Paul Bleau's first chokehold is that "the official record impeaches the Warren Commission." He believes that: (page 38 in the Kindle edition of his book Chokeholds)
U.S. investigations into the assassination, statements made by investigation insiders and foreign government conclusions about the assassination prove that there is a strong consensus by the independent investigative authorities that there was a conspiracy in the murder of President John F. Kennedy.
Bleau's chapter then lists out a variety of statements that seemingly prove conspiracy. Of course, Bleau doesn't tell readers the full truth about these viewpoints.
U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations
Bleau Assertion:
Bleau includes a summary of the HSCA conclusions. He also makes the following points:
Oswald and Ruby were not loners and "were involved in relationships that could have matured into a conspiracy."
Oswald was connected to David Ferrie and Guy Banister, if not Clay Shaw.
Jack Ruby was connected to the Mafia.
Marina Oswald's "incriminating statements against her husband were found to be lacking in credibility."
The HSCA believed Sylvia Odio.
The Lopez Report "established that someone was impersonating Oswald."
The Justice Department reinvestigation of the case only looked at the acoustical evidence, "which it rejected based on science, but that itself is also contested."
What Bleau Doesn't Tell You:
That's quite an omission, no?
Here are some comments on his other assertions:
I am not sure what Bleau is claiming when he says that Oswald and Ruby were "involved in relationships that could have matured into a conspiracy." That is probably true of most people, no?
The HSCA found only that "there was at least a possibility that Oswald and Guy Banister were acquainted." Delphine Roberts, Banister's secretary, was the only witness who claimed that Oswald and Banister knew each other but the HSCA noted that "Because of such contradictions in Roberts' statements to the committee and lack of independent corroboration of many of her statements, the reliability of her statements could not be determined." Check out this blog post -- not one of Banister's employees ever saw Oswald. And David Ferrie was not connected with Oswald.
The HSCA stated that "the evidence available to the committee indicated that Ruby was not a "member" of organized crime in Dallas or elsewhere."
Bleau doesn't provide any specificity to his claims about Marina Oswald. For instance, the HSCA believed her testimony that Oswald told her about his attempt to kill General Walker.
Even Vincent Bugliosi believed Sylvia Odio. So did Jean Davison who believed that Oswald was trying to infiltrate another anti-Castro group, perhaps to impress the Cubans in Mexico City.
The Lopez report did not "establish" that Oswald was impersonated. The Lopez Report noted “While the majority of the evidence tends to indicate that [the individual who visited the Cuban consulate and Soviet embassy on the dates in question] was indeed Lee Harvey Oswald, the possibility that someone else used Lee Harvey Oswald’s name during this time in contacts with the Soviet and Cuban Consulates cannot be absolutely dismissed." Here is another view of the impersonation of Oswald.
Bleau says that the rejection of the acoustical evidence "is also contested," but provides no details. The National Academy of Sciences' "Report of the Committee on Ballistics Acoustics" provided pretty clear evidence that the dictabelt tape did not capture the shots fired in Dealey Plaza. Here is a 1988 letter from the Department of Justice on the recommendations of the HSCA:
Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Paul Bleau
Bleau leaves out some important details about a Warren Commission staffer.
Was Oswald a loner? Bleau says no, and then says yes.
Bleau leaves out some important details about Malcolm Kilduff.
An introduction to Paul Bleau's new book, Chokeholds.
Was David Ferrie Clay Shaw's pimp?
Did Lee Harvey Oswald have an escort?
Edward Girnus was in prison for forgery, and he told a fanciful story about Clay Shaw and Lee Harvey Oswald.
Leander D'Avy told the HSCA he saw Oswald and Ferrie with the three tramps.
Bleau's analysis of Garrison's files is full of errors.
Bleau believes there were seven plots against JFK before Dallas.
Bolden's allegation that there was a plot against JFK in Chicago has changed over the years.
There is no evidence that there was a plot against JFK in Tampa.
There is no evidence that there was a plot against JFK in Chicago.