[Editor’s notes: This report was transcribed by Heather Shannon. The editors are grateful for her invaluable assistance.
[This report appears in two different places in the FBI’s FOIA release, neither of which are complete, but which combine for a complete document presented below. RYMUR 89-4286-B-4-c (69) – c (71) comprise pages 1, 4 and 5; RYMUR 89-4286-c-7-g-2a – 2d comprise pages 2 through 5.
[This document retains its original spellings throughout, with corrections made only when the meaning may otherwise be unclear. In addition, where known, we have added first or last names in brackets to those identified by a single name. It should be noted that a number of names have not been annotated. The name is either unknown, there may be more than one person with that name or – most often the case – the name is in code.]
B-4 c (69)
Law Office Report #35
July [Handwriting: July crossed out, “June 30” written], 1978
page 1
from June
1. Roosevelt Turner – escrow instructions on sale of his property. Attached to this report are original escrow instructions which are to be read and explained to Roosevelt Turner concerning the sale of his property. Also attached is Individual Grant Deed which grants title of the property to the new owners. PLEASE NOTE: The Grant Deed MUST be notarized. I realize this is difficult; but it is required for the sale. The last batch of mail I received contained some helpful if you could somehow manage the same with this one. PLEASE RETURN TO ME IN THE MAIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE the signed escrow instructions and the signed and notarized Grant Deed. The sale cannot be closed until we received these papers back completed.
2. Vincent Lopez – see report #34. Attached is letter from Jim Herndon specifying what he wants in Chet’s affidavit. He wants this back from Chet as soon as possible. [Editor’s note: Letter not attached.]
3. Cynthia Pursley – we have talked to her mom, who tells us that her divorce order includes the stipulation that the minor is not to be taken out of the state of California without the husband’s permission. The order was obtained when Cynthia was still a child; there is the fact now that Cynthia is no longer a child but is regarded as mentally incompetent. We have yet to obtain a copy of the divorce order as Marilyn [Pursley] became quite upset and threw a tantrum when Jenny told her she could not go over for at least 3 weeks more.
Before the tantrum happened, Marilyn was in the process of getting a signed consent from the husband. I talked with her on the phone before she was told by Jenny about not going, and she said that the husband had never actually enforced those terms of the order; in the beginning when she used to go on trips to Mexico she would tell him ahead of time but after awhile [a while] he told her not to bother, just go ahead. She seemed to feel that the same would apply over here, that he would agree and not worry about Cynthia going over. The case is different obviously since Cynthia would remain and she would not. This case will require some more work; I want to get a copy of the divorce order and show it to Jim Herndon and find out if there is any problem with the sisters over there taking over for Marily[n] in re custody if there is anything in the divorce order which because of the question of mental incompetence extends the interest of the natural dad past the age of 21 of Cynthia.
4. Serena Hunt – see law office report #20, dated 2/28/78, item 1. Attached is a copy of that report in case you dont have it. The current status is that the convalescent hospital in which she was placed no longer will accept Medi-Cal patients. That issue is being fought in the courts in a class action by Public Advocates, and we have received the attached letter re the case from PA. We have this week received the attached letter from Serena’s worker at Social Services. The problem with this case is that Serena’s property is now in Tony’s name. All of it. Jack Beam is the attorney in fact. The deeds are recorded. This could be a very touchy situation and when Baker was still with us he did a title check in Mendocino County on all properties in Tony’s name and knows how to do that again. If he is gathering together his facts in the miniscule meticulous way he used to, being obsess d with details as he always was, he’s likely to bring this one to light. This property still being in Tony’s name worries me. We can always tell the worker Rheavina [Rheaviana Beam] is no longer around, or just mail the
c-7-g-2a
Law office report #35,
June 30, 1978
page 2
from June
letters that come back in, marked returned to sender, unknown here. But the potential PR implications of the property status of this case are not good.
5. Jack Barron’s pension – please have Jack sign the attached Pension Trust form and return it to me in the mail.
6. Attached is Los Angeles Channel 2 TV’s response to our mailgrams.
7. Dolores Wilson – She was supposed to come over this summer. Her sons are over there. She is completing her thesis to get her masters degree in education. She has a little girl, about a year and a half old, unrelated, who she wants to adopt. The child’s mother was murdered, the child was found besides the body, in the blood surrounding it. She was so traumatized by the event that for a long time afterwards she would not speak. Her dad realized he could not handle the child and asked Dolores to take care for her. Dolores worked with her and now the child speaks and behaves normally. The child stays with Dolores. Charles Garry talked with Dolores and dad, who insisted on coming to the interview and has been shown reluctance lately for Dolores to adopt the child. Charles said he did not think that the child should be considered for adoption, that it would not be necessary and that instead the dad could just sign a consent, which he had him do. See attached.
However, it appears that the dad is not too hot on giving up the child for adoption and he insists that the child keep his name and not take Wilson for surname. He wants the child to go over with Dolores, thinks maybe someday in the future he could come visit the child. I do not think Dolores would leave this child here.
Under the circumstances, since she is needed there and since she already has sons there, do you think we should rely on the consent already obtained from the dad? Leona [Collier] and I discussed the possibility of Dolores going to another lawyer and trying for adoption; the problem with that is that the dad was present when Charles said adoption was not necessary. Charles did his usual PR job and won over the dad. For Dolores to go to another attorney might cause more dissatisfaction on the dad’s part than we would want – and provoke unnecessarily.
8. Berda Johnson – Have received attached regarding bill that is not being paid. Have warned Kris Kice to watch for possible process server at 998 Divisadero, which is where the letter was directed. No one there to tell process server where Berda might be. Though that is not entirely controllable situation, people will say what they want to say. This is for your information; no action necessary unless you think so.
[Editor’s note: The names in this paragraph seem to be in code.]
9. Transfer of property to Pete – apparently we got our directions crossed up or something, because we thought (Jean and I) that we were told this weekend to immediately get the parcels transferred to Pete. He was agreeable and the Alvarado Terrace and Berda’s acreage were recorded Monday and Dr. Bedford. We now have to wait for Pete to come back from seminar down south where he is speaking for several days before we can go into the process of transferring title back to Tony. This is awkward as he is touchy about fees now already and the transfer offered some credibility; he recognized it as a safety factor and not something that would be acted on but I do think that there was the practical assumption on his part that if we do not come through with legal fees, they can always retain title and get security that way.
c-7-g-2b
Law office report #35,
June 30, 1978
page 3
from June
Also our backtracking just days after we went to him in a state of frantic panic when we were under the gun from FCC and couldn’t get him to agree that his statements about the Bibles were corroborating with Olga’s to Kelly. He sees us as operating always on a panic level, in defense against Baker and always harps on the need to take the offensive, not be so alarmist about things. He does not realize our basic strategy of acting before the fact, i.e. alerting press, etc. So when we change our instructions like this, it causes him more trouble… and the most important factor – it causes him to lose face with his partnership, with whom he had to discuss the whole issue of accepting title for security. I am not agreeing with him, I am explaining this to you folks; I do understand the necessity for keeping title to the places and just working with Dr. Bedford faster. However, the above is informational.
10. Truth E. [Enterprises] – this is what I tried to explain on the radio: we have 3 problems with Truth. The first is that we’ve received the attached series of letters from IRS, ending with the latest asking for us to come in and talk, but not saying about what. Walter is in the process of contacting IRS and finding out what it’s all about. The second is that when Harold was here, he and Tish [Leroy] apparently had discussed the fact of including the computation of a San Francisco tax figure into the quarterly Board of Equalization reports filed on Truth. This was because the business was conducted primarily in the City; the use permit comes out of Mendocino County; the directions were not to transfer the permit since that would cause problems; Harold said just before he went over to include the SF BART tax, which is the add on of 1/2 of 1%, to cover ourselves for the eventuality when the Board might question our operating in SF. Well, this was done, and now they sent the attached letter asking why we have been figuring this in our quarterly reports. Walter advised us just to answer that some business was conducted in SF and that is why the % was added in. We asked him if this was the Board’s way of formally starting an inquiry into whether we were operating full-time in SF. He disagreed. Before we write this letter, we are asking your advice whether to do it. Our next quarterly report is due around the first part of July for the past 3 months; we would like to send the letter out with the report.
Finally, there seems to be an assumption over there on Chet and Tish’s part that we’ve gone ahead and transferred Truth to Tony. We only put the printing equipment on Tony’s insurance policy. The phasing out of Truth was not done because we kept getting more income producing, obviously not church related, printing business, and we are still waiting for Walter’s analysis re the impact of printing political literature under church corp. As long as we keep the printing corp under Truths, then we understand we can continue printing political posters, books like Mary W.’s, stuff like that. If we lapse Truth and go to Tony, we are restricted by content. Obviously, this may all be irrelevant if we are to move the printing equipment out – but as of now, we’ve done nothing to transfer the corp to Tony.
B-4 c (70)
Law Office Report #35
page 4
[Handwriting: “6/30/78”]
from June
11. Childrens Concession Stand bank account – Harold discovered before he went over there had been no activity in this Ukiah account since 1972, but that there was a balance in it of $354.41; no one here knows the signators on this account. We cant withdraw til we know who signs the checks. We have the checkbook; [text xx’d out] the bank wont tell us who is the signatorg …any suggestions?
12. Eugenia Gernandt – letter received re her car accident – should we go ahead with this?
13. Medlock suit – copy of complaint. Jean [Brown] may have already sent you this.
14. Corporate Bylaws – for several weeks we called and talked with Dr. South, who asked for copies of our articles & bylaws – that was when we were worried about Dr. Hargrave being honorary chairman, and attachment of assets, and extent of powers of voting members, etc. Dr. South and assistants examined our papers and produced the attached opinion – giving suggestions to put the bylaws in order, etc. This letter should be read by Cheryl and Chet to see if they think we should authorize Dr. South to go ahead with what he wants to do. He supplied the opinion at our request; the natural order of things would be that he would wait for our request or direction before going into changing the bylaws, etc. I expect we will get another bill now that the work has been put into a final product. NOTE: have found original typed minutes, with handwritten notes added by Dr. Hargrave, which describe how he prepared the original bylaws. We did not know on this end for sure if he had; now we do. Copies go to Pete tomorrow.
15. Attached is copy of letter from our attorney directed to the FCC in re the problems 8R3 had with net coordinator, which is self explanatory. Also see attached article Tom found re amatuer radio license [Editor’s note: Article not attached.]
16. Please have Gloria Walker write a letter to her bank requesting closing of her account. See attached bank statement. She is being billed for service charges; balance now is $3.50….
17. We have received attached letter from a Dr. Bonham regarding dental work performed for Selika B. [Bordenave] Attached letters to it explain the whole situation in detail. Dr. Bonham appears to be sympathetic to Selika’s problem. The awkward part for us is that of course we do not want to pay.
18. Carolyn Thomas left 2 student loan bills: both with Bank of America; one for $834.59; the other $1,141.74. We are not paying. Is this OK?
19. Reta Thomas – See law office report #23, item 11. When I last asked about this one, Mildred [Terri Buford] told me to get more info re the terms of her probation. She is on probation til May 1979; charge is grand theft, as an accomplice, was reduced to misdemeanor. She mails in monthly info slip to probation officer, has to tell him of address changes, any current arrests, and employment standing. Says she has a good probation record; has no arrest since probation started, worked 3
B-4 c (71)
Law Office Report #35
page 5
[Handwriting: “6/30/78”]
from June
weeks in Dec 77 at Macys; attended Bay City College for 3 months studying to be medical lab assistant; did not complete yet because government grant has not come through yet. Also taking typeing and business machine class. One of the terms of herprobation is that if she is picked up and charged with anything, she will get automatic 6 months to oneyear in County jail, She still does not come too regularly; does not work in church projects; has a fairly friendly attitude when you talk to her but doesnt volunteer for anything. Perhaps someone there might talk to Carolyn and find out how she feels about her sister. Whether it’s worth the pressure and trouble on the processing over there to try to get her probation assigned to G. Frankly, right now, our p.r. is so lousy, I am hesitant to do that for anyone.
20. Attached is letter from Geraldine Bailey’s attorney to her – this should be given to her – and followed through. [Editor’s note: Letter not attached.]