0 222042Z DEC 78
FM SAN FRANCISCO (89-250) (P) (SQ. 2)
TO DIRECTOR (89-4286) IMMEDIATE
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UNCLAS
RYMUR
Reference San Francisco telcall, dated December 22, 1978.
At 9:30 AM PST, ASAC Lawrence G. Lawler received a telephone call from George Bertis [Berdes] who advised as follows:
He is the head investigator of a group of four investigators working for the House Committee on International Relations (the committee with which Ryan was associated). He and his investigators plan to arrive in San Francisco on January 3, 1979 for a 2-3 week stay to “conduct interviews.”
When queried as to what type of interviews they plan to conduct, he advised that they desire to talk with the
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media people involved in this matter. This is to include persons who write articles about the PT (he specifically named Gordon Lindsey [Lindsay]) and media representatives accompanying Ryan to Guyana. He desires to talk with the “Concerned Relatives Group”, defectors, and active members. It appears, however, that not much preliminary work has been done by this group in that he assumed several people he named were in the San Francisco area when in fact they are in the Los Angeles area.
He queried ASAC Lawler as to the cooperativeness of several people he named and also the best way to get in contact with the current members. Only general answers were given.
It appeared to ASAC Lawler during the approximate half of an hour conversation, that a full-scale investigation into all aspects of the PT was contemplated. However, at almost the very end of the conversation he indicated that the preliminary focus of his investigation would be the State Department’s performance in this matter; specifically, did they do enough to brief Ryan.
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In conducting interviews in this investigation, San Francisco has identified several people who are very critical of the State Department’s handling of this matter. We have also identified some people who have complimented the State Department. We would be willing to give the investigators the identities of these people and feel that interviews of these individuals would not adversely affect our investigation. However, we feel that with the investigators’ 2-3 week stay, that they would rapidly expand the number of people with whom they would like to speak and this could adversely affect our ongoing investigation.
Bertiss advised that one member of the staff, [name deleted], is working on the list of people they desire to interview and would probably be in contact with ASAC Lawler to get a reading as to what ASAC Lawler feels would be the benefit of interviewing various people.
At this point, ASAC Lawler plans to be courteous and give general answers to any further telephonic
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inquiries from members of this staff.
Request of the Bureau. FBI HQ is requested to somehow ensure that if the Bertis group does arrive in San Francisco that their investigation is narrowly focused.
Armed and dangerous. Suicidal tendencies.
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