Trail of Destruction, Pt. 9: The CIA Burns Tens of Thousands of Ex-Spymaster's Files

Over 99% of the records of James Angleton, controller of the Oswald file, are reduced to shreds and ashes

[Editor’s Note: This is the ninth installment in the JFK Facts series, “Trail of Destruction.” New installments will appear every Wednesday.]

James Jesus Angleton, CIA counterintelligence chief from 1954 to 1974, speaks to reporters outside his Arlington, Virginia, home on Christmas Eve following his resignation (Credit: ABC News/Hezakya Newz & Films YouTube Channel)

A Cold Warrior Gets the Boot

In last week’s installment in the “Trail of Destruction” series, JFK Facts touched on the ouster of James Angleton as chief of the Counterintelligence Staff of the CIA at the end of 1974. Angleton had occupied the post for 20 years, and CIA Director William Colby, fearing Angleton might go so far as to take his own life if forced out after so long, tried to ease the veteran spymaster out gently by offering him a job as a consultant to the agency.

But Angleton dug in his heels and refused to budge.

Finally, when investigative reporter Seymour Hersh published a front-page article in the New York Times on Dec. 22, 1974, detailing illegal operations Angleton had been running in the U.S. against American citizens, Colby had the excuse he needed to fire him.