CIA Central Cover Staff Memorandum on HSCA Request (104-10059-10057)
This CIA memorandum, marked Confidential/Secret and dated 27 January 1978, was authored by H. Clark Schor, Chief of the Plans and Review Group of the Central Cover Staff (CCS), and addressed to SA/DO/O. It supplements an earlier memo and responds to an HSCA request forwarded through the CIA's Office of Legislative Counsel (OLC), which originated in a 6 January 1978 letter from the HSCA Chief Counsel/Director. The memo inventories CCS file holdings on numbered items concerning several individuals and organizations: George DeMohrenschildt (five documents including contact reports with a commercial asset in touch with him about a Haiti business activity, dated 1963); Leo Cherne (21 documents 1954–1977 concerning cover provided for a NOC officer in Paris, plus roughly 100 documents on the Research Institute of America, 1949–1964); William Harvey (approximately 50 documents on cover for his Agency career 1947–1967); the International Rescue Committee (12 documents 1962–1976); Alexander Rorke (no record); Richard Helms (approximately 25 documents 1956–1974); James Angleton (approximately 25 documents 1950–1975, Staff Employee 1947–1974); Raymond Rocca (approximately 25 documents 1964–1975); Southern Research Corporation (no record); and Wackenhut Corporation (100–150 documents 1963–1977). The document was released by the National Archives on 18 March 2025 as part of the 2025 JFK Assassination Records disclosure.
Description
A CIA Central Cover Staff (CCS) memorandum dated 27 January 1978 from H. Clark Schor, Chief of the Plans and Review Group, to SA/DO/O, responding to a House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) request. The memo summarizes CCS file holdings on named individuals and entities including George DeMohrenschildt, Leo Cherne, William Harvey, Richard Helms, James Angleton, Raymond Rocca, the International Rescue Committee, and the Wackenhut Corporation. Released by the National Archives on 18 March 2025 under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Act of 1992.
Claims
CCS held five documents on George DeMohrenschildt, including four contact reports with a commercial asset in touch with him regarding a business activity in Haiti and a trace request memorandum, dated 1963.
90%CCS held 21 documents on Leo Cherne (1954–1977) concerning cover provided by him from 1954 to 1965 for a NOC officer assigned to Paris, plus about 100 documents on the Research Institute of America (1949–1964).
90%CCS held approximately 50 documents on William Harvey concerning cover for his Agency career as a Staff Employee from 1947 to 1967.
90%James Angleton was a Staff Employee of the Agency from 1947 to 1974; CCS held approximately 25 documents concerning his travel orders, cover documentation, and retirement processing.
90%CCS held 100 to 150 documents on the Wackenhut Corporation covering 1963 to 1977, concerning primarily contacts with Wackenhut officials.
88%CCS had no record of Alexander Rorke or Southern Research Corporation.
88%
Events
Jan 5, 1978
HSCA Chief Counsel/Director letter to OLC
Letter for OLC from Chief Counsel/Director of HSCA initiating the information request (Reference C).
Jan 11, 1978
OLC memo to SA/DO/O
Memo (OLC 78-0070/1) forwarding the HSCA request (Reference B).
Jan 24, 1978
Prior CCS/PRG memo
Earlier memo from C/CCS/PRG to SA/DO/O on the same subject (Reference A).
Jan 26, 1978
Schor memorandum to SA/DO/O
Supplemental CCS memo summarizing file holdings on named individuals and entities.
Mar 17, 2025
NARA 2025 release
Document released by the National Archives under the JFK Assassination Records Act.
Dates mentioned
Keywords
Entities
Organizations
People
Extracted text (OCR)
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‘MEMORANDUM FOR: SA/DO/0O
FROM : H. Clark Schor
Chief, Plans and Review Group
Central Cover Staff
SUBJECT : House Select Committee on Assassinations
(HSCA) Request
REFERENCES : A. Memo for SA/DO/O fr C/CCS/PRG, dtd
25 Jan 78, Same Subject
B. Memo for SA/DO/O fr OLC (OLC 78-0070/1),
dtd 12 Jan 78, Same Subject
C. Letter for OLC fr Chief Counsel/Director
of HSCA, dtd 6 Jan 78
1. This memorandum supplements Reference A and provides
the additional information per paragraph 6. therein, in re-
sponse to the request in Reference B.
2. CCS files contain information on individuals and
entities cited in certain numbered items of Reference C as
follows:
a. Item 5 - George DeMohrenschildt -- five docu-
ments comprising four contact reports with a commer-
cial asset who was in touch with Subject regarding a
business activity in Haiti, and one memorandum de-
tailing the results of a trace request on Subject.
The dates of the documents range from 25 April to
21 Mar 1963.
b. Item 9 - Leo Cherne -- 21 documents (six-1954;
one-19553; two-1957; two-1958; one-1960; four-1962; and
one each-1965, 1967, 1968, 1976, 1977)°all of which?
concern the establishment, maintenance, and use of ~°
cover provided by Subject from 1954 to 1965 for a NOC
officer assigned to Paris. Additionally, CCS maintains
a file on the Research Institute of America, of which
Leo Cherne was Executive Director, comprising approxi-
mately 100 documents covering the period 1949 to 1964;
Mr. Cherne's name appears throughout this file.
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c. Item 17 - William Harvey -- Approximately 50
documents, virtually all of which concern the estab-.
lishment, maintenance, and use of cover for Subject
during his career with the Agency as a Staff Employee
from 1947 to 1967.
d. Item 27
(1) International Rescue Committee --
12 documents (1962 to 1976) addressing Agency
non-usé of IRC, and FOIA requests.
(2) Alexander Rorke -- No record in
CCS.
e. Item 29
(1) Richard Helms -- Approximately 25
documents (1956 to 1974) concerned primarily
with TDY travel orders, cover documentation,
and clearance verifications.
(2) James Angleton -- Approximately 25
documents (1950 to 1975) concerned primarily
with TDY travel orders, cover documentation,
and retirement processing for Subject who
was a Staff Employee of the Agency from 1947
to 1974.
(3) Raymond Rocca -- Approximately 25
documents (1964 to 1975) concerned primarily
with cover matters pertaining to Subject who
was a Staff Employee.
£. Item 30 - No record in CCS of correspondence
or other communications on the matters identified in-
volving Messrs. Helms, Angleton, and Rocca.
g. Item 36
(1) Southern Research Corporation --
No record in CCS.
(2) Wackenhut Corporation -- 100 to 150
documents covering the period 1963 to 1977
and concerning primarily {contacts ts with]}4
Wackenhut officials.
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H. Clark Schor —
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27 JAN 1979
MEMORANDUM FOR: SA/DO/O
FROM : H. Clark Schor
Chief, Plans and Review Group
Central Cover Staff
SUBJECT : House Select Committee on Assassinations
(HSCA) Request
REFERENCES : A. Memo for SA/DO/O fr C/CCS/PRG, dtd
25 Jan 78, Same Subject
B. Memo for SA/DO/O fr OLC (OLC 78-0070/1),
dtd 12 Jan 78, Same Subject
C. Letter for OLC fr Chief Counsel/Director
of HSCA,;, dtd 6 Jan 78
1. This memorandum supplements Reference A and provides
the additional information per paragraph 6. therein, in re-
sponse to the request in Reference B.
2. CCS files contain information on individuals and
entities cited in certain numbered items of Reference C as
follows:
a. Item 5 - George DeMohrenschildt -- five docu-
ments comprising four contact reports with a commer-
cial asset who was in touch with Subject regarding a
business activity in Haiti, and one memorandum de-
tailing the results of a trace request on Subject.
The dates of the documents range from 25 April to
21 Mar 1963.
b. Item 9 - Leo Cherne -- 21 documents (six-1954;:
one-1955; two-1957; two-1958; one-1960; four-1962; and
one each-1965, 1967, 1968, 1976, 1977) @11 “o£ which? 4
“concern the establishment, maintenance, ~anduse of 2
cover provided by Subject “from 1 19548to 1965 for a NOC
' officer assigned to Paris}{ “Additionally, CCS maintains
a file on the Research Institute of America, of which
Leo Cherne was Executive Director, comprising appr6xt-
mately 100 documents covering the period 1949 to 1964;
Mr. Cherne's name appears throughout this file.
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. “ . m7 Lf be '
i
é
c. Item 17 - William Harvey -- Approximately 50
documents, virtually all of which concern the estab-
lishment, maintenance, and use of cover for Subject
during his career with the Agency as a Staff Employee
from 1947 to 1967.
d. Item 27
(1) International Rescue Committee --
12 documents (1962 to 1976) addressing Agency
non-use of IRC, and FOIA requests.
(2) Alexander Rorke -- No record in
ccs.
e. Item 29
(1) Richard Helms -- Approximately 25
documents (1956 to 1974) concerned primarily
with TDY travel orders, cover documentation,
and clearance verifications.
(2} James Angleton -- Approximately 25
documents (1950 to 1975) concerned primarily
with TDY travel orders, cover documentation,
and retirement processing for Subject who
Ere was a Staff Employee of the Agency from 1947
~~ to 1974.
(3) Raymond Rocca -- Approximately 25
documents (1964 to 1975) concerned primarily
with cover matters pertaining to Subject who
was a Staff Employee.
f. Item 30 - No record in CCS of correspondence
or other communications on the matters identified in-
volving Messrs. Helms, Angleton, and Rocca.
g.: Item 36
(1) Southern Research Corporation --
No record in CCS.
(2) Wackenhut Corporation -- 100 to 150
documents covering the period 1963 to 1977
and concerning primarily \contacts”
Wackenhurt officials. —— —
H. Clark Schor
-2- .
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