John Abt and the Smith Act trials

Allegedy it was during the first interogation that Oswald asked for John Abt.

Present at this interrogation was Prof. Charles Webster - an expert in federal labor law and someone who had run for high office in 1960 with the support of a panel headed by FBI informant and CPUSA member, William Lowery.

I do not believe for a millisecond that Oswald dreamt up the idea to ask for Abt. I believe the idea was planted in his head by Webster.

Clue One: Initially they were going to try this as a communist conspiracy case. Since Oswald was denying involvement, was not a  member of, and disavowed the communist party, why would he need a lawyer who specialized in defending communists on federal charges?  Answer: he didn't. He needed a criminal lawyer. 

Clue two: In all of Oswald's alleged quotes about Abt, he seems oblivious to his communist affiliation - and indeed, according to Marguerite, when he told her about Abt, he had some uncertainty as to whether he even had the name right. I believe the information about Abt representing communists was kept from Oswald.

What we see then is an attempt to get Oswald a Smith Act lawyer at the same time as they were looking to try and draw up federal conspiracy charges- which in turn would shore up the notion that this really was a communist conspiracy. Indeed, Webster was there to advise on any potential federal charges.

A Communist conspiracy. That's exactly right. And then they were told - NO, it twas to be a lone nutter with no mates. It's there in the evidence.

I think Waggoner Carr or someone in Texas initially said that it was a communist conspiracy and were told by the White House not to say it.

Vinny wrote:I think Waggoner Carr or someone in Texas initially said that it was a communist conspiracy and were told by the White House not to say it.

You mean Bill Alexander.

Except I don't think those in charge had any intention of allowing Oswald to have any lawyer, Abt or anyone else.  They knew he didn't do it and weren't going to allow him to tell a lawyer his alibi.

Recall the head of the Dallas Bar visited Oswald that Saturday and offered him one of their lawyers.  Oswald was too smart to accept a lawyer who would work for him like Sirhan Sirhan's lawyer did for him.   This was right wing Dallas, after all.  But Oswald said he would think about the offer if he couldn't find someone else.  Which likely speeded up the timetable of his demise.  My guess is the offer was a stalling tactic until they could dispose of Oswald.

Saddling Oswald with a communist lawyer (Abt was general counsel of the Communist Party), might have helped the case in Dallas (if the defense failed to get a trial moved), but clearly getting rid of Oswald and avoiding a trial was the preferred solution.  We know in hindsight that the group that wanted the trial to be about a communist assassin lost out to LBJ and his group that came up with the LN "explanation".

barto wrote:

Vinny wrote:I think Waggoner Carr or someone in Texas initially said that it was a communist conspiracy and were told by the White House not to say it.

You mean Bill Alexander.

Correct, and under any other circumstances Bill would've done what Bill did best. But with the glaring eye of Washington watching over his shenanigans the jig was up. Same for all of those DPD misfits.

barto wrote:

Vinny wrote:I think Waggoner Carr or someone in Texas initially said that it was a communist conspiracy and were told by the White House not to say it.

You mean Bill Alexander.

Yes. I stand corrected. Thanks.

Roger Odisio wrote:Except I don't think those in charge had any intention of allowing Oswald to have any lawyer, Abt or anyone else.  They knew he didn't do it and weren't going to allow him to tell a lawyer his alibi.

Absolutely no lawyer. 

One reason for gibing him the name was just to stop him asking for someone (anyone) to come forward. Another reason would be that Webster would know there was next to no chance of Abt accepting. He had never tried a criminal case - let alone a murder case - and Oswald was not a  member of any group on the federal subversive list - a bit aof a prerequisite fot a Smith Act trial.

You have to wonder about Webster. How is someone who was backed in a federal election by members of the communist party so chummy with the DPD?