Mr. O’Connell. I knew Herbert Benjamin. I am pretty sure he is the same Herbert Benjamin who was an officer in the Workers Alliance during WPA days, when I was in Congress. But I have actually had no contact with Benjamin in the IWO. In fact, this is the first I knew he had any connection with the IWO. But I knew him; I am sure he was lobbying here on the Hill with a man by the name of David Lasser while I was in Congress. I think he was with the Workers Alliance.
Mr. Tavenner. Were you acquainted with Louis Budenz prior to the time he appeared as a witness at the Canwell hearings in the State of Washington?
Mr. O’Connell. No, I was not acquainted with him. Shortly before he left the Communist Party he wrote me a letter asking me to write a series of articles for the Daily Worker about Senator Wheeler, which I refused, which I rejected. That is the only contact I ever had. I never met Budenz, never saw him or anything, until he was out in the State of Washington.
Mr. Velde. Did he want you to write articles favorable to Senator Wheeler?
Mr. O’Connell. No, he wanted me to write anti-Wheeler articles. Senator Wheeler and I became tangled politically out there. I was going to run against Senator Wheeler for the Senate in 1940, and Senator Wheeler of course took care of me in 1938. So I did not get to run. I mean the fight, there were people who were anxious to defeat Wheeler from 1940 on down until he was actually defeated in 1946.
He wrote that letter to me, I would say, just shortly before he left the Communist Party.
Mr. Willis. Those articles were to appear in the Daily Worker?
Mr. O’Connell. In the Daily Worker; yes.
Mr. Willis. Would an unfavorable article appearing in the Daily Worker be harmful to one’s political life in those days in Montana?
Mr. O’Connell. No, I mean——