Serial 2137

Hearst Newspapers
Suite 510
1701 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20006

March 26, 1979

Dear Director [William] Webster:

Mrs. Clare B. Bouquet of San Mateo, Calif., sent me a copy of her March 20th letter to you regarding my story referring to your remarks about the Peoples Temple at the George Washington Law Association luncheon on March 7.

The letter is essentially correct. But it does not make clear that my story contained no implication that you had mentioned her name. On the contrary, it contained the sentence: “Webster said only that the woman was from Sen. Hayakawa’s district.”

Mrs. Bouquet’s name was given to me by Sen. Hayakawa’s administrative assistant, Eugene Prat, after a check of district offices found her to be the only case they were aware of that might have been investigated by the FBI.

I simply want to clarify that point and to apologize for any embarrassment the reference may have caused to you.

I agree with Mrs. Bouquet that the federal government’s role in the entire People’s Temple matter remains unclear. If I can be helpful in that context I most sincerely hope you will call on me.

/Signed/ Thomas Eastham
Thomas Eastham

Editor’s note: [Pages 2 through 4 consist of a copy of the letter from Clare Bouquet – and of the envelope in which the letter was mailed – located at pages 2 through 4 of Serial 2022.]