John F. Kennedy document hoax: Difference between revisions

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In 1997, a cache of documents were discovered, purportedly proving an affair between President John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, as well as other illicit relationships. The documents were later determined to have been part of an elaborate hoax:^[1] Lawrence X. "Lex" Cusack III had forged the documents under the guise that they had belonged to his father, Lawrence X. Cusack Jr., an attorney who represented Monroe's mother Gladys Baker Eley,^[2] as well as the Archdiocese of New York.^[3]

Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh had vouched for the authenticity of the documents, with the original manuscript of his 1997 book The Dark Side of Camelot including many statements that were sourced from them. After the hoax came to light, Hersh removed the material shortly before publication; before the scandal broke, there were also plans for an ABC-backed TV special or film.^[4]

A month before the publication of The Dark Side of Camelot, newspapers, including USA Today, reported Hersh had announced the removal from the galleys at the last minute a segment about legal documents allegedly containing Kennedy's signature.^[5] The documents supposedly signed by Kennedy included a provision, in 1960, for a trust fund to be set up for the institutionalized mother of Marilyn Monroe.^[6]^[3] Cusack had shared them with Hersh, and also encouraged the author to discuss them in the book.^[6]

Doubts were raised among ABC investigators about various inconsistencies in the documents, which included the use of typefaces created years after the legal documents were allegedly written, the use of ZIP codes before their introduction on July 1, 1963 (almost a year after Monroe's death), and the use of lift-off tape (which not invented or sold until 1973, ten years after Kennedy's assassination). Led by Peter Jennings, ABC employees confronted Cusack with these inconsistencies on live television, but Cusack maintained the documents were authentic, and launched legal action which subsequently collapsed.

The Kennedy family also denied Cusack's claim that his late father had been an attorney who had represented John F. Kennedy in 1960, with one of Kennedy's secretaries, Janet Des Rosiers, whose name and signatures also appeared in the documents, denying ever having seen them or knowing Cusack's father, despite the documents claiming John F. Kennedy knew Cusack's father as a close friend.^[6]

Shortly before Hersh's announcement that he had removed all references to Cusack's documents, federal investigators began probing Cusack's sale of these documents.^[6] Cusack was subsequently arrested, and a grand jury indicted him on thirteen counts: ten counts of fraud and three counts of forgery.^[7]

Cusack pleaded not guilty, but was convicted on all thirteen counts by a jury, and was sentenced to nine years and seven months in federal prison: Judge Denise L. Cote also ordered Cusack to forfeit all of the forged documents and $7 million in proceeds from their sale.^[8]

Later coverage

The story was featured on the February 11, 2011, episode of This American Life.^[3]

References

^ Randolph, Eleanor (September 26, 1997). "JFK-Monroe 'Affair' Papers Faked, ABC Reports". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
^ Wald, Jonathan (March 9, 2004). "Forged Monroe-JFK letters sought". CNN. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c "427: Original Recipe". www.thisamericanlife.org. This American Life. February 11, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
^ Hosenball, Mark (October 5, 1997). "The Jfk-Marilyn Hoax". Newsweek. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
^ Moore, Martha T. "Disputed Kennedy Papers Investigated – Documents Called Forgeries Subject of Criminal Probe." USA Today October 16, 1997, p. 2A.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Grove, Lloyd. "Was The Writing On The Wall? The Long Tangled Tale of Seymour Hersh and the Forged JFK Papers." The Washington Post October 27, 1997, p. C1
^ Assassination Records Review Board (September 30, 1998). "Chapter 6, Part I: The Quest for Additional Information and Records in Federal Government Offices". Final Report of the Assassination Records Review Board (PDF). Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. p. 109. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
^ Katsoulis, Melissa (2009). Literary hoaxes : an eye-opening history of famous frauds. New York: Skyhorse Pub. pp. 102–108. ISBN 978-1-60239-794-1. lex cusack 10 years.

[1] Randolph, Eleanor (September 26, 1997). "JFK-Monroe 'Affair' Papers Faked, ABC Reports". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 February 2011.

[2] Wald, Jonathan (March 9, 2004). "Forged Monroe-JFK letters sought". CNN. Retrieved 25 February 2011.

[This_American_Life-3] "427: Original Recipe". www.thisamericanlife.org. This American Life. February 11, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.

[Newsweek;_October_5,_1997-4] Hosenball, Mark (October 5, 1997). "The Jfk-Marilyn Hoax". Newsweek. Retrieved May 7, 2023.

[5] Moore, Martha T. "Disputed Kennedy Papers Investigated – Documents Called Forgeries Subject of Criminal Probe." USA Today October 16, 1997, p. 2A.

[autogenerated1-6] Grove, Lloyd. "Was The Writing On The Wall? The Long Tangled Tale of Seymour Hersh and the Forged JFK Papers." The Washington Post October 27, 1997, p. C1

[ARRB-7] Assassination Records Review Board (September 30, 1998). "Chapter 6, Part I: The Quest for Additional Information and Records in Federal Government Offices". Final Report of the Assassination Records Review Board (PDF). Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. p. 109. Retrieved May 15, 2013.

[Literary-8] Katsoulis, Melissa (2009). Literary hoaxes : an eye-opening history of famous frauds. New York: Skyhorse Pub. pp. 102–108. ISBN 978-1-60239-794-1. lex cusack 10 years.

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 {{Short description|American political hoax}}
+In 1997, a cache of documents were discovered, purportedly proving an affair between President [[John F. Kennedy]] and [[Marilyn Monroe]], as well as other illicit relationships. The documents were later determined to have been part of an elaborate [[hoax]]:<ref>{{cite news|last=Randolph|first=Eleanor|title=JFK-Monroe 'Affair' Papers Faked, ABC Reports|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1997/sep/26/news/mn-36463|accessdate=25 February 2011|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=September 26, 1997}}</ref> Lawrence X. "Lex" Cusack III had forged the documents under the guise that they had belonged to his father, Lawrence X. Cusack Jr., an attorney who represented Monroe's mother Gladys Baker Eley,<ref>{{cite web|last=Wald|first=Jonathan|title=Forged Monroe-JFK letters sought|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2004-03-09/us/fake.monroe.letters_1_documents-forgeries-love-letters?_s=PM:US|publisher=CNN|accessdate=25 February 2011|date=March 9, 2004}}</ref> as well as the [[Archdiocese of New York]].<ref name="This American Life">{{cite web |url=https://www.thisamericanlife.org/427/original-recipe |title=427: Original Recipe |last= |first= |date=February 11, 2022 |website=www.thisamericanlife.org |publisher=This American Life |access-date=April 8, 2023 |quote=}}</ref>
-{{Use American English|date=May 2024}}
-{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
+Investigative journalist [[Seymour Hersh]] had vouched for the authenticity of the documents, with the original manuscript of his 1997 book ''The Dark Side of Camelot'' including many statements that were sourced from them. After the hoax came to light, Hersh removed the material shortly before publication; before the scandal broke, there were also plans for an [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]-backed TV special or film.<ref name="Newsweek; October 5, 1997">{{cite news |last=Hosenball |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Hosenball |date=October 5, 1997 |title=The Jfk-Marilyn Hoax |url=https://www.newsweek.com/jfk-marilyn-hoax-174044 |work=Newsweek |access-date=May 7, 2023}}</ref>
-[[File:Forged Kennedy document.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=A handwritten receipt, supposedly signed by John F. Kennedy in 1961. The typed address block at the top shows a ZIP Code|One of the forged documents, supposedly signed and dated by [[John F. Kennedy]] in 1961, showing the bogus [[ZIP Code]]]]
-In 1993, Lawrence X. Cusack III forged 350 documents from, or relating to, [[John F. Kennedy]], the 35th [[president of the United States]]. Some of the forged documents supposedly showed Kennedy's dealings with organized crime (through [[Sam Giancana]] of the [[Chicago Outfit]]), tax evasion, bribery of [[Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI Director]] [[J. Edgar Hoover]], payment of [[hush money]] to actress [[Marilyn Monroe]] for being Kennedy's lover, and a secret first marriage.
+A month before the publication of ''The Dark Side of Camelot'', newspapers, including ''[[USA Today]]'', reported Hersh had announced the removal from the galleys at the last minute a segment about legal documents allegedly containing Kennedy's signature.<ref>Moore, Martha T. "Disputed Kennedy Papers Investigated – Documents Called Forgeries Subject of Criminal Probe." ''[[USA Today]]'' October 16, 1997, p. 2A.</ref> The documents supposedly signed by Kennedy included a provision, in 1960, for a trust fund to be set up for the institutionalized mother of [[Marilyn Monroe]].<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref name="This American Life"/> Cusack had shared them with Hersh, and also encouraged the author to discuss them in the book.<ref name="autogenerated1">Grove, Lloyd. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1997/10/27/was-the-writing-on-the-wall/a8f22a08-421f-44f7-b707-5c2fbfa4d028/ "Was The Writing On The Wall? The Long Tangled Tale of Seymour Hersh and the Forged JFK Papers."] ''[[The Washington Post]]'' October 27, 1997, p. C1</ref>
-Cusack was the son of Lawrence X. Cusack Jr., the New York-based founder of the law firm Cusack & Stiles. Cusack Jr was the lawyer for the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York]], who was appointed as a guardian of the [[Estate (law)|estate]] of [[Gladys Pearl Baker]], Monroe's mother, in the 1970s. Cusack was employed in his father's firm from the late 1980s. He claimed that his father advised Kennedy on numerous sensitive and personal matters and that he found the papers in the archives of Cusack & Stiles.
+Doubts were raised among ABC investigators about various inconsistencies in the documents, which included the use of typefaces created years after the legal documents were allegedly written, the use of [[ZIP code]]s before their introduction on July 1, 1963 (almost a year after Monroe's death), and the use of lift-off tape (which not invented or sold until 1973, ten years after Kennedy's assassination). Led by [[Peter Jennings]], ABC employees confronted Cusack with these inconsistencies on live television, but Cusack maintained the documents were authentic, and launched legal action which subsequently collapsed.
-Cusack sold the papers through memorabilia dealers for between $6 and 7 million. One of the collectors involved suggested showing them to the [[investigative journalist]] [[Seymour Hersh]], who was in the process of writing ''The Dark Side of Camelot'' (1997), a history of the Kennedy presidency and [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|his assassination]]. Hersh began including information about the documents into his book and proposed a documentary to be released at the same time. It was during the checks of the documents by [[NBC]] television network and then by [[ABC News]] in preparing the documentary that flaws in the forgeries led to them  being uncovered. These included the use of a [[ZIP Code]] in a document signed in 1961 (the ZIP Code was introduced in 1963), and the use of a Prestige Pica font [[typeball]] that had not been invented at the time the document was signed. Other mistakes included the use of "lift-off" type to adjust a spelling error in Kennedy's name and where a written signature had removed a tiny part of a line typed by using a modern plastic [[typewriter ribbon]]; these were not available in the early 1960s.
+The Kennedy family also denied Cusack's claim that his late father had been an attorney who had represented John F. Kennedy in 1960, with one of Kennedy's secretaries, Janet Des Rosiers, whose name and signatures also appeared in the documents, denying ever having seen them or knowing Cusack's father, despite the documents claiming John F. Kennedy knew Cusack's father as a close friend.<ref name="autogenerated1" />
-The forgeries were uncovered in mid-1997 while Hersh was still writing ''The Dark Side of Camelot'', and he removed a chapter and some material that had been based on the Cusack documents. In September 1997, ABC confronted Cusack with the discovery of the fraud, but Cusack denied the accusations.  Cusack was arrested and tried on thirteen charges of [[mail and wire fraud]]; he was found guilty on all charges and was sentenced in 1999 to nine years and seven months imprisonment; he was also ordered to return the money to the people who had purchased the documents from him.
+Shortly before Hersh's announcement that he had removed all references to Cusack's documents, federal investigators began probing Cusack's sale of these documents.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> Cusack was subsequently arrested, and a grand jury indicted him on thirteen counts: ten counts of fraud and three counts of forgery.<ref name="ARRB">{{cite book |author=Assassination Records Review Board |authorlink1=Assassination Records Review Board |title=Final Report of the Assassination Records Review Board |url=https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/review-board/report/arrb-final-report.pdf |accessdate=May 15, 2013 |date=September 30, 1998 |publisher=United States Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |page=109 |chapter=Chapter 6, Part I: The Quest for Additional Information and Records in Federal Government Offices}}</ref>
-==Background==
-===John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe===
-[[File:JFK and Marilyn Monroe 1962.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=Photograph at a party. From left to right are Robert Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, John F Kennedy and Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. John F. Kennedy and Monroe appear to be in conversation.|[[Robert F. Kennedy]], [[Marilyn Monroe]] and [[John F. Kennedy]] at the president's early birthday party on May 19, 1962; [[Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.]] looks on.]]
-[[John F. Kennedy]], while the 35th [[president of the United States]] from 1961 until [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|his assassination]] in 1963, was likely to have been romantically involved with actress [[Marilyn Monroe]].{{sfn|Churchwell|2004|pp=291–292}} Biographers differ in their opinions of the length or depth of any relationship,{{sfn|Churchwell|2004|p=292}}{{sfn|Dallek|2015|p=581}} while Monroe's biographer [[Donald Spoto]] observes that an affair between the two "has been assumed for so long that it has achieved as solid a place in public awareness as almost any other event in the man’s presidency".{{sfn|Spoto|2001|p=486}}
+Cusack pleaded not guilty, but was convicted on all thirteen counts by a jury, and was sentenced to nine years and seven months in federal prison: Judge Denise L. Cote also ordered Cusack to forfeit all of the forged documents and $7 million in proceeds from their sale.<ref name=Literary>{{cite book|last=Katsoulis|first=Melissa|title=Literary hoaxes : an eye-opening history of famous frauds|year=2009|publisher=[[Skyhorse Pub.]]|location=New York|isbn=978-1-60239-794-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/literaryhoaxesey00kats/page/102 102]–108|url=https://archive.org/details/literaryhoaxesey00kats|url-access=registration|quote=lex cusack 10 years.}}</ref>
-Journalist [[Lawrence J. Quirk]] described Kennedy and Monroe's association as an "on-again, off-again affair",{{sfn|Quirk|2004|p=262}} although actor [[Peter Lawford]], who was Kennedy's brother in law, described the speculation as "garbage".{{sfn|Dallek|2015|p=581}} Spoto describes four occasions when Kennedy and Monroe are known to have met between October 1961 and August 1962; on one of those occasions the couple were in a bedroom when Monroe phoned one of her friends. She later told a confident that she and Kennedy had only had sex on that one occasion.{{sfn|Spoto|2001|p=486}} The telephone logs of the [[White House]] show numerous calls from Monroe to Kennedy,{{sfn|Dallek|2015|p=581}} and, according to Kennedy's biographer [[Richard Reeves (American writer)|Richard Reeves]], she had previously told people both of the affair, and that she wanted to marry the president.{{sfn|Reeves|1993|p=315}} Spoto judges that, on balance:
+==Later coverage==
-<blockquote>if the phrase "love affair" describes a protracted intimacy sustained by some degree of frequency, then such a connection between these two is impossible to establish with any of the rudimentary tools of historicocritical studies. In the absence of such evidence, no serious biographer can identify Monroe and Kennedy as partners in a love affair.{{sfn|Spoto|2001|p=486}}</blockquote>
+The story was featured on the February 11, 2011, episode of ''[[This American Life]]''.<ref name="This American Life"/>
+==References==
-===Seymour Hersh and ''The Dark Side of Camelot''===
-[[File:Seymour Hersh (3413572451) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Head and shoulder photo of older white man wearing wire-rimmed glasses, a brown suit and red tie; he is speaking into a microphone|[[Seymour Hersh]] in 2009]]
-[[Seymour Hersh]] is an [[investigative journalist]] and political writer. He came to prominence in 1969 for his reporting on the [[My Lai massacre]] and its [[cover-up]] during the [[Vietnam War]], for which he received the 1970 [[Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting]]. In addition, {{as of|2024|lc=y}}, Hersh has won the [[George Polk Award]] five times, the [[National Book Critics Circle Award]], two [[National Magazine Awards]], an [[Overseas Press Club]] award, and the [[National Press Foundation]]'s Distinguished Contributions to Journalism award.{{sfn|Miraldi|2013|pp=xi, 258, 338, 362}}
-In August 1993, Hersh and [[Little, Brown and Company]] signed a $1&nbsp;million deal for the publication of a book described by Hersh as "about John F. Kennedy and the CIA—a hidden history".{{sfn|Hersh|2018|p=279}}{{sfn|Thomas|Hosenball|1997|p=36}}{{efn|$1&nbsp;million in 1993 equates to approximately ${{Inflation|US|1000000|1993|fmt=c|r=-3}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}, according to calculations based on the [[United States Consumer Price Index]] measure of inflation.{{refn|{{harvnb|McCusker|1996a}}; {{harvnb|McCusker|1996b}}; {{harvnb|"Consumer Price Index, 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis}}.}}}} Little, Brown thought the book would sell well, and by August 1996 it had decided on a first print run of either 250,000 copies – an amount described by journalist Frederick M. Winship as "unusually large" – or 350,000.{{sfn|Winship|1996}}{{sfn|Miraldi|2013|p=297}}
-===Lawrence X. Cusack Jr. and Lawrence X. Cusack III===
-Lawrence X. Cusack Jr. was a founding partner of the law firm of Cusack & Stiles, which was based at [[61 Broadway]], [[Manhattan]], New York.{{sfn|"Lawrence X. Cusack". ''The New York Times''}}{{sfn|Schwartzman|1997|p=13}} During the 1970s Cusack Jr. was the president of the [[New York County Lawyers' Association]].{{sfn|"Another Point of View – Lawyer Advertising and the Future of the Legal Profession". ''The Journal''}} He was a lawyer for the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York]], and in that role he acted as a personal representative for Cardinal [[Francis Spellman]] and testified before the United States Senate subcommittee on Education in 1963.{{sfn|"Presbyterians on Church and State". ''Church & State''}}{{sfn|Billington|1987|p=105}} Cusack Jr. was also the personal counsel to Cardinal [[John O'Connor (cardinal)|John O'Connor]].{{sfn|"Lawrence X. Cusack". ''The New York Times''}} In the 1970s, a [[surrogate court]] judge appointed Cusack Jr. as a guardian of the [[Estate (law)|estate]] of [[Gladys Pearl Baker]], Monroe's mother. This is the only known connection he had to either Monroe or Kennedy.{{sfn|Schwartzman|1997|p=13}} Cusack Jr. died on October 28, 1985, aged 66.{{sfn|"Lawrence X. Cusack". ''The New York Times''}} Cardinal O'Connor officiated at his funeral.{{sfn|Schwartzman|1997|p=13}}
-One of Cusack Jr.'s sons was his namesake, Lawrence X. Cusack III. Cusack attended [[Loyola School (New York City)|Loyola High School]] and [[Columbia University]] before enrolling in [[New York Law School]] in 1984. He also had formal training as an artist and draftsman.{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=73}} After his father's death, Cusack & Stiles lent him $5,000 for his studies.{{sfn|Schwartzman|1997|p=13}} When he completed his courses, he went to work at his father's firm, where he was employed either as a clerk or [[paralegal]]. His salary was $40,000,{{sfn|Grove|1997b}}{{sfn|Hughes|1999|p=15}} and he had considerable debts.{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=64}}
-Many of the claims Cusack made about his past were subsequently proved to be untrue.{{sfn|Schwartzman|1997|p=13}} His marriage notice in ''[[The New York Times]]'' stated he graduated [[cum laude]] with a master's degree in architecture from [[Harvard University]] and that he was studying law at [[New York University]];{{sfn|"Miss Rush Wed to L. X. Cusack". ''The New York Times''}} neither was true. He never studied at Harvard, but had only audited one of its courses, and he had never attended New York University.{{sfn|Schwartzman|1997|p=13}}{{sfn|Grove|1997b}} Cusack would also claim he had a career in Navy intelligence and that he was a [[United States Navy Reserve]] officer, even possessing – and wearing – a [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|lieutenant commander's]] Navy uniform with medal ribbons. Cusack had never been either in the Navy or Naval Reserve.{{sfn|Grove|1997b}} On an application for a [[firearms license]] made in 1992, he listed previous service with the [[United States Marine Corps|US Marines]], [[United States Navy|US Navy]], [[National Security Agency]], and at the [[Naval Air Station Pensacola]], none of which was true.{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=68}}
-==Production and sale of the documents==
-{{multiple image
-<!-- Essential parameters -->
-| align     = right
-| direction = vertical
-| total_width = 200
-| header = Those implicated in criminal acts with the Kennedys in the forged papers
-| width     =
-<!-- Image 1 -->
-| image1    = Sam Giancana.jpg
-| alt1      = Giancana wearing jacket, tie, panama hat and a pair of dark sunglasses
-| caption1  = [[Sam Giancana]] of the [[Chicago Outfit]]
-<!-- Image 2 -->
-| image2    = Hoover-JEdgar-LOC.jpg
-| alt2      = Hoover holding a file, looking at the camera; he wears a jacket and tie
-| caption2  = [[J. Edgar Hoover]], the [[Director of the FBI]]
-}}
-In the early 1990s Cusack met John Reznikoff, a dealer in historical memorabilia, to sell a small collection of stamps left by Cusack's father.{{sfn|''United States of America v. Lawrence X. Cusack'', 229 F.3d 344 (2d Cir. 2000)}}{{efn|In addition to documents, Reznikoff also deals in coins, stamps and celebrity hair, including samples from [[Abraham Lincoln]], [[Napoleon]], and [[Geronimo]].{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=63}}}} The two men became friends, and, during the course of their conversation, Reznikoff told Cusack that documents relating to Kennedy were highly sought after and valuable. Soon after, Cusack claimed to have discovered 350 documents purportedly held by his father and written by Kennedy.{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=64}}{{sfn|''United States of America v. Lawrence X. Cusack'', 229 F.3d 344 (2d Cir. 2000)}}{{sfn|Miraldi|2013|p=292}} To give credence to his story, Cusack claimed that between 1959 and 1963 his father had counseled Kennedy on numerous sensitive and personal matters. The documents Cusack forged supposedly showed Kennedy had dealings with [[organized crime]], by paying [[Sam Giancana]] of the [[Chicago Outfit]] to fix the [[1960 United States presidential election|1960 US presidential election]] for him. They also purportedly showed that to keep Kennedy bribed [[J. Edgar Hoover]], the [[Director of the FBI]], to keep quiet about Kennedy's sexual activities.{{sfn|Weinberg|1997|p=7}} Other subjects covered included tax evasion by Kennedy; the payment of hush money to Monroe as his lover; and an early, secret first marriage. Cusack stole genuine deeds from archives at Cusack & Stiles concerning a transfer of land from the Kennedy family to the New York Archdiocese to give verisimilitude to the documents he forged.{{sfn|''United States of America v. Lawrence X. Cusack'', 229 F.3d 344 (2d Cir. 2000)}}{{sfn|Weinberg|1997|p=7}} Within the collection were six handwritten copies of the same document, all with the same date and all supposedly written by Kennedy; two other identical handwritten copies were also later found in the offices of Cusack & Stiles. Cusack later explained that he practiced copying Kennedy's writing, which he claimed was so he could properly read Kennedy's untidy script.{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=65}}
-Cusack showed the some of the documents to Reznikoff to compare with known samples of Kennedy's handwriting. The pair then showed the samples to [[Charles Hamilton (handwriting expert)|Charles Hamilton]], a handwriting expert; Hamilton saw half a dozen samples and stated that he thought these were in Kennedy's handwriting.{{sfn|Samuels|1997|pp=64–66}} Cusack and Reznikoff chose Tom Cloud, a precious metals dealer who also traded in memorabilia, to offer the documents for sale. Cloud was told that further verifications on the handwriting were being conducted by two document specialists, [[Robert L. White (collector)|Robert White]] and Herman Darvick.{{sfn|Grove|1997b}}{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=66}} In November 1993 Cusack, Reznikoff and Cloud finalized their agreement: Cloud would act as the seller for a commission of between ten and twenty percent; Reznikoff would receive about the same, and the remainder would go to Cusack. Investors in the papers had to sign an agreement not to "release, publicize, or in any other way make public" the existence of the documents until May 31, 1998. The plan was to build interest after the 1998 launch and then stage a high-profile auction to enable to original investors to resell for a high profit. Several investors formed a group to purchase the forged papers being offered and paid between $6 and 7 million to own a share of the papers prior to the auction.{{sfn|Grove|1997b}}{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=67}}{{efn|$6&nbsp;million in 1993 equates to approximately ${{Inflation|US|6000000|1993|fmt=c|r=-3}} and $7&nbsp;million equates to approximately ${{Inflation|US|7000000|1993|fmt=c|r=-3}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}, according to calculations based on the [[United States Consumer Price Index]] measure of inflation.{{refn|{{harvnb|McCusker|1996a}}; {{harvnb|McCusker|1996b}}; {{harvnb|"Consumer Price Index, 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis}}.}}}}
-One of those to whom Reznikoff showed the documents was Hal Kass, a businessman and collector. The two discussed finding a writer to publish a book on the papers and initially considered contacting novelist [[Tom Clancy]]. Kass suggested Seymour Hersh as a better choice and knew he was writing a book on the Kennedys at the time. Hersh was contacted in December 1994 and shown some of the papers; he was interested in the story immediately.{{sfn|Grove|1997b}}{{sfn|Cockburn|1997|p=8}}{{sfn|Hersh|2018|p=286}} According to journalists Evan Thomas and Mark Hosenball, this was when Hersh decided to change the focus of the book away from the assassination and towards the information in Cusack's Kennedy documents.{{sfn|Thomas|Hosenball|1997|pp=36–37}}
-After six months of negotiations, on July 3, 1995, Hersh signed an agreement that gave him complete and exclusive access to all of Cusack's documents prior to the planned auction.{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=68}}{{sfn|Miraldi|2013|p=295}} Hersh undertook background checks on Cusack and established that he had never been in the intelligence services; he was not concerned that Cusack's claims were false – instead he was relieved that Cusack was not a spy. He later said, "In my business, you don't really go around psychoanalyzing people who give you stuff. You grab it. I deal with all sorts of wackos."{{sfn|Miraldi|2013|p=294}} With the new information from the Cusack documents, Hersh negotiated an advance from Little, Brown of $250,000.{{sfn|Thomas|Hosenball|1997|p=39}}{{efn|$250,000 in 1995 equates to approximately ${{Inflation|US|250000|1995|fmt=c|r=-3}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}, according to calculations based on the [[United States Consumer Price Index]] measure of inflation.{{refn|{{harvnb|McCusker|1996a}}; {{harvnb|McCusker|1996b}}; {{harvnb|"Consumer Price Index, 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis}}.}}}}
-Hersh decided that the best way to boost the story's standing was through television. Based on the documents and the agreement of former [[United States Secret Service|Secret Service]] members to appear on film – the agents he had been interviewing for his book – [[NBC]] paid Cusack and producer Mark Obenhaus $1&nbsp;million for a television documentary that was to last either one{{sfn|Miraldi|2013|pp=295–296}}{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=71}} or two hours.{{sfn|Anson|1997|p=120}}{{efn|$1&nbsp;million in 1995 equates to approximately ${{Inflation|US|1000000|1995|fmt=c|r=-3}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}, according to calculations based on the [[United States Consumer Price Index]] measure of inflation.{{refn|{{harvnb|McCusker|1996a}}; {{harvnb|McCusker|1996b}}; {{harvnb|"Consumer Price Index, 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis}}.}}}} In August 1996, Hersh and Obenhaus began filming the documentary, but NBC informed them that the network had decided to cancel the project. NBC executive [[Warren Littlefield]] subsequently stated that he told Hersh: "in our investigation of the documents, serious questions have been raised that we cannot answer", although Hersh denies ever having been informed of this.{{sfn|Grove|1997b}}{{sfn|Miraldi|2013|p=296}} In November 1996, [[ABC News]] stepped in with an offer of $2.5&nbsp;million for the documentary, which Hersh and Obenhaus accepted.{{sfn|Grove|1997b}}{{efn|$2.5&nbsp;million in 1996 equates to approximately ${{Inflation|US|2500000|1996|fmt=c|r=-3}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}, according to calculations based on the [[United States Consumer Price Index]] measure of inflation.{{refn|{{harvnb|McCusker|1996a}}; {{harvnb|McCusker|1996b}}; {{harvnb|"Consumer Price Index, 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis}}.}}}}
-==Uncovering the forgeries==
-[[File:Examples of the flaws in the forged Kennedy documents.png|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=Two images: the top shows the name "Kennedy" with a correction made by 'lift-off' type. In the bottom one, a Monroe signature shows that the pen had lifted a tiny part of the typed line below the "y". |Evidence of technology that post-dated the papers:<br />
-'''Top''': use of "lift-off" type to adjust a spelling error in Kennedy's name.<br />
-'''Bottom''': a broken line can be seen underneath part of Monroe's signature.{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=63}}]]
-While NBC was still involved in the documentary, Obenhaus had been employing text specialists to verify the documents; no errors had been located. After ABC became involved, he continued to use experts in different fields, including those versed in fingerprint and handwriting analysis, and in the microscopic examination of the typewritten material.{{sfn|Anson|1997|p=120}}{{sfn|Hersh|2018|pp=287–288}} In May 1997, one of Obenhaus's research team noticed that two of the letters, written in Kennedy's hand, but on Cusack Jr.'s office notepaper, showed the address with a [[ZIP Code]]. The documents were dated 1961 and 1962; the researcher knew that ZIP Codes were not introduced until April 1963, and so the code could not have been available on that date.{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=71}}{{sfn|Anson|1997|p=120}}{{sfn|Hersh|2018|p=288}} When asked, Cusack suggested the documents had been backdated, which seemed to satisfy Hersh and Obenhaus, although the verification continued.{{sfn|Anson|1997|pp=120–121}}
-Cusack began to ask several Kennedy associates about the connection between the president and Cusack Jr.; this included Janet Des Rosiers, one of Kennedy's former secretaries, whose name appears in the papers, who denied that she had ever seen Monroe and that a signature that appeared was hers. None had any knowledge of any connection between the two men or had heard of Cusack Jr.{{sfn|Miraldi|2013|p=296}}{{sfn|Katsoulis|2009|p=106}}{{sfn|Anson|1997|p=111}} In mid-1997, the microscopic analysis results were shown to Hersh and Obenhaus. They showed that many of the documents were printed on an [[IBM Selectric]] with a Prestige Pica font [[typeball]], which was unavailable until 1973. The documents also showed evidence of the use of "lift-off" type to adjust a spelling error in Kennedy's name, which was not possible in the 1960s. Another flaw was that the "y" in Monroe's signature had removed a tiny fragment of the typed line below; this was only possible with more modern plastic [[typewriter ribbon]]s, which were not available in the early 1960s.{{sfn|Anson|1997|p=121}}{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=72}} Kenneth Rendell, an expert in historical documents, initially stated that the papers were genuine, although this was based upon a sample of only three cards. In a retrospective analysis, he considered that "the complete lack of change in the handwriting" showed the documents were forgeries.{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=66}} Another clue was that Kennedy's handwriting was irregular and inconsistent – to the point that his wife's relative, [[Gore Vidal]], described it as "a sort of vigorous 9-year-old valiantly combating dyslexia" –{{sfn|Frank|1997|p=20}} while Rendell identifies that in the forgeries:
-<blockquote>Every page has the same inconsistencies, and that doesn't happen. For example, when Kennedy would finish off a final letter "t" he would sometimes make it big, sometimes small, and sometimes it ends with an outrageous flourish. But all the "t"s here had the same flourish, page after page.{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=66}}</blockquote>
-As soon as it became clear in July 1997 that the documents were fakes, Hersh wanted the news spread widely to ensure no-one else was fooled by them, and to ensure he was not legally liable for their promotion.{{sfn|Miraldi|2013|p=296}}{{sfn|Anson|1997|p=121}} He removed one of the chapters from ''The Dark Side of Camelot'' and deleted all references to the forged documents throughout the book.{{sfn|Miraldi|2013|p=297}}{{sfn|Zoglin|1997}} ABC, following legal advice, decided to cancel the documentary project and, instead, interview Cusack and Cloud for an [[Exposé (journalism)|exposé]].{{sfn|Anson|1997|p=122}}{{sfn|Thomas|Hosenball|1997|p=26}} On September 25, 1997, ABC broadcast an edition of their ''[[20/20 (American TV program)|20/20]]'' news program about the forgeries. Interviewed by journalist [[Peter Jennings]], a visibly sweating Cusack was confronted with the news about the irregularities in the papers; ABC did not tell him in advance that they knew the documents were forgeries.{{sfn|Losure|1998|pp=104–105}} Jennings asked him directly if he had forged the papers: Cusack responded that he had not.{{sfn|Samuels|1997|p=75}} Cusack claimed that the documents may be copies of earlier originals.{{sfn|Zoglin|1997}} The same day, stories of the forged nature of the documents were being reported in the press. Hersh was quoted in ''[[The Washington Post]]'': "That's journalism.&nbsp;... I'm sorry if people want to magnify and dramatize.&nbsp;... Big deal."{{sfn|Grove|1997a}} Cusack complained to ''The New York Times'' that he did not know he was going to be asked about the documents; ABC told the newspaper that not only did Cusack know he was going to be asked about them, he was a paid consultant for the program.{{sfn|Carter|1997|p=26}} Cusack was then investigated by a [[federal grand jury]]. In response to the claims of forgery, that November, Cusack, his wife, and Cloud brought lawsuits against ABC, Jennings, Hersh, and several other media outlets for 16 civil claims, including fraud, [[libel]], [[breach of contract]], and "[[intentional infliction of emotional distress]]".{{sfn|Grove|1997c}}
-==Arrest and court action==
-On March 17, 1998, Cusack was arrested on thirteen charges of [[mail and wire fraud]].{{sfn|Harden|1998|p=2}} An investigation showed that Cusack had spent the money he received from sale of the forgeries on two large houses (a $1.3 million home in [[Southport, Connecticut]], and a $540,000 weekend house in [[Southampton, New York]]), clothing, and eleven cars.{{sfn|Hughes|1999|p=15}}{{sfn|Kohn|2001|p=99}}{{sfn|"Man Accused of Forging Letters by JFK, Monroe". ''Chicago Tribune''}}{{efn|$1.3&nbsp;million in 1998 equates to approximately ${{Inflation|US|1300000|1998|fmt=c|r=-3}} and $540,000 equates to approximately ${{Inflation|US|540000|1998|fmt=c|r=-3}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}, according to calculations based on the [[United States Consumer Price Index]] measure of inflation.{{refn|{{harvnb|McCusker|1996a}}; {{harvnb|McCusker|1996b}}; {{harvnb|"Consumer Price Index, 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis}}.}}}} The indictment stated that investigators had found a notebook containing a handwritten draft of one of the forged documents, written in Cusack's handwriting.{{sfn|Hughes|1999|p=15}}{{efn|The notebook also contained practice signatures of other historical figures, including [[George Washington]], [[Thomas Jefferson]], and [[Andrew Jackson]].{{sfn|Harden|1998|p=2}}}}
-Cusack's case ended on April 30, 1999; he was convicted on all thirteen charges.{{sfn|"Man Convicted of Sale of Kennedy Forgeries". ''The Washington Post''}}{{sfn|"Seller Guilty in Kennedy Forgery Case". ''Los Angeles Times''}} That September he was sentenced to nine years and seven months imprisonment and ordered to repay $7 million in restitution to those who had purchased the documents.{{sfn|Weiser|1999}}{{sfn|Hurtado|1999}}
-==Aftermath==
-Cusack and Cloud's action against ABC and others had been paused while the criminal case proceeded. When that ended, Cusack and Cloud's federal claim was withdrawn, although a different defamation action continued in a state court.{{sfn|''Cloud v. ABC, Inc.'', 97 Civ. 8702 (JSM)}} In June 2001, this claim was denied by the courts.{{sfn|"CBS Defamation Claim Dismissed". ''The Journal News''}} Cusack [[Appeal|appealed]] his criminal conviction; the conviction was affirmed on November 9, 2000. In 2001, he filed for a [[writ]] of [[habeas corpus]] but this was denied; the [[Legal opinion|opinion]] stated: "The petitioner has not made a substantial showing of a denial of a federal right and appellate review is, therefore, not warranted."{{sfn|''Cusack v. US'', 98 CR 691 (DLC) 00 CIV. 8480 (DLC)}}
-Despite the evidence that the papers were forgeries, several of those who had bought the papers wanted to keep their copies. Mike Stern – one of the collectors, who had paid $300,000 – said:{{efn|$300,000 in 1999 equates to approximately ${{Inflation|US|300000|1999|fmt=c|r=-3}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}, according to calculations based on the [[United States Consumer Price Index]] measure of inflation.{{refn|{{harvnb|McCusker|1996a}}; {{harvnb|McCusker|1996b}}; {{harvnb|"Consumer Price Index, 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis}}.}}}} "We paid for them, we're entitled to them. Stamp them with the word 'forgery' if you have to, but we want to hang them on our walls even if they are fake."{{sfn|Katsoulis|2009|p=107}}
-==Notes and references==
-===Notes===
-{{notes}}
-===References===
 {{reflist}}
-===Sources===
-{{refbegin}}
-====Books====
-* {{cite book|last=Churchwell|first=Sarah|author-link=Sarah Churchwell|title=The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe|year=2004|url=https://archive.org/details/manylivesofmaril00chur|publisher=Granta Books|isbn= 978-0-312-42565-4}}
-* {{cite book|last1=Dallek|first1=Robert|author1-link=Robert Dallek|title=An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917–1963|date=2015|publisher=American Political Biography Press|location=Newtown, Connecticut|isbn=978-0-9457-0743-1|url=https://archive.org/details/unfinishedlifejo0000robe}}
-* {{cite book|last1=Hersh|first1=Seymour M.|author1-link=Seymour Hersh|title=Reporter: A Memoir|date=2018|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf|location=New York|isbn=978-0-3072-6395-7|url=https://archive.org/details/reportermemoir0000hers}}
-* {{cite book|last1=Katsoulis|first1=Melissa|title=Literary Hoaxes: An Eye-opening History of Famous Frauds|date=2009|publisher=Skyhorse|location=New York|isbn=978-1-6023-9794-1|url=https://archive.org/details/literaryhoaxesey00kats}}
-* {{cite book|last1=Kohn|first1=George Childs|title=The New Encyclopedia of American Scandal|date=2001|publisher=Facts on File|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8160-4225-8|url=https://archive.org/details/newencyclopediao0000unse}}
-* {{cite book|last1=Losure|first1=Bob|author1-link=Bob Losure|title=Five Seconds to Air: Broadcast Journalism Behind the Scenes|date=1998|publisher=Hillsboro Press|location=Franklin, Tennessee|isbn=978-1-5773-6107-7|url=https://archive.org/details/fivesecondstoair0000losu/}}
-* {{cite book|last1=Miraldi|first1=Robert|title=Seymour Hersh: Scoop Artist|date=2013|publisher=Potomac Books|location=Lincoln, Nebraska|isbn=978-1-6123-4475-1|url=https://archive.org/details/seymourhershscoo0000mira}}
-* {{cite book|last1=Quirk|first1=Lawrence J.|author1-link=Lawrence J. Quirk|title=The Kennedys in Hollywood|date=2004|publisher=Cooper Square Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8154-1296-0|url=https://archive.org/details/kennedysinhollyw0000quir}}
-* {{cite book|last1=Reeves|first1=Richard|author1-link=Richard Reeves (American writer)|title=President Kennedy: Profile of Power|date=1993|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=978-0-671-64879-4|url=https://archive.org/details/presidentkennedy00reev_0}}
-* {{cite book|last1=Spoto|first1=Donald|author1-link=Donald Spoto|title=Marilyn Monroe: The Biography|date=2001|publisher=Cooper Square Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8154-1183-3|url=https://archive.org/details/marilynmonroe00dona}}
-====Court reports====
-* {{cite court|litigants=Cloud v. ABC, Inc.|vol=97|reporter=Civ.|opinion=8702 (JSM)|court=United States District Court, S.D. New York|date=December 17, 2001|url=https://casetext.com/case/cloud-v-abc?q=Lawrence%20cusack&sort=relevance&p=1&type=case|ref={{sfnRef|''Cloud v. ABC, Inc.'', 97 Civ. 8702 (JSM)}}}}
-* {{cite court|litigants=Cusack v. US|reporter=00 CIV|opinion=8480 (DLC)|court=United States District Court, S.D. New York|date=December 7, 2001|url=https://casetext.com/case/cusack-v-us|ref={{sfnRef|''Cusack v. US'', 98 CR 691 (DLC) 00 CIV. 8480 (DLC)}}}}
-* {{cite court|litigants=United States of America v. Lawrence X. Cusack|vol=229|reporter=F.3d|opinion=344|court=United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit|date=October 13, 2000|url=https://casetext.com/case/us-v-cusack-5|ref={{sfnRef|''United States of America v. Lawrence X. Cusack'', 229 F.3d 344 (2d Cir. 2000)}}}}
-====Inflation calculations====
-* 1634–1699: {{cite journal|last1=McCusker|first1=John J.|author1-link=John J. McCusker|title=How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda|journal=Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society|date=January 1996a|volume=106|issue=2|pages=327–334|url=https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44525121.pdf}}
-* 1700–1799: {{cite journal|last1=McCusker|first1=John J.|author1-link=John J. McCusker|title=How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States|journal=American Antiquarian Society|date=October 1996b|volume=106|issue=2|pages=327–334|url=https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44517778.pdf}}
-* 1800–present: {{cite web|title=Consumer Price Index, 1800–|url=https://www.minneapolisfed.org/about-us/monetary-policy/inflation-calculator/consumer-price-index-1800-|publisher=Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis|access-date=April 22, 2024|ref={{sfnRef|"Consumer Price Index, 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis}}}}
-====Journals====
-* {{cite journal|last1=Billington|first1=Monroe|title=President Lyndon B. Johnson and the Separation of Church and State|journal=Journal of Church and State|date=January 1, 1987|volume=29|issue=1|pages=101–111|doi=10.1093/jcs/29.1.101}}
-* {{cite journal|last1=Cusack|first1=Lawrence X.|title=Another Point of View – Lawyer Advertising and the Future of the Legal Profession|journal=The Journal|date=November 26, 1977|volume=48|issue=44|pages=2609–2610|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_oklahoma-bar-journal_1977-11-26_48_44|publisher=Oklahoma Bar Association|ref={{sfnRef|"Another Point of View – Lawyer Advertising and the Future of the Legal Profession". ''The Journal''}}}}
-* {{cite journal|last1=Hughes|first1=Rod|title=Cashing in on Camelot|journal=Legal Assistant Today|date=July 1999|volume=16|issue=6|page=15}}
-* {{cite journal|title=Presbyterians on Church and State|journal=Church & State|date=July–August 1963|volume=16|issue=7|page=3|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_church-state_july-august-1963_16_7|ref={{sfnRef|"Presbyterians on Church and State". ''Church & State''}}}}
-====Magazines====
-* {{cite magazine|last1=Anson|first1=Robert Sam|author1-link=Robert Sam Anson|title=Secrets and Lies|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=November 1997|issue=447|pages=96–122|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_vanity-fair_1997-11_447}}
-* {{cite magazine|last1=Cockburn|first1=Alexander|author1-link=Alexander Cockburn|title=The Myth of Fingerprints|magazine=The Nation|date=October 20, 1997|issue=265|page=8}}
-* {{cite magazine|last1=Frank|first1=Reuven|title=Documenting the Documentary|magazine=The New Leader|date=November 3, 1997|volume=80|issue=17|pages=20–21}}
-* {{cite magazine|last1=Samuels|first1=David|author1-link=David Samuels (writer)|title=Fakes: Who forged the JFK-Marilyn Monroe Papers?|magazine=The New Yorker|date=November 3, 1997|volume=73|issue=33|pages=62–75|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_the-new-yorker_1997-11-03_73_33}}
-* {{cite journal|last1=Weinberg|first1=Steve|title=Attacks on Style and Substance|journal=The IRE Journal|date=November 1997|volume=20|issue=6|pages=6–15}}
-====News====
-* {{cite news|last1=Carter|first1=Bill|title=ABC Says Documents on Kennedy Were Faked|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/25/us/abc-says-documents-on-kennedy-were-faked.html|work=The New York Times|date=September 25, 1997|page=26}}
-* {{cite news|title=CBS Defamation Claim Dismissed|work=The Journal News|date=June 28, 2001|page=38|ref={{sfnRef|"CBS Defamation Claim Dismissed". ''The Journal News''}}}}
-* {{cite news|last1=Grove|first1=Lloyd|author1-link=Lloyd Grove|title=Incendiary JFK Story Goes up in Smoke|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1997/09/25/incendiary-jfk-story-goes-up-in-smoke/afa77b5c-2b65-4346-b7fb-7ac8346fc6b0/|work=The Washington Post|date=September 25, 1997a|url-access=subscription}}
-* {{cite news|last1=Grove|first1=Lloyd|author1-link=Lloyd Grove|title=Was the Writing on the Wall?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1997/10/27/was-the-writing-on-the-wall/a8f22a08-421f-44f7-b707-5c2fbfa4d028/|work=The Washington Post|date=October 26, 1997b|url-access=subscription}}
-* {{cite news|last1=Grove|first1=Lloyd|author1-link=Lloyd Grove|title=ABC, Hersh Sued Over 'JFK' Papers; Document Sellers Charge Fraud, Libel|work=The Washington Post|date=November 22, 1997c|page=1}}
-* {{cite news|last1=Harden|first1=Blaine|title='JFK Papers' Figure Charged With Mail Fraud; Ex- Paralegal Accused of Forging, Selling Documents on Marilyn Monroe Hush Fund|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/03/17/jfk-papers-figure-charged-with-mail-fraud/8c7583a5-9876-4fdd-834e-dd29686335bd/|work=The Washington Post|date=March 17, 1998|page=2}}
-* {{cite news|last1=Hurtado|first1=Patricia|title=Man Convicted of Selling Forged Papers|work=Newsday|date=September 18, 1999|page=8}}
-* {{cite news|title=Lawrence X. Cusack|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/29/nyregion/lawrence-x-cusack.html?searchResultPosition=1|work=The New York Times|date=October 29, 1985|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416130317/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/29/nyregion/lawrence-x-cusack.html?searchResultPosition=1|archive-date=April 16, 2024 |location=Section D, Page 27|ref={{sfnRef|"Lawrence X. Cusack". ''The New York Times''}}}}
-* {{cite news|title=Man Accused of Forging Letters by JFK, Monroe|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/03/17/man-accused-of-forging-letters-by-jfk-monroe/|work=Chicago Tribune|date=March 17, 1998|page=8|ref={{sfnRef|"Man Accused of Forging Letters by JFK, Monroe". ''Chicago Tribune''}}}}
-* {{cite news|title=Man Convicted of Sale of Kennedy Forgeries|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/05/01/man-convicted-of-sale-of-kennedy-forgeries/09802e5e-ff1f-4e15-9ad9-4a1d9477570e/|work=The Washington Post|date=May 1, 1999|page=2|ref={{sfnRef|"Man Convicted of Sale of Kennedy Forgeries". ''The Washington Post''}}}}
-* {{cite news|title=Miss Rush Wed to L. X. Cusack|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/08/style/miss-rush-wed-to-l-x-cusack.html?searchResultPosition=2|work=The New York Times|date=December 8, 1991|location=Section 1, Page 80|ref={{sfnRef|"Miss Rush Wed to L. X. Cusack". ''The New York Times''}}}}
-* {{cite news|last1=Schwartzman|first1=Paul|title=Sex, Lies and Trail of Debt Document Pusher Savors High Life, but has Problem Paying his Way|work=New York Daily News|date=October 26, 1997|page=13}}
-* {{cite news|title=Seller Guilty in Kennedy Forgery Case|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-may-01-mn-32967-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=May 1, 1999|page=9A|ref={{sfnRef|"Seller Guilty in Kennedy Forgery Case". ''Los Angeles Times''}}}}
-* {{cite news|last1=Thomas|first1=Evan|last2=Hosenball|first2=Mark|author-link1=Evan Thomas|author-link2=Mark Hosenball|title=The JFK-Marilyn hoax|work=Newsweek|date=October 6, 1997|volume=130|issue=14|pages=24–26|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_newsweek_1997-10-06_130_14/page/24/mode/2up?view=theater}}
-* {{cite news|last1=Weiser|first1=Benjamin|title=Kennedy Papers' Forger Sentenced to 9 Years|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/18/nyregion/kennedy-papers-forger-sentenced-to-9-years.html?searchResultPosition=1|work=The New York Times|date=September 18, 1999|page=3}}
-* {{cite news|last=Winship|first=Frederick M.|date=August 7, 1996|title=Kennedy Book War Heats Up|agency=United Press International}}
-* {{cite news|last1=Zoglin|first1=Richard|author1-link=Richard Zoglin|title=The Marilyn Papers|url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,987122,00.html|access-date=April 11, 2024|work=Time|date=October 6, 1997}}
-{{Refend}}
 {{Marilyn Monroe}}

v t e Marilyn Monroe
Performances and accolades Death
Songs	"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" "Heat Wave" "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" "That Old Black Magic" "You'd Be Surprised"
Clothes	Pink dress White dress John F. Kennedy birthday dress
Popular culture	Marilyn Diptych (1962 painting) Gold Marilyn Monroe (1962 painting) Marilyn (1963 documentary) Shot Marilyns (1964 paintings) The Legend of Marilyn Monroe (1966 documentary) Marilyn Monroe portfolio (1967 prints) "Candle in the Wind" (1973 song) Goodbye, Norma Jean (1976 film) Marilyn (1980 opera) This Year's Blonde (1980 film) Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980 film) Insignificance (1985 film) Taxi (1988 pinball machine) Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn (1989 film) Marilyn and Me (1991 film) Calendar Girl (1993 film) Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996 film) Blonde (2001 film) Marilyn Forever Blonde (2007 play) Marilyn and Ella (2008 play) Forever Marilyn (2011 statue) My Week with Marilyn (2011 film) Love, Marilyn (2012 documentary) "Marilyn Monroe" (2012 song) The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (2015 film) Norma Jeane Baker of Troy (2019 play) Blonde (2022 film) "Nxde" (2022 song)
Related	James Dougherty (first husband) Joe DiMaggio (second husband) Arthur Miller (third husband) Gladys Pearl Baker (mother) Berniece Baker Miracle (sister) John F. Kennedy document hoax The Last Sitting 12305 Fifth Helena Drive