</s>180-10131-10325 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 JFK Assassination : System Date: 10/19/20 Identification form Agency Inform ion AGENCY : HSCA RECORD NUMBER : HSCA 180-1031-1035 RECORD SERIES : SECURITY CLASSIFIED TESTIMONY AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 014725 AGENCY FILENUMBER : SECURITYCLASSIFIED TESTIMONY Document Info mation ORIGINATOR : HSCa FROM: TO: TOVAR, BERNARD HUGH Document Info mention TITLE: DEPOSITION OF BERNARO HUGH HUCH H TOVAR .. DATE: 06/29/1978 PAGES: 48 SUBJECTS: GIA, METHODOLOGY TOVar, BENNARD HUGH, TESTIMONEY BEFORE THE COMMITTEE OSWALD, LEE, RUSSIAN PERIO 3, DEFECTION TO RUSSIA DOCUMENT TYPE: CLASSIFICATION : TRANSCRIPT ASSIFICATION: Top Secret 3 RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT REVIEW: Redact DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 03/26/1997 DATE of LAST REW: OPENING CRITERIA: COMMENTS: Box 5 v9.1 NW 48331 DocId: 322777210 Page 1 1

Summary  
The text details a deposition transcript from June 29, 1978, involving Bernard Hugh Tovar, a former CIA Chief of the Counterintelligence (CI) Staff, discussing procedures for handling returning defectors and intelligence file management. Tovar addresses discrepancies in a CIA memorandum (No. 1817) regarding debriefing practices for individuals defecting to the USSR between 1959 and 1963, noting that only ten of 117 listed defectors were explicitly debriefed. He clarifies that the CIA historically relied on the FBI for such cases unless counterintelligence concerns arose. The discussion also references Lee Harvey Oswald’s return to the U.S. from the USSR in 1962, with Tovar stating the FBI would assess his potential as a threat. Additional topics include the handling of "201 files," which are individual records containing biographical and operational data, and the role of the Domestic Contact Division (DCD) in managing voluntary contacts with returning Americans. The CIA’s CI Staff typically does not open 201 files, which are initiated by field stations or other divisions. The conversation also touches on post-retirement file management, the status of James Angleton’s departure from the CI Staff, and analytical work on the Nosenko issue, including references to the Hart Report.  

Key People  
- Bernard Hugh Tovar: Former CIA Chief of the Counterintelligence Staff.  
- Michael Goldsmith: Staff Counsel for the HSCA Subcommittee on Assassinations.  
- James Angleton: Former CIA official referenced in discussions about CI/SIG operations.  
- M. Nosenko: Defector whose credibility was analyzed in relation to Oswald’s activities.  

Key Locations  
- Washington, D.C.: Site of the HSCA Subcommittee meeting and deposition proceedings.  
- Soviet Union: Context for Oswald’s defection and related intelligence matters.  

Key Events  
- Deposition of Bernard Hugh Tovar before the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) Subcommittee on Assassinations (June 29, 1978).  
- Review of CIA memorandum No. 1817 regarding debriefing procedures for defectors.  
- Discussion of discrepancies in defector lists and CIA/FBI responsibilities.  
- Examination of "201 file" creation, management, and criteria for opening restricted files.  
- Analysis of M. Nosenko’s credibility and its impact on assessments of Lee Harvey Oswald as a bona fide defector.  

Key Organizations  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): Responsible for counterintelligence operations, 201 file management, and policy discussions.  
- House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA): Conducted the inquiry into JFK’s assassination, including related foreign intelligence matters.  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Handled assessments of potential counterintelligence threats, such as Lee Harvey Oswald.  
- Domestic Contact Division (DCD): Managed voluntary contacts with returning Americans, including defectors.  
- Inter-Agency Source Registry (ISR): Used to track government interest in individuals.  
- U.S. Army Intelligence: Mentioned in context of analytical work on the Nosenko issue.

JFK Declassified Files

180-10131-10325.pdf

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