Remington denies he was a communist spy: 1948
William Remington, a Commerce Department employee, testifies before the Senate Investigating Subcommittee July 31, f948 on charges he passed valuable wartime secrets to the Soviet Union.
He denied the allegations. However he was suspended from duty but cleared of the charges.
However, in 1950 he was brought up on criminal perjury charges for denying he had ever been a member of a communist organization, convicted and, after two trials, sent to prison where he was murdered for his alleged communist sympathies.
Remington was as an economist at the U.S. Commerce Department and other federal agencies over a 15 year period. He was investigated numerous times for alleged communist ties, tried twice for perjury and sent to jail where he was murdered.
In college, he became active with members of the Young Communist League, and later the Communist Party of the United States. In testimony, Remington stated that while he was a Republican when he entered college, he “moved left quite rapidly”; and became a radical but was never a Communist Party or Young Communist League member at Dartmouth.
Whether or not he ever officially joined the party later became a point of contention in his legal battles.
He was first investigated in 1941 where he admitted having been active in Communist-allied groups such as the American Peace Mobilization, but denied any sympathy with communism and swore under oath that he was not and had never been a member of the Communist Party. His security clearance was granted.
In March 1942 and continuing for two years, Remington had occasional meetings with Elizabeth Bentley at which he passed her information. Bentley was a spy for the Soviet Union.
This material included data on airplane production and other matters concerning the aircraft industry, as well as some information on an experimental process for manufacturing synthetic rubber. Remington later claimed that he was unaware that Bentley was connected with the Communist Party, that he believed she was a journalist and researcher, and that the information he gave her was not secret.
Fearing the FBI was closing in on her, Bentley became an informant for the government in 1945 and named Remington as one of her sources of information.
In 1947, Remington was interviewed by the FBI and also questioned before a federal grand jury in New York City about the information he had given to Elizabeth Bentley. He testified that no secret information was involved, and the issue seemed to end there.
In an apparent attempt to bolster belief in his innocence, Remington became an anti-communist informer from this time and for the following year. He sent the FBI information on over fifty people, only four of whom were connected with his own case.
Most of those he named he had never met. He accused them of being Communists, isolationists, Negro nationalists, or “extreme liberals.”; He also verbally attacked his wife Ann, from whom he was now estranged, and his mother-in-law Elizabeth Moos, both avowed Communists.
Another loyalty investigation of Remington was opened early in 1948, and in June, he was relieved of his duties pending the findings of that investigation. In July of that year, the New York World-Telegram published a series of articles about Elizabeth Bentley, and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations opened hearings to investigate her charges.
At these hearings, Bentley made her accusations against Remington public and Remington in turn denied them. The Washington Post called him “a boob...who was duped by clever Communist agents.”
At his loyalty review hearings, Remington downplayed his earlier connections with Communist and leftist organizations and claimed that his wife's adherence to Communist doctrine was the reason for the end of their marriage.
While testifying before the Senate, Bentley was protected from libel suits. When she repeated her charge that Remington was a Communist on NBC Radio's Meet the Press, he sued her and NBC for libel.
The Loyalty Review Board noted that the only serious evidence against Remington was “the uncorroborated statement of a woman who refuses to submit herself to cross-examination,”; and cleared Remington to return to his government post (photo above). The libel suit was settled out of court shortly thereafter, with NBC paying Remington $10,000.
In 1950, the FBI and the federal grand jury in New York City reopened their investigations of Remington and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) opened a third.
Ann Remington, now divorced from him, was subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury. Initially reluctant, she testified that her husband had been a dues-paying member of the Communist Party, and that he had given secret information to Elizabeth Bentley while knowing that Bentley was a Communist.
The grand jury decided to indict Remington for committing perjury when he denied ever being a member of the Communist Party.
Remington was convicted at trial, but it was revealed that the jury foreman had a personal relationship with Elizabeth Bentley and had agreed to co-author a book with her.
He was found guilty of perjury and sentenced to five years in prison. His conviction was overturned on appeal for “judicial improprieties” and unclear instructions from the judge as to what constituted membership in the Communist Party.
The second Remington trial began in January 1953 and he was quickly convicted of two counts of perjury—specifically for lying when he said he had not given secret information to Elizabeth Bentley and that he did not know of the existence of the Young Communist League, which had a chapter at Dartmouth while Remington was a student there.
He was sentenced to three years in prison. On the morning of Nov. 22, 1954 he was murdered in Lewisburg Penitentiary for his communist association by three inmates—a career criminal named George McCoy, a juvenile offender named Lewis Cagle Jr. and a third man—D.C. resident Carl Parker.
Cagle used a piece of brick in a sock as a weapon, striking Remington four times on the head. Despite McCoy’s repeated remarks about Remington’s communism, the FBI said that robbery was the motive.
When Cagle confessed, the FBI instructed him to describe the crime as if he and McCoy had been trying to rob Remington. When McCoy confessed four days later, he said he hated Remington for being a Communist and denied any robbery motive.
Both men pled guilty and were sentenced to life in prison. Parker received a 20-year term. All three had been in prison for transporting stolen cars across state lines.
Remington’s legacy is that of the third person to die as a result of the Second Red Scare following Julius and Ethel Rosenberg’s execution. When he was killed in prison he was a pitiful figure who had no friends on the left after his betrayal of them and no sympathy on the right for what was regarded as his criminal actions.
For more information and related images, see flic.kr/s/aHsmCQG6iJ
The photographer is unknown. The image is courtesy of the D.C. Public Library Washington Star Collection © Washington Post.
Remington denies he was a communist spy: 1948
William Remington, a Commerce Department employee, testifies before the Senate Investigating Subcommittee July 31, f948 on charges he passed valuable wartime secrets to the Soviet Union.
He denied the allegations. However he was suspended from duty but cleared of the charges.
However, in 1950 he was brought up on criminal perjury charges for denying he had ever been a member of a communist organization, convicted and, after two trials, sent to prison where he was murdered for his alleged communist sympathies.
Remington was as an economist at the U.S. Commerce Department and other federal agencies over a 15 year period. He was investigated numerous times for alleged communist ties, tried twice for perjury and sent to jail where he was murdered.
In college, he became active with members of the Young Communist League, and later the Communist Party of the United States. In testimony, Remington stated that while he was a Republican when he entered college, he “moved left quite rapidly”; and became a radical but was never a Communist Party or Young Communist League member at Dartmouth.
Whether or not he ever officially joined the party later became a point of contention in his legal battles.
He was first investigated in 1941 where he admitted having been active in Communist-allied groups such as the American Peace Mobilization, but denied any sympathy with communism and swore under oath that he was not and had never been a member of the Communist Party. His security clearance was granted.
In March 1942 and continuing for two years, Remington had occasional meetings with Elizabeth Bentley at which he passed her information. Bentley was a spy for the Soviet Union.
This material included data on airplane production and other matters concerning the aircraft industry, as well as some information on an experimental process for manufacturing synthetic rubber. Remington later claimed that he was unaware that Bentley was connected with the Communist Party, that he believed she was a journalist and researcher, and that the information he gave her was not secret.
Fearing the FBI was closing in on her, Bentley became an informant for the government in 1945 and named Remington as one of her sources of information.
In 1947, Remington was interviewed by the FBI and also questioned before a federal grand jury in New York City about the information he had given to Elizabeth Bentley. He testified that no secret information was involved, and the issue seemed to end there.
In an apparent attempt to bolster belief in his innocence, Remington became an anti-communist informer from this time and for the following year. He sent the FBI information on over fifty people, only four of whom were connected with his own case.
Most of those he named he had never met. He accused them of being Communists, isolationists, Negro nationalists, or “extreme liberals.”; He also verbally attacked his wife Ann, from whom he was now estranged, and his mother-in-law Elizabeth Moos, both avowed Communists.
Another loyalty investigation of Remington was opened early in 1948, and in June, he was relieved of his duties pending the findings of that investigation. In July of that year, the New York World-Telegram published a series of articles about Elizabeth Bentley, and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations opened hearings to investigate her charges.
At these hearings, Bentley made her accusations against Remington public and Remington in turn denied them. The Washington Post called him “a boob...who was duped by clever Communist agents.”
At his loyalty review hearings, Remington downplayed his earlier connections with Communist and leftist organizations and claimed that his wife's adherence to Communist doctrine was the reason for the end of their marriage.
While testifying before the Senate, Bentley was protected from libel suits. When she repeated her charge that Remington was a Communist on NBC Radio's Meet the Press, he sued her and NBC for libel.
The Loyalty Review Board noted that the only serious evidence against Remington was “the uncorroborated statement of a woman who refuses to submit herself to cross-examination,”; and cleared Remington to return to his government post (photo above). The libel suit was settled out of court shortly thereafter, with NBC paying Remington $10,000.
In 1950, the FBI and the federal grand jury in New York City reopened their investigations of Remington and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) opened a third.
Ann Remington, now divorced from him, was subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury. Initially reluctant, she testified that her husband had been a dues-paying member of the Communist Party, and that he had given secret information to Elizabeth Bentley while knowing that Bentley was a Communist.
The grand jury decided to indict Remington for committing perjury when he denied ever being a member of the Communist Party.
Remington was convicted at trial, but it was revealed that the jury foreman had a personal relationship with Elizabeth Bentley and had agreed to co-author a book with her.
He was found guilty of perjury and sentenced to five years in prison. His conviction was overturned on appeal for “judicial improprieties” and unclear instructions from the judge as to what constituted membership in the Communist Party.
The second Remington trial began in January 1953 and he was quickly convicted of two counts of perjury—specifically for lying when he said he had not given secret information to Elizabeth Bentley and that he did not know of the existence of the Young Communist League, which had a chapter at Dartmouth while Remington was a student there.
He was sentenced to three years in prison. On the morning of Nov. 22, 1954 he was murdered in Lewisburg Penitentiary for his communist association by three inmates—a career criminal named George McCoy, a juvenile offender named Lewis Cagle Jr. and a third man—D.C. resident Carl Parker.
Cagle used a piece of brick in a sock as a weapon, striking Remington four times on the head. Despite McCoy’s repeated remarks about Remington’s communism, the FBI said that robbery was the motive.
When Cagle confessed, the FBI instructed him to describe the crime as if he and McCoy had been trying to rob Remington. When McCoy confessed four days later, he said he hated Remington for being a Communist and denied any robbery motive.
Both men pled guilty and were sentenced to life in prison. Parker received a 20-year term. All three had been in prison for transporting stolen cars across state lines.
Remington’s legacy is that of the third person to die as a result of the Second Red Scare following Julius and Ethel Rosenberg’s execution. When he was killed in prison he was a pitiful figure who had no friends on the left after his betrayal of them and no sympathy on the right for what was regarded as his criminal actions.
For more information and related images, see flic.kr/s/aHsmCQG6iJ
The photographer is unknown. The image is courtesy of the D.C. Public Library Washington Star Collection © Washington Post.