Ellen Rometsch (President John Kennedy Administration/Robert Kennedy) FBI Files

Description

Ellen Rometsch: Espionage and the Kennedy White House

Timeline of Events Related to Ellen Rometsch

• 1936: Ellen Rometsch is born in Kleinitz, Germany.
• Post-World War II: Kleinitz becomes part of East Germany.
• 1955: Ellen Rometsch immigrates to West Germany.
• Early 1960s (exact date unspecified): Ellen Rometsch marries Rolf Rometsch, a West German Military aide.
• April 6, 1961: Ellen Rometsch arrives in the United States.
• Early 1960s (after arrival): Ellen Rometsch frequents the Quorum Club, a private club in the Carroll Arms Hotel run by Bobby Baker.
• Early 1960s (likely 1961-1963): Ellen Rometsch comes under suspicion as a potential internal security threat due to her East German origins, leading to an FBI investigation.
• Mid-1963 (Summer):FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover informs Attorney General Robert Kennedy about information suggesting President John F. Kennedy and others in Washington have been involved with Ellen Rometsch, whom the FBI suspects of being a Soviet intelligence agent linked to East German intelligence.
• Robert Kennedy reportedly speaks with Senate leaders Everett Dirksen and Mike Mansfield about the situation and asks them to keep any knowledge they have of it confidential.
• Robert Kennedy has Ellen Rometsch expelled from the United States within a week, and she is flown back to West Germany.
• July 1963: An FBI memo suggests an end to the investigation of the Rometsch case.
• November 22, 1963: John F. Kennedy is assassinated, and Lyndon B. Johnson becomes President.
• Post-November 1963: President Lyndon B. Johnson encourages further investigation into the Rometsch case.
• Post-Kennedy Assassination: The FBI reportedly does not initially make files concerning Rometsch available to Nicholas Katzenbach, Robert Kennedy’s replacement as Attorney General.
• 1965: The FBI conducts an interview with Robert Kennedy concerning Ellen Rometsch, John F. Kennedy, and former publisher of the Washington Post Philip Graham.
• 1963 – 1987: The FBI maintains files on Ellen Rometsch, as indicated by the date range of the released FBI files.
• Date Unspecified: A memo indicates that some FBI files on Rometsch have been intentionally destroyed by the FBI.
• Date Unspecified: The FBI investigation reportedly fails to develop any information connecting Rometsch with intelligence activities in the United States.
• 1978: Bobby Baker publishes his book, “Wheeling and Dealing: Confessions of a Capitol Hill Operator,” in which he discusses the Quorum Club and its clientele.
• 2015: The CIA biography of former CIA Director John McCone is declassified, revealing information about McCone’s knowledge of John F. Kennedy’s associations with women of “dubious note,” including Ellen Rometsch, and his communication with Robert Kennedy about these matters.

Cast of Characters

• Ellen Rometsch: A German woman born in East Germany who immigrated to West Germany and later married a West German military aide stationed in Washington D.C. She arrived in the U.S. in 1961 and frequented the Quorum Club. She was investigated by the FBI as a potential Soviet intelligence agent and was eventually expelled from the United States in the summer of 1963.
• John F. Kennedy: The 35th President of the United States. The FBI investigated his alleged involvement with Ellen Rometsch, whom they suspected of being an East German agent. His encounters with various women were reportedly widely known in Washington.
• Robert Kennedy: Attorney General during his brother John F. Kennedy’s presidency. He was informed by J. Edgar Hoover about the allegations concerning his brother and Ellen Rometsch. He reportedly asked Senate leaders to keep the information confidential and had Rometsch expelled from the U.S. His personal files reportedly contained Department of Justice files on Rometsch.
• J. Edgar Hoover: Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He initiated the investigation into Ellen Rometsch as a potential security threat and informed Robert Kennedy about her alleged involvement with President Kennedy. He also reportedly discussed the possibility of being replaced as FBI director with Robert Kennedy during discussions about Rometsch.
• Lyndon B. Johnson: Vice President under John F. Kennedy who became the 36th President of the United States following Kennedy’s assassination. He reportedly encouraged further investigation into the Ellen Rometsch case after becoming President.
• Bobby Baker: A Lyndon B. Johnson aide who ran the Quorum Club, a private club frequented by senators, congressmen, lobbyists, and others. Ellen Rometsch was known to frequent this club.
• John McCone: Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from 1961 to 1965. His declassified CIA biography mentions his awareness of President Kennedy’s relationships with women of “dubious note,” including Ellen Rometsch, and suggests he likely shared information about this with his friend Robert Kennedy.
• David Robage: CIA historian who wrote the biography of John McCone. His work, declassified in 2015, provides insights into the knowledge of Kennedy’s affairs within the CIA.
• Everett Dirksen: A Republican Senator who was reportedly informed by Robert Kennedy about the situation involving President Kennedy and Ellen Rometsch and asked to keep the information confidential.
• Mike Mansfield: A Democratic Senator who was also reportedly informed by Robert Kennedy about the situation involving President Kennedy and Ellen Rometsch and asked to keep the information confidential.
• Nicholas Katzenbach: Robert Kennedy’s replacement as Attorney General after Kennedy left the position. The FBI reportedly did not initially make files on Ellen Rometsch available to him.
• Philip Graham: Former publisher of the Washington Post. He was mentioned in a 1965 FBI interview with Robert Kennedy concerning Ellen Rometsch and John F. Kennedy, though the context of his involvement is not specified in the provided source.
• Rolf Rometsch: Ellen Rometsch’s second husband, who was a West German Military aide assigned to Washington, D.C. His position likely contributed to the initial security concerns surrounding his wife.
• Judith Exner: Mentioned in the CIA biography of John McCone as another “woman of dubious note” with whom President Kennedy had encounters, described as a “Mafia moll.” She is listed alongside Ellen Rometsch as someone whose associations caused difficulties for the administration.

Ellen Rometsch (President John Kennedy Administration/Robert Kennedy) FBI Files

478 pages of FBI files covering Ellen Rometsch. Files date from 1963 to 1987.

In the CIA biography of CIA Director (1961-1965) John McCone, declassified in 2015, CIA historian David Robage wrote, “Given McCone’s friendship with Robert Kennedy, the chief protector of the president’s reputation, and his responsibility as DCI for assessing the security damage of the Profumo episode, it seems likely that McCone knew the truth about John Kennedy’s past link to the Keeler circle, used CIA resources to find out what she [REDACTED] and the FBI had uncovered about it, and passed on what he learned [REDACTED] to the attorney general. President Kennedy’s reckless encounters with women of dubious note, a Mafia moll (Judith Exner) and a suspected East German agent (Ellen Rometsch), among others, were widely known in official and unofficial Washington at the time and already had caused difficulties for the administration.”

Ellen Rometsch was born in Kleinitz Germany, in 1936. After World War II Kleinitz became part of East Germany. In 1955 she immigrated to West Germany. Ellen Rometsch’s second husband was Rolf Rometsch, a West German Military aide assigned to Washington, D.C. Mrs. Rometsch arrived in the U.S. on April 6, 1961. She was investigated as an internal security threat, as it was reported that she came from East Germany. The investigation finally determined that Mrs. Rometsch did not pose an internal security threat.

Ellen Rometsch frequented the Quorum Club, a private club in the Carroll Arms Hotel on Capitol Hill run by Lyndon B. Johnson aide Bobby Baker. In his 1978 book, “Wheeling and Dealing: Confessions of a Capitol Hill Operator,” Baker referred to the place as where, “membership was comprised of senators, congressmen, lobbyists, Capitol Hill staffers, and other well-connecteds who wanted to enjoy their drinks, meals, poker games, and shared secrets in private accommodations.”

According to presidential historian Michael Bechloss, in the summer of 1963, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover went to Robert Kennedy and said, “We have information that not only your brother, the president, but others in Washington have been involved with a woman whom we suspect as a Soviet intelligence agent, someone who is linked to East German intelligence.” Bechloss says Robert Kennedy spoke with Senate leaders Everett Dirksen (Republican) and Mike Mansfield (Democrat) and asked them to keep to themselves whatever knowledge they had of this. According to Bechloss, Robert Kennedy also had Rometsch expelled from the United States within a week and flown to West Germany.

FBI FILES

The files show a high level of interest in the Ellen Rometsch case. Memos indicate the scope and range of the investigation. Files show that Department of Justice files on Ellen Rometsch were moved to Robert F. Kennedy’s personal files. A memo shows that while discussing the Rometsch issue with Attorney General Robert Kennedy, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover broached the subject of the possibility of President John Kennedy replacing him as FBI director. A July 1963 FBI memo calls for an end to the investigation of the Rometsch case. Memos show that after taking office following the assassination of President Kennedy, President Johnson encouraged further investigation into the Rometsch case. Files show that the FBI at least initially did not make files concerning Rometsch available to Robert Kennedy’s replacement as attorney general, Nicholas Katzenbach. A memo summarizes a 1965 FBI interview of Robert Kennedy concerning Ellen Rometsch, John F. Kennedy and former publisher of the Washington Post Philip Graham. Files show that the FBI failed to develop any information connecting Rometsch with intelligence activities in the United States. Specific results of the FBI investigation were withheld. The memos however show the dissemination of whatever that information was and the interest of others to see it. A memo indicates that some FBI files on Rometsch have been intentionally destroyed by the FBI. Materials show the date and number of pages in the files which are currently heavily redacted or withheld in their entirety, which researchers may want to pursue in the future.