Abraham Bolden, the man famously referred to as “Jackie Robinson” by John F. Kennedy, testified before a Congressional Committee on Tuesday. He recounted a plot in Chicago aimed at assassinating the president before the Dallas incident in 1963, where it was alleged that fellow agents were often under the influence while on duty.
Bolden, now 90, spoke slowly and with difficulty via Zoom from his home in Chicago, addressing the oversight and Government Reform Committee tasked with investigating Kennedy’s assassination.
However, as Bolden began his testimony, the audio was abruptly cut, effectively silencing him during the live feed.
“On June 6, 1961, I stepped into history,” he stated, recalling his assignment to protect the president in Washington, D.C. “I have never met anyone more human and just than President Kennedy.”
The Trump administration recently released a trove of previously classified documents related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Bolden has previously claimed that he had been arrested because he aimed to prevent government agents from communicating with the Federal Warren Commission investigating the Dallas shooting on November 22, 1963.
The committee also heard from Don Curtis, a doctor from Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, who was among those trying to save Kennedy’s life. He pointed out that the Warren Committee never interviewed him or other doctors, and he noted discrepancies between the bullet wounds he assessed and the gunman’s account provided by the Committee.
Four additional witnesses offered testimony during the second hearing of the Federal Secret Declassification Task Force, overseen by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FLA).
Douglas Horn, a former member of the Assassination Record Review Staff, mentioned that important documents, including medical records and autopsy photos, were unaccounted for.
Bolden, who was the first Black member of the Secret Service, was personally hired by Kennedy for his team. He first met the president during a visit to Chicago in 1961, where he guarded the basement at McCormick Place Banquet Hall.
“He was serious about providing equal opportunities for everyone,” said Bolden of Kennedy. “He never passed by me once without engaging in conversation.”
In his 2008 book, “Dealey Plaza’s Echo,” Bolden detailed his experiences and the racism he faced from fellow agents. He testified about a heated meeting in 1963 involving Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon Johnson, during which Johnson expressed frustrations about Kennedy’s re-election campaign.
Bolden recounted hearing about a threat to Kennedy during a staff meeting, referencing attempts to assassinate the president with a powerful rifle at an Army Air Force football game in Chicago.
“I learned about this every Wednesday morning during our agency updates,” he mentioned in an interview.
In 1964, Bolden was dismissed from the Secret Service after being accused of attempting to sell government secrets for a hefty sum. He denied the charges, claiming he was framed for trying to expose corruption within the agency. His first trial resulted in a hung jury, but he was convicted during a second trial and sentenced to 15 years.
Bolden spent 39 months in federal prison and was on probation for an additional two and a half years. While incarcerated, he was visited by Mark Lane, an attorney who had written about the Kennedy assassination and believed Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
Bolden recounted being given medication by guards and being moved to a mental health facility, alleging attempts to silence him with drugs.
He received a pardon from President Biden in 2022.
“Justice often takes time,” he remarked to the committee, expressing his gratitude for the pardon. “My brothers and sisters, keep conducting this research. I am truly thankful for this opportunity to share my story. The truth must prevail.”
