[Note: this document consistently misspells Gurvich's name as "Gurvitch." It has been reproduced here as is, with no corrections.] SELECT COMMITTEE ON ASSASSINATIONS NAME: William Gurvitch Date 11/7/78 Time: 8:30-10:30pm Address Place: Gurvitch home in New Orleans Interview: Gary Cornwell, Bob Buras, and I interviewed Bill Gurvitch at his home on the night of November 7th. Gurvitch was asked at the outset to provide a running account of his work as Garrison's chief investigator during the early months of the Garrison probe, and to do so in a roughly chronological fashion. Gurvitch spoke at great length about the Garrison probe, and recounted how he (Gurvitch) came to believe that the case was a fraud, based on the outright fabrications of evidence, the testimony of demonstrable mental cases, and highly unethical and in some cases illegal prosecutorial conduct by Jim Garrison. Gurvitch stated that he had known Garrison for years prior to the investigation and that Garrison asked him in the fall of 1966 to join his staff as an investigator on "a very important project." Gurvitch agreed to do so and was soon told by Garrison that it involved a conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy. Gurvitch stated that any investigator in the country would have agreed to work on the case, and that he thought it was his duty as a citizen to do anything to shed light on such an important event. Gurvitch stated that he worked closely with Garrison for several months before resigning from his staff and denouncing the investigation in early 1967. Gurvitch stated that during the weeks of his work for Garrison he had believed that Garrison did in fact have some credible information about potential conspirators, including Ferrie, and Shaw, and others. He stated that Garrison always was able to give the impression that he had much other significant material which he would not fully discuss. Gurvitch stated that he traveled around a great deal interviewing witnesses and performing other investigative tasks for Garrison. He stated that within a few weeks he began to doubt whether they were coming up with anything really solid or conspiratorial, and began to convey this impression to Garrison. Gurvitch stated that Garrison would always just ignore his doubts and tell him that he didn't know what important information they had. Interviewer: Mike Ewing Signature: Date Transcribed: 11/26/78(p. 2) Gurvitch stated that as more weeks went by he began to see that Garrison was allegedly a very reckless investigator and did not really comprehend what constituted real evidence. He also stated that this was coupled with a tendency by Garrison to embellish and in some instances invent "evidence." Gurvitch stated that by then he had begun to have intense discussions with Garrison in which he would tell Garrison that they did not have a case; that they did not have sufficient evidence to even consider a prosecution. Gurvitch stated that Garrison had a generally incompetent staff that was afraid to ever question Garrison or differ with him. Gurvitch stated that several of Garrison's aides, particularly his top deputy, James Alcock, privately would admit that the Garrison case was a "fraud," but wouldn't tell Garrison that. He stated that they were more concerned about keeping their jobs with Garrison, and that each of the key Garrison aides involved in the investigation were later rewarded with judgeships by Garrison's political friends. Gurvitch stated that he finally decided he must resign from the Garrison staff and publicly state his disagreements with him. He stated that he agonized over this decision at great length before deciding to do so. He stated that he believed it was important to hold a press conference to publicly air his view that Garrison was blind to his own fraudulent evidence. Gurvitch related how Garrison had him charged with stealing xerox paper from his office after he resigned, and the resolution of that charge. Gurvitch stated that Garrison was very vengeful to anyone whoever disagreed with him on the case, and would attempt to smear them if he could. Gurvitch stated that Garrison never had any interest in investigating Carlos Marcello and the links between Marcello and such Garrison witnesses as Ferrie and Andrews. Gurvitch stated that "Garrison would never fool with Marcello. He was much too heavy for Garrison." Gurvitch stated that one of the specific things which led to his firm belief that Garrison was a man with significant mental difficulties, and a dishonest mentality, was when he heard Garrison once order two of his aides to arrange for Walter Sheridan (the former Kennedy aide) to be severely beaten in New Orleans. Gurvitch stated that Garrison ordered the beating because Sheridan was in town doing an expose on Garrison for NBC. Gurvitch stated that he interceded and stopped Garrison's orders from being implemented. Gurvitch stated that Garrison's office became a gathering place for various mentally unbalanced people who would come in to volunteer their services or testimony. He stated that it was easy for Garrison's staff to find "some nut" to testify to anything they wanted. Gurvitch stated that he did not believe Garrison's "Clinton" witnesses and believed that they were coached into making up their stories about Oswald and Ferrie by Garrison's staff, probably Al Sciambra. Gurvitch stated that he spoke with some of the Clinton witnesses and doubted their stories very much. Gurvitch also stated that Garrison was aware of the alleged Clinton information very early in his investigation, and spoke of it to Gurvitch within a few weeks after he joined the staff. Gurvitch also mentioned that he had been the investigator who had later obtained affidavits indicating that Garrison had sexually molested a 15 year old boy in the New Orleans Athletic club in about 1970. Gurvitch stated that his involvement in this episode came about because he was a member of the club and heard of the story from the father of the boy involved. Gurvitch stated that he secured affidavits from the boy, his father, and the boy's brother, and tried to get the city authorities to press charges against Garrison. He stated that the authorities wouldn't touch the case however, and the boy's father was reluctant to make the alleged incident public. Gurvitch stated that the boy and his father and brother stated that Garrison seemed to be in a drugged state upon emerging from the sauna room facilities after making the alleged sexual advance. Gurvitch stated that it is well known in New Orleans that Garrison has long taken to various pills and drugs and is not in good health as a result. Gurvitch related literally dozens of various stories and anecdotes reflecting what he claimed was Garrison's reckless investigative acts and unbalanced mental state. Gurvitch stated that he knows it must sound awfully one sided, but stated that "that's the way it was. I saw it all firsthand." Gurvitch stated that it all became like a scene out of Frankenstein; that Garrison had created a horrible monster out of the JFK case, and was eventually destroyed by it himself. Gurvitch stated that he does not believe that there is a conspiracy behind the case, and has no thoughts of any real suspicion in any direction based upon his work on the case.