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Thorkelson Linked to ‘front’ Group in Defendant’s Statement

April 30, 1940
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A sworn statement by one of the 16 defendants in the seditious conspiracy case was read in court today which quoted William Gerald Bishop, alleged leader of the Christian Front plot as saying that Rep. Jacob Thorkelson (Rep.,Montana) was “an Action Committee man.” Thorkelson has made several anti-Semitic speeches in an out of the House.

The statement, made by Defendant Macklin Boettger, was read in court By FBI Agent Peter J. Wacks. It said: “Bishop at one time stated that he would personally like to put every Jew underground.”

“At one time Bishop stated that the members of the Action Committee, because of their being an integral part of the U.S. Army, would necessarily assist the army in quelling any Communist revolution; that after quelling the Communist revolution they would put Action Committee men in Congress and the Senate.

“He claims that Congressman Thorkelson is already an Action Committee man whom he stumped for in Montana, and he also claims a personal friendship with Senator Reynolds, and also claims he knows Senator Vandenberg very intimately, and that he is on intimate terms with Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana.”

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