Ford finally told the Truth

[Drew Phipps]

If I recall correctly, that informant story was later said to have been made up by Bill Alexander or Hugh Aynesworth or someone who was just trying to "mess" with the Feds and stir up some trouble.

This is a claim made by Posner in "Case Closed." As I read (between the lines?) the executive session notes from the WC, it sounds to me like Bill Alexander, lead prosecutor on Ruby, was upset that the FBI had disclosed something to the Ruby defense team, and used this rumor as an excuse/ploy to get the Ruby trial judge to order some sort of gag order preventing the FBI (or Texas "authorities") from working with the Ruby team. Or as a threat to keep the FBI out of the case.


Between Wade and Carr and Alexander, there seems to be a lot of finger-pointing on the issue of the origin of the informant story, but Carr didn't hear it (at first) from Wade. Wade says Alexander heard the "number and money" story from an "informant" that Alexander knew. One wonders what sort of assistance Alexander might have believed the FBI was providing the Ruby defense team... or whether the Ruby defense team was trying to "psych out" Alexander with hints of FBI assistance.


(Other interesting tidbits about the 1/22/64 executive session: Ford is present for this session... Wade Boggs knew Ed Butler and INCA (but didn't name the organization, even though Butler had obtained Bogg's endorsement for INCA)... Dulles states that IF is true that Oswald was an FBI informant, then he can see that it is in the FBI's interest to "get rid of this man" but doesn't understand why the FBI would risk backing itself into the lone nut theory without running out all the leads.... In a funny echo of Posner's title, Boggs and Dulles discuss "closing the case")