Bernard Fensterwald
Encyclopedia
Bernard "Bud" Fensterwald Jr. (2 August 1921 – 2 April 1991) was an American
lawyer
who defended James Earl Ray
and James W. McCord Jr. Other notable clients included Mitch WerBell
, Richard Case Nagell
and the widow of John Paisley
.
. He served in the United States Navy
during World War II
. Fensterwald graduated from Harvard Law School
in 1949. He entered the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
and received an M.A. in 1950.
as an Assistant Legal Advisor. This included defending State Department employees accused by Joseph McCarthy
of being members of the American Communist Party. In 1957 Fensterwald was hired by Thomas C. Hennings as an investigator for the Senate Committee on Constitutional Rights. In the 1960s he was chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee under Senator Edward V. Long
." Fensterwald once implied that Long was being blackmail
ed by the FBI
.
Fensterwald's career and writings are frequently discussed by conspiracy theorists. In 1969, he and Richard E. Sprague founded a private "Committee to Investigate Assassinations," which primarily concerned itself with the Kennedy assassination
. In the late 1970s, he was Congressman Thomas N. Downing
's favorite to become chief counsel for the House Select Committee on Assassinations
but withdrew himself from consideration after objection from Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez
. In 1984, Fensterwald and James Lesar (with whom Fensterwald had represented James Earl Ray
) founded the Assassination and Archives Research Center (AARC).
One of Fensterwald's more notable cases was his unsuccessful defense of Watergate
criminal James McCord. He was also connected to other characters on the fringes of Watergate. John Paisley
, who was the CIA
liaison to the White House Plumbers
, was Fensterwald's friend and neighbor. When Paisley died under suspicious circumstances, his widow hired Fensterwald to investigate. Prior to the Watergate burglaries, both Fensterwald and McCord employed a private investigator named Lou Russell.
Fensterwald died of a heart attack
in Alexandria, Virginia
, aged 69.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who defended James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray was an American criminal convicted of the assassination of civil rights and anti-war activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr....
and James W. McCord Jr. Other notable clients included Mitch WerBell
Mitchell Werbell III
Mitchell Livingston WerBell III, , was an OSS operative, Soldier of Fortune, Paramilitary trainer, firearms engineer, and arms dealer.- Early life and OSS service :...
, Richard Case Nagell
Richard Case Nagell
Richard Case Nagell is a former military officer who, according to Dick Russell's biography of him, claimed to have had foreknowledge of the John F. Kennedy assassination, and also to have gotten himself arrested in a bank shooting weeks before the assassination to avoid becoming a patsy...
and the widow of John Paisley
John Paisley
John Arthur Paisley was an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency and has been linked in later years to both the John F. Kennedy assassination and the Watergate scandal....
.
Early life
Fensterwald was born in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. He served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Fensterwald graduated from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1949. He entered the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies , a division of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C., is one of the world's leading and most prestigious graduate schools devoted to the study of international affairs, economics, diplomacy, and policy research and...
and received an M.A. in 1950.
Legal career
From 1951 to 1956 Fensterwald worked for the State DepartmentUnited States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
as an Assistant Legal Advisor. This included defending State Department employees accused by Joseph McCarthy
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
of being members of the American Communist Party. In 1957 Fensterwald was hired by Thomas C. Hennings as an investigator for the Senate Committee on Constitutional Rights. In the 1960s he was chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee under Senator Edward V. Long
Edward V. Long
Edward Vaughn Long was a United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. He served in the United States Senate from 1960 until 1968....
." Fensterwald once implied that Long was being blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
ed by the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
.
Fensterwald's career and writings are frequently discussed by conspiracy theorists. In 1969, he and Richard E. Sprague founded a private "Committee to Investigate Assassinations," which primarily concerned itself with the Kennedy assassination
John F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
. In the late 1970s, he was Congressman Thomas N. Downing
Thomas N. Downing
Thomas Nelms Downing was a lawyer, politician, and Democratic Congressman from for nine terms.Downing was born and raised in Newport News, Virginia. He attended Newport News High School, and graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1940...
's favorite to become chief counsel for the House Select Committee on Assassinations
United States House Select Committee on Assassinations
The United States House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations ' was established in 1976 to investigate the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. and the shooting of Governor George Wallace. The Committee investigated until 1978, and in 1979 issued its final...
but withdrew himself from consideration after objection from Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez
Henry B. Gonzalez
Henry Barbosa González was a Democratic politician from the state of Texas. He represented Texas's 20th congressional district from 1961 to 1999.-Background:...
. In 1984, Fensterwald and James Lesar (with whom Fensterwald had represented James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray was an American criminal convicted of the assassination of civil rights and anti-war activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr....
) founded the Assassination and Archives Research Center (AARC).
One of Fensterwald's more notable cases was his unsuccessful defense of Watergate
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
criminal James McCord. He was also connected to other characters on the fringes of Watergate. John Paisley
John Paisley
John Arthur Paisley was an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency and has been linked in later years to both the John F. Kennedy assassination and the Watergate scandal....
, who was the CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
liaison to the White House Plumbers
White House Plumbers
The White House Plumbers, sometimes simply called the Plumbers, were a covert White House Special Investigations Unit established July 24, 1971 during the presidency of Richard Nixon. Its task was to stop the leaking of classified information to the news media...
, was Fensterwald's friend and neighbor. When Paisley died under suspicious circumstances, his widow hired Fensterwald to investigate. Prior to the Watergate burglaries, both Fensterwald and McCord employed a private investigator named Lou Russell.
Fensterwald died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, aged 69.