BOB VERNON STATEMENT ON ED EPSTEIN AND JAMES FILES
Read Wim Dankbaar’s opinion on Epstein here
QUOTE
In brief, NBC retained me as a consultant for their planned story on Files. I hired the detective firm of Jules Kroll. JK established from telephone records Files was in Chicago, not Dallas, on November 22,1963. We then placed a call to Files from Dick Clark’s office (DC was producer), and I interviewed Files about Kroll findings. He said he had a twin brother, who no one knew about, and whom he met shortly before November 22, and who he murdered after November 22. He said it was his twin brother in hospital with his wife, not him. His wife, however, said there was no twin, and Kroll confirmed there was no twin. My view then and now is that Files invented the story for the money it would earn him.
Ed Epstein
UNQUOTE
Please allow me to be specific on a point to point basis:
Epstein: In brief, NBC retained me as a consultant for their planned story on Files.
Vernon: To my knowledge this is true however I do not believe it. When I was informed, by Dick Clark, personally, that NBC had a consultant coming in and Dick told me the consultant’s name was Epstein, I immediately went to my office on the second floor of dick clark productions in Burbank, California and I called five of, in my humble opinion, the top JFK researchers: Prof. Josiah Thompson, Prof. Peter Dale Scott, Former CIA case officer John R. Stockwell, Gary Shaw and, last but certainly not least, Jim Marrs. All five men, let me repeat that….ALL FIVE MEN…..told me that Epstein was CIA and was being sent in to kill our program on NBC. Prof. Thompson remarked that the Kroll Agency was filled with “bureaucrats” (his exact words) and he chuckled. I was further informed that Epstein didn’t touch his typewriter for less than $500,000, not only was he CIA but he married a CIA agent (I have no knowledge of Epstein’s wife, if any, at all), and that he was on his way to see DeMorenschilt (sic) when DeMorenschilit committed “suicide.” I immediately ran back downstairs to inform Dick and Barry Adelman (Executive VP of dcp) what I had found out about Epstein. Dick and Barry listened and thought about what I said. Dick’s final executive decision was that we do whatever NBC asks in order to satisfy them. A day or so later, perhaps more, Epstein showed up with an NBC lawyer named Marge or Margie. Our first meeting was very cordial. We met in Dick Clark’s conference room at a table underneath Elvis Presley’s jeweled white cape hanging on the wall, next to John Lennon’s and Elton John’s shoes in a glass case. I was asked to show Epstein all of our findings and I did. I answered all his questions in a clear, direct manner, no adjectives, no adverbs. Lunch was sent in. Epstein had ordered a chicken salad. During the course of the meal, Epstein got choked on a chicken bone from the salad. I was sitting next to him and observed him start to spit and gag. His face became slightly discolored. I slapped him on the back and the chicken bone dislodged from his throat. He appeared grateful and thanked me.
EPSTEIN: I hired the detective firm of Jules Kroll.
VERNON: I do not know who hired Kroll. They just appeared. I do know that we (being dcp, Truth, Truth, Truth, Inc. and Bob Vernon) paid Kroll’s fee for it was deducted from our advance from MPI and sent back to NBC as an imbursement…or at least that is what I was told.
EPSTEIN: JK established from telephone records Files was in Chicago, not Dallas, on November 22, 1963.
VERNON: This is an outright lie by Epstein. The final WRITTEN opinion from the Kroll Agency was that Kroll found “NO OTHER PLACE” that James Files was on 11/22/63. Repeat: THIS IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE BY EPSTEIN.
EPSTEIN: We then placed a call to Files from Dick Clark’s office (DC was producer), and I interviewed Files about Kroll findings.
VERNON: I do not recall Epstein interviewing James Files, at least, not when I was present and I was the only one who could get Files on the phone for I had a personal clearance from the Warden. I do know that several of Epstein’s questions regarding James Files were asked directly to Mr. Files by Barry Adelman and myself from Barry’s office. The answers provided were given directly to Epstein and/or the lady lawyer from NBC. I do not recall Epstein interviewing Files.
EPSTEIN: He (James Files) said he had a twin brother, who no one knew about, and whom he met shortly before November 22, and who he murdered after November 22. He said it was his twin brother in hospital with his wife, not him. His wife, however, said there was no twin, and Kroll confirmed there was no twin.
VERNON: This is an outright lie by Epstein. James Files never stated that he had a “twin brother”. This is an outright lie by Epstein. The story of Files having a twin brother was fabricated by Files’ daughter, ex-wife, a Priest and a mob lawyer in Chicago to try to disillusion NBC, or anyone for that matter, and make Files not believable. It was a nice try but it didn’t work. Houston criminal attorney Don Ervin immediately recognized it as a lie and told me specifically that is was a fabrication and that the old mob lawyer was part of it….before I knew the truth about the matter, I might add. This also caused me to break a promise to James Files and that was I was not to go “into his family” for any reason. The same afternoon I became of aware of the “twin brother story”…I spoke personally with James Files’ father, half brother (a minister) and his mother’s sister, who literally raised Files. I knew almost immediately that there was no twin brother. I also spoke to Files. I told him what I knew and he told me the truth…that the story HAD been fabricated by the wife/daughter, Priest and lawyer and that he had called his ex-wife and she came to the prison at his request. She told Files that she still loved him and that she was trying to protect him over the JFK assassination. Files told her that if she was to be called in front of a grand jury to tell the truth for he did not want to see her go to jail. I asked Files if he would also tell the people at dick clark productions the truth about the matter. He said he would. I called for my car and driver and arrived at Dick’s office within 10 minutes or so. Barry Adelman and I called James Files. Files told Barry exactly what he had told me less than a half hour earlier. The phone call was recorded, with Files permission, and it is in the evidence. At no time did James Files EVER say he had a twin brother. Kroll confirmed nothing. Repeat: THIS IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE BY EPSTEIN.
EPSTEIN: My view then and now is that Files invented the story for the money it would earn him.
VERNON: James Files has never asked us for one single penny nor have we ever given James Files any money. The night before Epstein left Los Angleles, I called him at his hotel. I asked him why NBC cancelled our program. Epstein told me that it was because we had received “too much press” (his exact words) and he cited a small article in the Beaumont Enterprise. I asked if he realized that on Easter Sunday, 15,000 people MIGHT read the Beaumont Enterprise and Epstein told me he had to pack for he was leaving early. I told him we will meet again.
A few months later, Mike Cochran of the Associated Press (now retired) called me to tell me that the New York Post had written a piece on us. I knew nothing about it and called my New York attorney and had her acquire the article. The Post had run a huge piece on their infamous “PAGE 6” gossip page, featuring Epstein, and the piece was filled with lies and blatant misrepresentations. I called the reporter, Richard Johnson. I talked to him like a yard dog. I was furious. How could some hack reporter do an article on James Files and not contact me, the producer, for my input? It doesn’t happen.
Of particular interest to me was the article featured quotes from Epstein and Epstein had signed a confidentiality agreement with NBC, as we did. Oh well……
The conclusion is clear and very simple: Epstein is CIA and he killed our program.
Now, ask yourself one question: Why? If our program was NOT TRUE, what does it matter? No one ever tried to stop Nigel Turner or Oliver Stone or Mark Lane….they told their stories….they presented their views…….why stop the story of James Files?
So I now have experienced the full blunt force of the CIA disinfo machine. They call it “Damage Control.”
Hind sight is always 20/20. I should never have slapped Epstein on the back and dislodged the chicken bone from his throat.
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Robert G. Vernon
