Mar. 3, 1965 - Senator Robert F. Kennedy (D-N.Y.) denounced a Senate investigating subcommittee today for having raised what he said was a false implication that he had acted improperly while Attorney General.
The panel had heard charges yesterday that Kennedy, during the early days of his incumbency as Attorney General in 1961, had tried to promote a magazine exposé of James R. Hoffa. At that time, Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, was in legal trouble with the Federal government.
Kennedy appeared before the Judiciary subcommittee today not only by invitation but also upon his own demand. The panel has been investigating possible invasions of the privacy of individuals by Federal agencies enforcing law.
Kennedy suggested that the subcommittee might investigate its own procedures. Now lacking, he indicated, is the practice of giving an accused person the immediate right of defense.
Sen. Edward Long (D-Mo.), chairman of the panel, retorted that the Kennedy-Hoffa matter had popped up as a surprise and that Kennedy was given the first possible opportunity to reply. Exchanges became rapid and hot.
Bernard Fensterwald Jr., chief counsel of the subcommittee accused Kennedy of “putting what would normally be described as a ‘fink’ in touch with Time-Life to write” the magazine exposé on Hoffa.
“Normally described as what?” Kennedy asked.
“Fink. F-I-N-K,” Fensterwald said. “A stool pigeon. Does that word strike a chord?”
“I thought it was a citizen who was reporting information and evidence in connection with illegal activities,” the Senator said.
“That would be a very good definition,” the counsel said.
“Let me say,” Kennedy continued, “I am shocked to hear that. I think there have been a lot of loyal people, if I may say, Mr. Counsel, that provided information to the U.S. Government in connection with Communist activities, underworld activities, narcotics, activities at great risk to their own lives, and I think that is — that has been very, very helpful to the United States.”
“And it is also your position, sir,” Fensterwald went on, “that it is proper for the Attorney General to take such people, even when a case is under investigation and indictment, and attempt to see that their testimony is printed in the public press rather than taken into court?”“That is not the way it was done, Mr. Counsel,” Kennedy replied. “I never did anything like that.”
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