JFK's Personal Secretary Suspected Conspiracy in His Assassination

Evelyn Lincoln's unpublished memoir claimed LBJ, Hoover, Mafia, CIA, and Cuban exiles were involved

Mar. 31, 2026 at 11:20pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Evelyn Lincoln, President John F. Kennedy's personal White House secretary for 12 years, firmly believed that Kennedy's assassination in Dallas in 1963 was the result of a conspiracy. In her unpublished memoir 'I Was There', Lincoln named Lyndon B. Johnson, J. Edgar Hoover, the Mafia, the CIA, and Cuban exiles in Florida as the five main conspirators. She also suggested the Ku Klux Klan and hawkish military figures could have been involved due to Kennedy's civil rights policies and statements about reducing military interventionism.

Why it matters

Lincoln's insider perspective as Kennedy's personal secretary lent credibility to her conspiracy theory, which contradicted the official conclusion of the Warren Commission that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. Her allegations challenged the government's narrative and fueled ongoing public skepticism about the true circumstances behind Kennedy's assassination.

The details

In her memoir, Lincoln stated that 'from the catbird seat' she had during her time as Kennedy's secretary, she believed his death was a 'deliberate professional political murder' planned by a group in government who wanted him removed from office. She told a teacher in 1994 that the five main conspirators were LBJ, Hoover, the Mafia, the CIA, and Cuban exiles in Florida. In her recently declassified Addenda, Lincoln also suggested the Ku Klux Klan and hawkish military figures could have been involved due to Kennedy's civil rights policies and statements about reducing military interventionism.

  • Evelyn Lincoln served as President Kennedy's personal secretary for 12 years, from 1952 to 1964.
  • Lincoln wrote her unpublished memoir 'I Was There' in the 1980s, decades after Kennedy's assassination.
  • Lincoln shared her conspiracy theory with a teacher in Roanoke, Virginia on October 7, 1994.

The players

Evelyn Lincoln

President John F. Kennedy's personal White House secretary for 12 years, who firmly believed Kennedy's assassination was the result of a conspiracy.

Lyndon B. Johnson

The 36th President of the United States, whom Lincoln named as one of the five main conspirators behind Kennedy's assassination.

J. Edgar Hoover

The first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, whom Lincoln accused of being part of the conspiracy to assassinate Kennedy.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“From the catbird seat that I had during my 12 years as John F. Kennedy's Personal Secretary I would have to say that, in my opinion, President Kennedy's death in Dallas, Texas, was a deliberate professional political murder, planned by a group in government who wanted him removed from office.”

— Evelyn Lincoln, President Kennedy's Personal Secretary

“As far as the assassination is concerned it is my belief that there was a conspiracy because there were those that disliked him and felt the only way to get rid of him was to assassinate him. These five conspirators, in my opinion, were Lyndon B. Johnson, J. Edgar Hoover, the Mafia, the CIA, and the Cubans in Florida.”

— Evelyn Lincoln, President Kennedy's Personal Secretary

The takeaway

Evelyn Lincoln's insider perspective as President Kennedy's personal secretary lent credibility to her conspiracy theory, which challenged the official government narrative and fueled ongoing public skepticism about the true circumstances behind Kennedy's assassination. Her allegations highlighted the deep divisions and distrust in American politics at the time.