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U.S. Secret Service naturally cannot afford to ignore any threats, and it must expend personnel and resources to check out all reported statements of this nature to make sure they are not viable. Second, be advised that it is a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2 to aid, abet, counsel, or induce the commission of a federal offense. This means that, depending on the overall context and circumstances, encouraging others to harm the President or other officials with an intent that this be accomplished could constitute a crime. [Later] Caller: Yes, Rollye, your recent banter about thirty or forty minutes ago about Lee Harvey Oswald and sort of wishing he were around today, that was just a little bit irresponsible. James: I don’t think it’s irresponsible. Caller: Uh, that’s the same thing that we were hearing right before the Kennedy assassination. With the kooks around nowadays, anything could happen. James: You were hearing that right before the Kennedy assassination? What were you listening to? Caller: There were comments of the same type that were going around in Dallas. And that’s exactly the sort of thing that sometimes is just enough to dislodge some kook. James: Well, I’ll tell you re Marrou [guest]: If that’s enough to dislodge some then he needs to be dislodged. James: Yeah, right. If that’s going to do it, I think we all need to take to a cave in the ground. I think anybody who doesn’t see this as an entertainment show has a screw loose, and I don’t I’d love to think that I’m as powerful as you think I am, Jim. And that’s that I can actually influence public behavior. But I’m lucky if I can get them to [visit an advertiser]. I really don’t think that I’m going to be able to cause anybody to take out Bill Clinton. But if I can, I hope their aim is good and I hope that bullet passes through AI Gore first. And if you want a trifecta, take Hillary, too. From a fax by KLBJ-AM staffers, Ding! Dong! the [Rollye James on a broomstick] is gone! Good Golly! Miss Rollye has taken her leave, From her sarcasm and opinions we have a reprieve, The Woman and Week from Hell is behind us, So for lunch in your office with food you will find us! From a letter dated October 28, 1996 to KLBJ-AM management from James William Blagg, United States Attorney, Western District of Texas, U.S. Department of Justice The purpose of this letter is to follow-up in writing our previous conversation regards the law pertaining to threats on the President and public officials and hopefully to avoid further incidents such as occurred last week on the Rollye James Show. First, it is a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 871 to make any threat to inflict bodily harm upon the President, a member of his family, or other public officials. The making of such a threat is illegal whether or not the speaker had an intent to actually commit such a crime. This is, in part, because the I am certain that this explanation of the law and your co-operative attitude will ensure that there will be no further possible violations in this area. I would like to add that it is my personal belief that the caller who advised Ms. James that she should watch what she said because vicious and inflammatory slander could potentially “dislodge” an individual who is already prone to commit violent acts was probably correct. We all know that civil discourse, not irresponsible and baseless attacks, advance the cause of society. JUNE 19, 1998 THE TEXAS OBSERVER 13