4. OIG efforts to obtain the cooperation of persons
identified as responsible for racist conduct
In addition to attempting to get information from persons who alleged wrongdoing at the Roundup, we sought to interview the persons identified as having participated in the various racist acts described. These efforts also met with varying success. The emcee for the Ku Klux Klan skit, for example, cooperated with OIG and submitted to two interviews. The "Klansman" from that skit agreed to answer a series of written questions about the Roundup generally. He refused to be interviewed in person, however, or to answer questions regarding the skit or the checkpoint sign posted during the same Roundup. The person in blackface from the same skit rejected our request to meet in person and answered only a few questions over the telephone. [ / We received a memorandum summarizing an interview of this individual conducted by the Treasury OIG. ] Three of the individuals identified as participating in the confrontation with Jack Scott in 1995 refused our requests for interviews. One other participant was interviewed about the 1995 Roundup but refused to answer any questions about the confrontation. We were, however, able to interview at length the person who performed the "watermelon skit" and sold the "O.J." T-shirts.