Abraham Bolden Sr., the first African-American Secret Service agent assigned to the White House detail, still finds humor in his life, despite having faced formidable challenges that would have defeated a lesser man. Bolden served three years in prison after being convicted of giving government documents to a known criminal in exchange for $50,000. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Chicago retaliated against Bolden after he complained to no avail to his Secret Service bosses and later to the public that Secret Service agents failed to protect President John F. Kennedy on the day he was assassinated because some of them considered the President a nigger lover who was changing the country. Some of Boldens white Secret Service colleagues fabricated the charge against him as part of an elaborate cover up that followed JFKs assassination in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. ...Bolden was serving part of his prison sentence at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., when he wrote John N. Mitchell, who was President Nixons Attorney General from 1969 to 1972, seeking help. Mitchell did not answer Bolden, but circumstances changed dramatically for both Bolden and Mitchell. Bolden was released from prison in September 1969. Six years later, Mitchell took up residence in the big house. In 1975, Mitchell was sentenced to 2 ½ years to 8 years in prison, having been convicted for conspiracy, obstruction of justice and perjury. Mitchell was sentenced to serve his sentence at Maxwell Air Force Base. thenorthstarnews/fullstory/story/abraham-bolden-the-first-black-secret-service-agent-assigned-to-the-white-house-tells-the-story-of-racism-in-the-us-secrect-service
Posted on: Fri, 23 May 2014 23:44:45 +0000