The Importance of Victor Marchetti, Forgotten JFK Whistleblower
He predicted the 'modified limited hangout' strategy of the CIA
JFK Files has a fine recap of the unknown but unforgottable story of Victor Marchetti. He was the first high-level JFK whistleblower to emerge from the ranks of the clandestine service.
Marchetti was not an outsider speculating from the margins. He was a career CIA officer who had risen quickly inside Langley, ultimately serving as Special Assistant to the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence. In that role, he had direct exposure to the agency’s inner workings, its methods of deception, and its insulation from accountability. By 1969, disillusioned, he resigned, unable to continue serving an institution he viewed as dangerously unaccountable.
Let me add some more useful detail to this concise summary. In fact, Marchetti was Special Assistant to Deputy Director of Plans Tom Karamessines in 1967-68. Tom K., as he was known to colleagues, was the trusted longtime deputy to Director Richard Helms.
In the words of syndicated columnist Stewart Als…
