Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Imaginary FPCC Chapter and Fabricated Claims

Oswald’s “organization” was a product of his imagination. The nonexistent New Orleans chapter’s imaginary president was named A. J. Hidell—the same name Oswald used when purchasing the assassination weapon. Marina Oswald testified that she signed the name “Hidell,” apparently chosen because it rhymed with “Fidel,” on her husband’s FPCC membership card, claiming he threatened to beat her if she refused. The chapter was never chartered by the national FPCC organization, and despite Oswald’s statements to New Orleans police that it had 35 members with five typically attending monthly meetings, it was a solitary operation.

Exaggerated Letters to FPCC Director V.T. Lee

Oswald’s letters to FPCC national director V. T. Lee were misleading and sometimes untruthful, reflecting his reluctance to describe events accurately and his need to present himself in a more favorable light. In an August 1, 1963 letter, Oswald claimed an office he had previously said he rented was “promptly closed 3 days later,” asserted that “thousands of circulars were distributed,” and described receiving inquiries through his post office box that he endeavored to answer. He attributed his lack of support to an attack by Cuban exiles in a street demonstration and being “officially cautioned” by the police, which he said “robbed me of what support I had leaving me alone.”

No Evidence Supporting Oswald’s FPCC Claims

The Commission found no evidence supporting Oswald’s claims. No one was found to have attacked any street demonstration in which Oswald was involved prior to the Bringuier incident, which occurred eight days after his August 1 letter. Bringuier was unaware of any such incident, and police reports reflected no Oswald activity before August 9, 1963, except the uneventful Dumaine Street wharf literature distribution in June. The 544 Camp Street address stamped on some of Oswald’s literature could not be connected to him; an anti-Castro organization had occupied those offices until early 1962. There was no basis for his claim of distributing “thousands” of circulars, since he had printed only 1,000 of the claimed 2,000, and no evidence of substantial material support from FPCC national headquarters.