A document recently released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reveals the intricate details of a clemency request for John Factor, also known as “Jack Factor,” “Jake Factor,” “J. Franklyn,” and infamously “Jake the Barber,” who was pardoned by President John F. Kennedy in December 1962. The document is a letter of advice from the Attorney General to the President, discussing the merits and background of Factor’s pardon application. John Factor, convicted in 1942 for orchestrating a complex mail fraud scheme involving whisky warehouse receipts, served a 10-year sentence and was released on parole in 1949. The document enclosed…
Author: John Greenewald
The declassified FBI document “Terrorism — Its Tactics and Techniques,” dated January 12, 1973, provides an analytical overview of the methods employed by terrorists during that period. The document, prepared for a National Symposium on Terrorism, draws from public sources and information provided by foreign police contacts to aid law enforcement in combating political violence. It outlines the primary tactics of terrorists, which include hijackings, kidnappings, murders, assassinations, massacres, and bombings. The document emphasizes the imitative nature of terrorist activities, where methods used in one region are quickly adopted in others. It also distinguishes between political terrorists, who have specific…
On November 9, 2023, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks issued the following statement about the departure of All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick: All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick announced that he will retire from federal service in December. During his distinguished 27-year career of public service in the Department of Defense and the United States Intelligence Community, and since assuming leadership of AARO, Dr. Kirkpatrick has served the American people with honesty and integrity, tackling an incredibly difficult mission to explain the unknown. During his tenure, Dr. Kirkpatrick stood up the office…
In May of 2017, a FOIA request was filed by The Black Vault, seeking all emails sent to and from Andrew G. McCabe containing the keyword “Comey” (referring to James Comey) from May 1, 2017, until the date of the request’s processing. That date has not been confirmed, as of yet, but is likely the beginning of 2018. The timeframe of May 2017 stands as a particularly significant period in both FBI history and the broader narrative of American politics, marked by President Trump’s dismissal of James Comey as FBI Director on May 9, 2017. The letter from President Trump…
Background Operation Highjump, officially known as The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946–1947, was a significant United States Navy mission initiated shortly after World War II. The primary objective was to establish the Antarctic research base Little America IV. This operation, also referred to as Task Force 68, commenced on August 26, 1946, and concluded in late February 1947. The expedition was a monumental effort involving 4,700 personnel, 13 ships, and a fleet of aircraft which included 33 planes. It was overseen by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd and represented the largest sea and air operation in Antarctica up…