This is Part 8 of the mini-series that covers the story of Bobby Baker. This mini-series is part of a larger series covering Billy Sol Estes, Mac Wallace, Bobby Baker and other members of Johnson's Texas inner circle. All of these men were quite intertwined around Johnson at the time of the assassination. They were involved in circumstances that were closing in on Johnson too and that provided him great motive in the killing of the President. The story is extraordinary. Today's episode tells the story of the deal that Bobby Baker brokered to import meat form Haiti to Puerto Rico and he parlayed that into more than a finder's fee...he would gain a 10% profits interest in the Haitian slaughterhouse without any indications as to why the profits interest was granted. And the money would flow long after the initial transaction was done and over with. Sound puzzling to you, well guess who owned that slaughterhouse...the Murchison's of Texas fame. The Senate Rules committee investigated these transactions as part of their hearings in 1963 and 1964 and never got to the bottom of why these transactions were constructed the way they were or what Bobby Baker was supposed to do in return for the profits interest. The characters, setting and details around this story make it a quintessential example of influence peddling at it's finest and that was in essence declared by the Senate committee during their investigation. Rumors of Johnson's involvement in the assassination began to swirl almost immediately after the President's murder and there is a defined school of thought within the JFK assassination research community that staunchly believes in Johnson's involvement. His involvement in both the assassination and its cover up. Join us in one of the most fascinating story tells of the Kennedy assassination and stick around as we will be returning to the Mexico City series right after we complete this min-series that was spawned by the recent release of the Billy Sol Estes and Cliff Carter tape that the two recorded in 1971. Folks, you just can't write this stuff. Even as early as 1964, rumors and serious concerns over the lone gunman theory and the evidence that might contravene it, were becoming a major concern for the government and the commission. Conspiracy theories were contrary to the government's stated narrative from the very beginning. This real-life story is more fascinating than fiction. No matter whether you are a serious researcher or a casual student, you will enjoy the fact filled narrative and story as we relive one of the most shocking moments in American History. An event that changed the nation and changed the world forever.
