Oliver Barr McClellan, entrepreneur, counsel and author, born in 1939 in Cuero (aka Rawhide), Texas, became widely known by his 2003 book Blood, Money & Power on the Kennedy assassination. He has also written on globalization.
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Barr McClellan in 1944-1951 lived in Maracaibo, where he learned Spanish, spent time in the oilfield swamps and learned soccer. He also survived an airline crash in Mexico City in 1946. He graduated from Jefferson High School in San Antonio in 1957 (class president, graduation speaker), then enrolled at the University of Texas in Austin where he won the O.Henry and William Jennings Bryan literary awards. He graduated with honors, BA, with special honors in international studies, 1961, JD, 1964. As a student McClellan was an active supporter of Senator John F. Kennedy's presidential bid. After qualifying as a lawyer in 1964, he went to work for the administration of Kennedy's successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson. Initially he was attorney-clerk for the National Labor Relations Board; soon after, he became attorney for a Commissioner of the Federal Power Commission.
In 1966 McClellan joined the legal firm of Clark, Thomas, Harris, Denius and Winters, based in Austin. At that time the firm was run by the partners Edward Clark, Sam Winters, Don Thomas, Martin Harris and Frank Denius. The firm was closely associated with Lyndon B. Johnson and the Democratic Party in Texas. McClellan's work included advising on political strategy, campaign contributions, media issues, and labor disputes. McClellan was a registered lobbyist for several major Texas energy companies. His main focus was utility regulation and oil and gas litigation. He was lead counsel in setting natural gas rates for the Rocky Mountain Area. He also chaired the industry committee setting Railroad Commission administrative procedures. He obtained a Supreme Court ruling to protect San Antonio parklands from freeways. McClellan was lead counsel in a proceeding to consolidate oilfields over a five county area in North Texas. In addition, he was host for the Austin TV series, "The Law and You."
In 1972, McClellan became a full partner in the firm but later resigned from the firm after a dispute with Clark and Leon Jaworski over representing a client in direct conflict with existing clients. After one year as University Attorney, McClellan established his own law firm in 1977. Some of McClellan's cases included litigation for exploding Ford Pintos, tobacco-caused expenses on the health care system and the licensing and regulation of cell phones.
Barr McClellan was convicted of forgery in 1982, for which criminal charges were dismissed in 1992.[1]
McClellan's first wife was former Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Carole Keeton Strayhorn. He is the father of Scott McClellan, former White House press secretary, and Mark McClellan, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner and former director of Medicare for the George W. Bush administration* [1] Two other sons, Dudley McClellan and Bradley McClellan, are attorneys in Austin, Texas. McClellan is also related to Union General George McClellan, the Democrat's presidential candidate in 1864, and to George B. McClellan, New York City Mayor, 1903-07.
McClellan and his wife Cecile live in Gulfport, Mississippi. The McClellans are also business consultants with offices in New York City. He is rewriting a novel on the death penalty, and is producing a play first presented in Houston in 1992 plus a new one (as promised) for Cecile, on happiness.
McClellan published Blood, Money & Power: How LBJ Killed JFK, which became a best-seller in November 2003. In the book McClellan presents the theory that Lyndon B. Johnson and Edward Clark were involved in the planning and cover-up of the Kennedy assassination. McClellan also named Malcolm Wallace as one of the assassins. The book includes allegations surrounding the theft of the 1948 Senate election,[2] an Austin murder by Wallace, belated grand jury action regarding Johnson in another murder by Wallace, and what happened on the Sixth Floor in Dallas. The killing of Kennedy, McClellan alleges, was paid for by oil millionaires such as Clint Murchison, Sr. and H. L. Hunt. McClellan purports that Clark got $6 million for this work, including a $2 million bonus. McClellan notes the conspiracy background disclosed in the book shows how some power lawyers abuse the legal and political systems. Extensive citations are in the book. French journalist William Reymond published a book the same year in which he claims that Cliff Carter and Malcolm "Mac" Wallace were key to helping plot the murder of JFK. McClellan's book has been translated into Japanese. McClellan is completing the sequel to the first book, disclosing the continuing cover-up, plus a book with new insights into the Kennedy family.
After McClellan made his allegations on the History Channel on November 18, 2003 (in "The Guilty Men," part 9 of "The Men Who Killed Kennedy"), former presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter protested, and former LBJ staffers Bill Moyers and Jack Valenti asked the History Channel to investigate the charges. On April 2, 2004, after having three historians examine the charges, the History Channel issued a press release stating that the claim of LBJ's complicity "is entirely unfounded and does not hold up to scrutiny. ... [the show] fell short of the high standards that the network sets for itself. The History Channel apologizes to its viewers and to Mrs. [Lady Bird] Johnson and her family for airing the show."[3]
In addition to disclosing the many motivations for Johnson, McClellan states that the assassination of Kennedy allowed the oil depletion allowance to be kept at 27.5 percent. It remained unchanged during the Johnson presidency. According to McClellan this resulted in a saving of over 100 million dollars to the American oil industry. During President Richard M. Nixon's term, in 1970, it dropped to 15 percent.
McClellan also wrote Made in the USA: Global Greed, Bad Tax Laws and The Exportation of America's Future published in June 2010 by Hannover House. Taking a positive look at the greatest generations since 1945, McClellan notes Pax Americana was in place by 1990. He traces the subsequent collapse of the economy to government-induced programs for an unacceptable imbalance of trade, declining family income, unworkable mortgages, high prices at the pump, and collapsing billfolds forcing homeowners to walk away from their homes. Banks also collapsed and then the economy collapsed. This tragedy for individuals and families is not acceptable; however, after two years, the economy has not recovered and jobs have not been available. Recommending initiatives to buy America with strong support for private enterprise, McClellan says open trade must replace free trade in the new paradigm of ten common markets. The budget and trade deficits will be corrected by encouraging American free enterprise. Extensive citations are in the book. Emphasizing the human side, the book shows the impact on individuals from economic policies.