was seen leaving the TSBD in a green Studebaker by Roger Craig. In reality, the car was a light green Rambler.
• On the topic of the E. Howard Hunt “deathbed” confession, he says that Hunt points the finger at, “...a guy named McCord? No, that’s Cord.” (Hunt was clearly referring to Cord Meyer.) When Host Corbett asks Hankey if he means “Frank McCord,” Hankey then says: “No...um...if you’re very, very familiar—since you asked the question, I’d be counting on you to be very familiar with the Hunt confession...” [LOL! Um, exactly who is the host here and who is the expert? It seems that in this interview the roles are reversed.]
• During his next exchange, Hankey rambles on (I’m not sure if it was a ramble...could have been a Studebaker, I suppose) about some Republican woman (whom Hankey gladly volunteers was “a little bit drunk”), and the CFR, when he says after a long silence: “Um...I forget what question I’m answering.” Host Corbett then reminds Hankey that they were still on the topic of the Hunt confession. “Right!” exclaims Hankey—the sound of the penny finally dropping must have been loud enough to be heard clear across the next county over.
• Hankey then quickly switches the topic to Madeleine Brown. In attempting to describe her to the host, he says, “...I wanted to call her a prostitute...she’s on the History Channel...” When Host Corbett points out that Madeleine was LBJ’s mistress, Hankey says, “so-called, yes...I don’t mean to say that she’s a liar, um, but if you listen to her story, she talks about how she got invited to all these Texas millionaires’ parties. Well, you know, why do you think they keep inviting her? (Chuckles.) Because she’s such a brilliant conversationalist?”
• Still on the topic of Madeleine, he says: “She says she’s there with Johnson, and that Johnson comes walking out of a meeting with these guys, and... I can never remember this... the name of this individual... but she comes... she comes walking out of a meeting... at least one of whom is CFR. He’s the CFR guy who was on the Warren Commission. He’s a Rockefeller thug who was on the Warren Commission. Um, and I can nev--... I... you know, I’ve looked his name up twenty times but I can never make it stick to the tip of my tongue. Anyhow!” [LOL!]
• Towards the end of the interview, Hankey talks about a supposed death photo of author Gary Webb. Hankey goes on to say how he showed the photo to a “bed buddy” of Webb’s, someone who was, in Hankey’s opinion, “way too close” of a friend.

And there you have it, Mr. Corbett.

Not only is John Hankey notorious for getting his facts wrong, and being completely unprepared (not to mention misinformed), but he also seems to take great pleasure in smearing everybody he mentions along the way.

Perhaps you’ll keep this in mind the next time you consider asking him to appear on your show.

Sincerely,

Frank Cassano

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