Mr. Tavenner. Do you mean to tell us that you didn’t know that Tom Rabbitt had been identified as a member of the Communist Party?
Mr. O’Connell. I knew, for instance, in the press and the press reports, and from information given to me that various people in there had said that Rabbitt and others were members of the Communist Party.
Mr. Tavenner. Then we cannot rely on your statement of this morning and yesterday when I asked you whether or not you knew that Tom Rabbitt, or had heard that Tom Rabbitt was a member of the Communist Party when you were dealing with him in the pension union and in the work of the Progressive Party?
Mr. O’Connell. Now, I said, and if my testimony is that I had not heard, I want to change it, but I said I did not know of my own knowledge and my testimony is that I did not know of my own knowledge and even today I do not know of my knowledge that Rabbitt is a member of the Communist Party.
As I understand it, he has not admitted that he is. I think according to your report he refused to testify and invoked the privilege of the fifth amendment as far as he was concerned.
Mr. Tavenner. Didn’t almost the same witnesses identify William Pennock as a Communist Party member during those same hearings?
Mr. O’Connell. That is correct.
Mr. Tavenner. So what is true with regard to Mr. Rabbitt, is true with regard to Mr. Pennock?
Mr. O’Connell. My testimony is that I didn’t know of my own knowledge that they were members of the Communist Party.
Mr. Velde. You stated you did have a suspicion that they were members of the Communist Party at the time you were dealing with them in the pension union. Now, will you tell this committee upon what you based that suspicion?