Mr. Kaufman. Thank you, Mr. Hubert. I would make this statement that you inquired about my contact with Jack Ruby regarding the homicide. I did not visit or see him prior to the trial of his case other than seeing him in the courtroom when I testified in the change of venue hearing and also on the date I testified as a defense witness.
I saw him on three occasions subsequent to that, all within a week. Other than that, I have had no immediate contact with Jack Ruby or discussed his case with him, and I give you this so that, not able to anticipate what you might ask, I can outline this to you and this would be the relationship—the only relationship that I have had with him since the date of this homicide.
I have had a number of contacts with him on civil matters and if any of these encroached upon the privilege, I personally believe that if Jack were asked, and if he is mentally able to, he would waive the privilege. Had we known that you wanted this done, we probably could have arranged it as time permitted. However, I don’t feel that there is anything that I could add or give the Commission that he would hesitate about or want me not to give, and I would like the record to reflect that even if we take advantage of the privilege at this time, that I would like the record to reflect that we would like at that time to present this matter to Ruby so that he could waive the privilege and that we could give you this information in the event we encroach upon the privilege at any time during the taking of the deposition.
Mr. Hubert. Let me commence then by asking you this. I have previously handed to you and I think you have read, a document which I have marked for identification as follows: In the margin of the first page “Dallas, Texas, June 27, 1964, Exhibit No. 1, Deposition of Stanley Kaufman” and I have signed my name below that and on the second page, and the document consists of two pages only, I have marked my initials in the lower right-hand corner.
This document, Mr. Kaufman, purports to be a report of an interview of you by FBI Agents Neeley and Rice on November 26, 1963. I think you have read it and I now hand it back to you and ask you if it’s correct or if you have any changes or modifications to make in that document.
Mr. Kaufman. Mr. Hubert, I would say that there are a number of inaccuracies in this report, probably not of a major concern.
Mr. Hubert. All right, I wish you would point them out, identifying them, so that a person reading the record later can know what you’re talking about.
Mr. Kaufman. First, let me explain how the statement was taken. It’s not a statement as you correctly stated. It’s a report. Whether or not Neeley and Rice were the agents who talked to me, I wouldn’t know because I didn’t take their names down. I was called by the Dallas office of the FBI one evening and asked if they could make an appointment to see me regarding the Jack Ruby case and I advised them that they could and that I was available then and there, so they told me in about 15 minutes they would come over. Both of the agents came by my office at 1520 Mercantile Securities Building, identified themselves, and sat down and asked me a number of questions, most of which are, I would say, covered in the third paragraph here.
Mr. Hubert. That’s Exhibit No. 1?
Mr. Kaufman. Yes; of Exhibit No. 1. Now, three of the—I mean—there were three basic concerns that they talked to me about. They didn’t just ask questions and write anything down. We just conversed similar to a conversation that you and I might have with a person in our office. Their main concern seemed to be (1) whether or not I knew Ruby, and (2) whether or not I knew him to be a Communist, and (3) whether or not I knew of any connection or relationship with Lee Oswald.