There has been a lot of angst over the fact that the Secret Service destroyed some files just as the ARRB was getting underway.
In episode 4 [of JFK: Destiny Betrayed], Tunheim and Samoluk discuss the Secret Service destruction of two boxes of domestic survey reports, Here is an excerpt from a transcript: (19:25)
Judge Tunheim: They destroyed a group of records which involved threats to President Kennedy in the fall of 1963. They have what they're called threat sheets and there were many threats made to President Kennedy's life during the year 1963. They fought us on the release of those records. They even enlisted Vice President Gore's wife to help them because she had a very legitimate concern for mental health records. And the idea was that this might disclose the names of people who had mental health problems.
The Secret Service wrote a letter to the ARRB noting that "the folder concerning the canceled trip to Chicago would only have contained a preliminary survey report, if any document at all, since final reports are not conducted when a trip is canceled." Preliminary survey reports are just the basic plans for a trip.
While the folder may have been destroyed, the ARRB knew that perhaps these files had been previously shared in an earlier investigation. And, in fact, I found the November 1, 1963 survey report for Chicago amongst the HSCA files:
The Secret Service then filed a supplemental report:
Here is the first memo from October 31, 1963 about JFK's trip to Chicago:
There were no plots during JFK"s planned trip to Chicago. And there were no real threats either. Arthur Thomas Vallee was arrested by Chicago Police as a precaution, but the Secret Service did not view him as a real threat.
I will be soon be posting the secret service report on Vallee and his supposed threat. It is quite surprising reading.
Previous Blog Posts on Vince Palamara's book on the supposed plot in Chicago
Palamara tries to respond to my five-part series on his book.
An examination of Palamara's second eight pieces of corroborating evidence for the plot.
An examination of Palamara's first eight pieces of corroborating evidence for the plot.
A look at the origin of the supposed plot.
A look at Homer Echeverria.
A look at Lloyd John Wilson.
Previous Blog Posts on the supposed plot in Chicago
Chad Nagle tries to argue that there was a plot.
The HSCA did speak to Edwin Black. It was a memorable interview.
There is no evidence of a plot in Chicago against JFK.
Bolden's story about the supposed Chicago plot has changed over the years.
An examination of supposed other plots against JFK.
Bolden didn't say one word about a supposed plot against JFK in Chicago.