JFK The Enduring Secret

Latest Episodes:

Episode 276 Bobby Baker Part 10 Lyndon Johnson Speaks To Ramsey Clark About The Ed Levinson Wiretap Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

This is Part 10 of the mini-series that covers the story of Bobby Baker. This mini-series is part of a larger series covering Billy Sol Estes, Mac Wallace, Bobby Baker and other members of Johnson's Texas inner circle. All of these men were quite intertwined around Johnson at the time of the assassination. They were involved in circumstances that were closing in on Johnson too and that provided him great motive in the killing of the President. The story is extraordinary. Today's episode continues the story of Bobby Baker's Bad Boy friend and business partner Ed Levinson. Today we hear a taped telephone conversation from the Whitehouse between President Lyndon Johnson and (at the time) Deputy U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark. The discussion addressed Baker and the Levinson connection and it took place about 20 minutes before midnight on July 13th, 1966. It reveals much in the way of Johnson's insight and thinking about the case and the implications are apparent. And they reinforce the impact that Levinson's involvement had on the circumstances that affected Baker directly...and that were (continuing) to potentially affect the President himself. Levinson was a major player in the Vegas casino scene, and top associate in the mob of Meyer Lansky. He was also a shareholder and investor in Serve-U Corporation. Bobby Baker's vending company. This bad boy would enter into other business partnerships with Baker including both becoming shareholders in the Washington National Bank, of which Baker was influential in obtaining the charter. Explaining some of the men around Baker helps to explain the circumstances that he would later find himself in, when trouble came knocking. The characters, setting and details around this story make it an essential example of one more bad choice of association by Baker which eventually led to his demise and came close to bringing down Vice President Johnson as well.

Rumors of Johnson's involvement in the assassination began to swirl almost immediately after the President's murder and there is a defined school of thought within the JFK assassination research community that staunchly believes in Johnson's involvement. His involvement in both the assassination and its cover up. Join us in one of the most fascinating story tells of the Kennedy assassination and stick around as we will be returning to the Mexico City series right after we complete this min-series that was spawned by the recent release of the Billy Sol Estes and Cliff Carter tape that the two recorded in 1971. Folks, you just can't write this stuff.
Even as early as 1964, rumors and serious concerns over the lone gunman theory and the evidence that might contravene it, were becoming a major concern for the government and the commission. Conspiracy theories were contrary to the government's stated narrative from the very beginning. This real-life story is more fascinating than fiction. No matter whether you are a serious researcher or a casual student, you will enjoy the fact filled narrative and story as we relive one of the most shocking moments in American History. An event that changed the nation and changed the world forever.

Episode 275 Bobby Baker Part 9 Ed Levinson, Business Partner, Mobster and Bad Boy Friend Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

Back to the Bobby Baker series! This is Part 9 of the mini-series that covers the story of Bobby Baker. This mini-series is part of a larger series covering Billy Sol Estes, Mac Wallace, Bobby Baker and other members of Johnson's Texas inner circle. All of these men were quite intertwined around Johnson at the time of the assassination. They were involved in circumstances that were closing in on Johnson too and that provided him great motive in the killing of the President. The story is extraordinary. Today's episode tells the story of Bobby Baker's Bad Boy friend and business partner Ed Levinson. Levinson was a major player in the Vegas casino scene, and top associate in the mob of Meyer Lansky. He was also a shareholder and investor in Serve-U Corporation. Bobby Baker's vending company. This bad boy would enter into other business partnerships with Baker including both becoming shareholders in the Washington National Bank, of which Baker was influential in obtaining the charter. Explaining some of the men around Baker helps to explain the circumstances that he would later find himself in, when trouble came knocking. The characters, setting and details around this story make it an essential example of one more bad choice of association by Baker which eventually led to his demise and came close to bringing down Vice President Johnson as well.

Watch Episode Two and Episode Three Of Our Interview Of Doug Horne Over At JFK The Enduring Secret YouTube Channel Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

Hello everyone! As promised we have just published episode two and episode three of our three part interview series with Doug Horne and you can find all three episodes over at JFK The Enduring Secret YouTube channel Doug Horne is an iconic figure in the area of JFK research and investigation. His courageous work while at the Assassination Records Review Board has proven to be one of the most important contributions to the understanding of JFK autopsy evidence. I first met Doug in November 2023, during the week of the 60th anniversary of the assassination. His presentations in Pittsburgh at Duquesne University were Illuminating. After his absence for a time from the more active JFK research community, we were all delighted at seeing him return to engage once again. Fast forward to November 2024, and Doug and I once again crossed paths in Dallas at the JFK Historical Group. It was happenstance and a call from our mutual friend Andrew Iler that brought us together this past week…once again. We spent two days intensely rehashing elements of the case and the autopsy and you are going to hear close to five hours of incredible interview dialogue from Doug that I am certain you won’t want to miss. These tapings are spread out over three episodes and they represent a master class about the medical evidence and a candid talk about what it all means. And it all comes directly from Doug. Want to hear his detail conclusions? Want to know just what shots hit the president and whether shots were fired from some place other than the school book depository? Come listen to this episode on our YouTube channel and you’ll find out. And you’ll hear some spellbinding personal history too, as Doug tells the story of how he came to be part of the ARRB and how the ARRB came to operate in such a highly effective way, in order to advance the investigation. And doing so, even when their charter stopped short of officially allowing them to investigate. It’s a fascinating story from one of the foremost experts on this case. Come join us tonight for the first of three episodes.

Please do hurry over to JFK The Enduring Secret YouTube channel, and watch this fantastic series of conversations with Doug Horne…and please do subscribe to our JFK the Enduring Secret YouTube channel when you get there.

Watch Episode One Of Our Interview of Doug Horne Over at JFK The Enduring Secret YouTube Channel Jun 15, 2025

Show notes

Hello everyone, and boy do I have a treat for you on this Father’s Day. No, it’s not another audio podcast instead. It’s the first of three JFK The Enduring Secret episodes on our YouTube channel that feature a discussion with Doug Horne. Doug Horne is an iconic figure in the area of JFK research and investigation. His courageous work while at the Assassination Records Review Board has proven to be one of the most important contributions to the understanding of JFK autopsy evidence. I first met Doug in November 2023, during the week of the 60th anniversary of the assassination. His presentations in Pittsburgh at Duquesne University were Illuminating. After his absence for a time from the more active JFK research community, we were all delighted at seeing him return to engage once again. Fast forward to November 2024, and Doug and I once again crossed paths in Dallas at the JFK Historical Group. It was happenstance and a call from our mutual friend Andrew Iler that brought us together this past week…once again. We spent two days intensely rehashing elements of the case and the autopsy and you are going to hear close to five hours of incredible interview dialogue from Doug that I am certain you won’t want to miss. These tapings are spread out over three episodes and they represent a master class about the medical evidence and a candid talk about what it all means. And it all comes directly from Doug. Want to hear his detail conclusions? Want to know just what shots hit the president and whether shots were fired from some place other than the school book depository? Come listen to this episode on our YouTube channel and you’ll find out. And you’ll hear some spellbinding personal history too, as Doug tells the story of how he came to be part of the ARRB and how the ARRB came to operate in such a highly effective way, in order to advance the investigation. And doing so, even when their charter stopped short of officially allowing them to investigate. It’s a fascinating story from one of the foremost experts on this case. Come join us tonight for the first of three episodes.

Episode 274 Bobby Baker Part 8 The Murchison's and Meat For the People of Puerto Rico Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

This is Part 8 of the mini-series that covers the story of Bobby Baker. This mini-series is part of a larger series covering Billy Sol Estes, Mac Wallace, Bobby Baker and other members of Johnson's Texas inner circle. All of these men were quite intertwined around Johnson at the time of the assassination. They were involved in circumstances that were closing in on Johnson too and that provided him great motive in the killing of the President. The story is extraordinary. Today's episode tells the story of the deal that Bobby Baker brokered to import meat form Haiti to Puerto Rico and he parlayed that into more than a finder's fee...he would gain a 10% profits interest in the Haitian slaughterhouse without any indications as to why the profits interest was granted. And the money would flow long after the initial transaction was done and over with. Sound puzzling to you, well guess who owned that slaughterhouse...the Murchison's of Texas fame. The Senate Rules committee investigated these transactions as part of their hearings in 1963 and 1964 and never got to the bottom of why these transactions were constructed the way they were or what Bobby Baker was supposed to do in return for the profits interest. The characters, setting and details around this story make it a quintessential example of influence peddling at it's finest and that was in essence declared by the Senate committee during their investigation.

Episode 273 Bobby Baker Part 7 Bonus Episode Featuring the Quorum Club Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

This is Part 7 of the mini-series that covers the story of Bobby Baker. This mini-series is part of a larger series covering Billy Sol Estes, Mac Wallace, Bobby Baker and other members of Johnson's Texas inner circle. All of these men were quite intertwined around Johnson at the time of the assassination. They were involved in circumstances that were closing in on Johnson too and that provided him great motive in the killing of the President. The story is extraordinary. Today's episode tells the story of the Quorum Club. Dubbed by Baker himself as one of his least notable accomplishments, it turned out to be a lightening rod in his own investigation. It was more than a watering hole, and it surely was a place to do business privately...regardless of what sort of private business you were planning to do. It would be a principal focus during the FBI investigation of Baker and Ellen Rometch and remain front and center in the overall corruption investigation conducted by the Senate of Bobby Baker.

Rumors of Johnson's involvement began to swirl almost immediately after the President's assassination and there is a defined school of thought within the JFK assassination research community that staunchly believes in Johnson's involvement. His involvement in both the assassination and its cover up. Join us in one of the most fascinating story tells of the Kennedy assassination and stick around as we will be returning to the Mexico City series right after we complete this min-series that was spawned by the recent release of the Billy Sol Estes and Cliff Carter tape that the two recorded in 1971. Folks, you just can't write this stuff.
Even as early as 1964, rumors and serious concerns over the lone gunman theory and the evidence that might contravene it, were becoming a major concern for the government and the commission. Conspiracy theories were contrary to the government's stated narrative from the very beginning. This real-life story is more fascinating than fiction. No matter whether you are a serious researcher or a casual student, you will enjoy the fact filled narrative and story as we relive one of the most shocking moments in American History. An event that changed the nation and changed the world forever.

Episode 272 Bobby Baker Part 6 Oh, The Girls....And Let's Hear About Ellen Rometch Jun 01, 2025

Show notes

This is Part 6 of the mini-series that covers the story of Bobby Baker. This mini-series is part of a larger series covering Billy Sol Estes, Mac Wallace, Bobby Baker and other members of Johnson's Texas inner circle. All of these men were quite intertwined around Johnson at the time of the assassination. They were involved in circumstances that were closing in on Johnson too and that provided him great motive in the killing of the President. The story is extraordinary. Today's episode covers Bobby Baker' affinity for the girls...and how it led to the Ellen Rometsch affair. She went to work at the Quorum Club and quickly was introduced to President Kennedy. Soon a scandal would be brewing around her and an FBI investigation would lead to her deportation. Was she a spy or just a party girl...the story of her steaming relationship with the President lurking in the background in this intriguing story of three dimensional chess. The stir around Rometsch added to the pressure on Bobby Baker, but it also in the end, provided cover, because, after all, it was the President for God sake that had the affair, a relationship arranged through Bobby Baker.

Episode 271 Bobby Baker Part 5 The Story of Magic ("MGIC") May 26, 2025

Show notes

This is Part 5 of the mini-series that covers the story of Bobby Baker. This mini-series is part of a larger series covering Billy Sol Estes, Mac Wallace, Bobby Baker and other members of Johnson's Texas inner circle. All of these men were quite intertwined around Johnson at the time of the assassination. They were involved in circumstances that were closing in on Johnson too and that provided him great motive in the killing of the President. The story is extraordinary. Today's episode covers Bobby Baker's investment in the Mortgage Guaranty Investment Corp ("MGIC") or Magic as it was known. This Wisconsin based company was the original source of Bobby Baker's wealth and from the earnings that came from this stock investment, there was much more to come with Bobby Baker. The investment, among other things, was the basis for a budding financial relationship with Mr. and Mrs. Novak, who eventually invested on Bobby's behalf in MGIC stock, made a profit and then parlayed all of that into a partnership with Baker to build the Carousel motel. The Carousel was Baker's ill fated attempt at building a resort in Ocean City. The partnership would take Mr. Novak down, but the question still lingers...did he die of suicide, or was he murdered...and did that murder result from the transaction gone awry related to the Carousel.

Episode 270 Bobby Baker Part 4 Bonus Episode Baker In His Own Words Regarding The Story Of The Resignation May 12, 2025

Show notes

This is Part 4 of the mini-series that covers the story of Bobby Baker. This mini-series is part of a larger series covering Billy Sol Estes, Mac Wallace, Bobby Baker and other members of Johnson's Texas inner circle. All of these men were quite intertwined around Johnson at the time of the assassination. They were involved in circumstances that were closing in on Johnson too and that provided him great motive in the killing of the President. The story is extraordinary. Today's episode covers the civil lawsuit filed by Capitol Vending against Serv-U corporation. A lawsuit whose allegations revealed a kickback scheme involving Baker, his law partner Ernest Tucker and lobbyist Fred Black. The civil suit touched off a firestorm of press investigation that led to other allegations which surfaced. This led Senator John J. Williams of Delaware to begin his own review, requesting that Baker address the matter with the Senate leadership. Today we tell the story around this event as Baker himself told it, reading directly from his book Wheeling and Dealing.

From Lyndon Johnson's vantage point, here was Bobby Baker who was known as Little Lyndon and was perhaps the second most powerful man in the senate. He was Bobby Baker the Secretary to the Majority, the right hand man of Lyndon Johnson in the senate....and just months before the assassination, allegations of wrong doing by Baker begin to surface. Baker declined to meet with Senators, and alternatively chose to resign his position as majority secretary of the Senate. The abrupt resignation did not stave off the inevitable,as Williams and other republican senators called for a formal Senate investigation into the affairs of Bobby Baker. They got it. And thus began an eighteen month internal Senate investigation conducted by the Senate Rules and Administration Committee along with investigations by the FBI, the IRS and a grand jury investigation as well. Investigations that eventually became a prelude to Baker's ultimate prosecution by federal authorities and a conviction and jail sentence. Baker's resignation from one of the most powerful positions in the country happened just prior to the President's assassination and created a growing rumor that the scandal would lead back to Johnson and result in his political demise or more... The Republicans smelled blood in the water. Join us in this fourth episode of what is sure to be a fascinating series on another incredible story that envelopes around Lyndon Johnson at the time of the Kennedy assassination.

Episode 269 Bobby Baker Part 3 The Serv-U Corporation and Capitol Vending May 10, 2025

Show notes

This is Part 3 of the mini-series that covers the story of Bobby Baker. This mini-series is part of a larger series covering Billy Sol Estes, Mac Wallace, Bobby Baker and other members of Johnson's Texas inner circle. All of these men were quite intertwined around Johnson at the time of the assassination. They were involved in circumstances that were closing in on Johnson too and that provided him great motive in the killing of the President. The story is extraordinary. Today's episode covers the civil lawsuit filed by Capitol Vending against Serv-U corporation. A lawsuit whose allegations revealed a kickback scheme involving Baker, his law partner Ernest Tucker and lobbyist Fred Black. The civil suit touched off a firestorm of press investigation that led to other allegations which surfaced. This led Senator John J. Williams of Delaware to begin his own review, requesting that Baker address the matter with the Senate leadership.

From Lyndon Johnson's vantage point, here was Bobby Baker who was known as Little Lyndon and was perhaps the second most powerful man in the senate. He was Bobby Baker the Secretary to the Majority, the right hand man of Lyndon Johnson in the senate....and just months before the assassination, allegations of wrong doing by Baker begin to surface. Baker declined to meet with Senators, and alternatively chose to resign his position as majority secretary of the Senate. The abrupt resignation did not stave off the inevitable,as Williams and other republican senators called for a formal Senate investigation into the affairs of Bobby Baker. They got it. And thus began an eighteen month internal Senate investigation conducted by the Senate Rules and Administration Committee along with investigations by the FBI, the IRS and a grand jury investigation as well. Investigations that eventually became a prelude to Baker's ultimate prosecution by federal authorities and a conviction and jail sentence. Baker's resignation from one of the most powerful positions in the country happened just prior to the President's assassination and created a growing rumor that the scandal would lead back to Johnson and result in his political demise or more... The Republicans smelled blood in the water. Join us in this third episode of what is sure to be a fascinating series on another incredible story that envelopes around Lyndon Johnson at the time of the Kennedy assassination.

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