Statement of Hugh Fulton Concerning Issues Raised by Senator Brewster in the Hughes Investigation

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NATIONAR ARCHIVES AND RECORDS 1 Statement of Hugh Fulton concerning issues raised by Senator Brewster in the Hughes Investigation (As dictated and before correction. August 9, 1947. My name is Hugh Fulton. From the inception of the Truman Committee until the resignation of Mr. Truman and myself in August 1944 I was Chief Counsel and head of the staff of the Truman Committee. I am now the senior partner of the firm of Fulton, Walter & Halley, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City, engaged in the practice of general business law. I will summarize here and send to the Committee rough- ly the substance of what I proposed to say at the Committee hearing this morning. Last Thursday morning The New York Times quoted Senator Brewster as making certain charges with respect to myself which I regarded as false. To correct any misimpression which Senator Brewster might be under, I wrote him a letter on Thursday, copies of which are available, and sent the original to Senator Brewster and one copy each to Senator Ferguson and to Howard Hughes. After I had written the letter, Mr. Rogers, Counsel for the Committee, telephoned me at my New York office and said that the Committee would appreciate it if I would go to Washington to testify on matters raised by Hughes and Brewster. I was very desirous of doing so and immediately arranged to leave for Washington. Mr. Rogers informed me after I had reached Washington that the subcommittee, Hughes, and Brewster had agreed not to have any further hearings with respect to the issues between Hughes and Brewster. Friday morning I telephoned Senator Ferguson, who confirmed what Mr. Rogers had said. I reluctantly concluded and informed Senator Ferguson that it might be selfish and unfair for me to insist upon testifying against the wishes of all concerned and that therefore I would not insist upon testifying at the hearing unless my name should be bandied around further by Senator Brewster in an improper manner. I returned to New York and later went to my farm in the country, where I happened to hear Senator Brewster on Friday evening in a radio address, called "Meet the Press, If make references to me which he definitely had been informed by me were, and which he knew to be, false. Since Senator Brewster is deliberately stating and restating falsehoods, I believe it to be my duty publicly to state the facts. I do not believe that it is any longer sufficient to inform him and the Committee