James Reynolds Bath (born August 18, 1936)[1] is a former director of Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), and also former part owner of Arbusto Energy with George W. Bush, with whom Bath served as a member of the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.[2] He has business interests in the aircraft business and real estate.
Bath, a native of Nachitoches, Louisiana, moved to Houston in 1965 to join the Texas Air National Guard as a 29-year old. In the late 1960s, after working for Atlantic Aviation, Bath moved to Houston and became an aircraft broker.[3]
Bath got his start in real estate in 1973 by forming a partnership with Lloyd Bentsen's son, Lan, in Bath Bentsen Interests. In 1978, Bath became a Director of the Main Bank, based in Houston, Texas. His fellow investors were John Connally; Saudi financier Ghaith Pharaon; and Mahfouz. Also at this time, he founded JB&A Aviation, a corporate aviation brokerage firm, along with fellow businessmen Johnson Taylor and Jerry Smith.
In 1980, Bath was named company president of Cotopax Investments, registered in the Cayman Islands. The name was changed to Skyway Aircraft Leasing Ltd. The company board then resigned en masse, leaving Bath as a sole director. The company acted as a supplier of large passenger and air cargo jets.
Bath founded Southwest Airport Services to manage the Houston Gulf Airport, and to provide military fueling services at Ellington Field.
Bath's discharge from the National Guard and his relationships to the bin Laden family, the Bush family, and Arbusto were among the allegations discussed in Michael Moore's 2004 documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11, as well as his 2003 book Dude, Where's My Country?.[4] These topics are also explored in Greg Palast's 2002 book The Best Democracy Money Can Buy and 2004 film Bush Family Fortunes, as well as Russ Baker's 2009 book Family of Secrets.[5]
Jim Bath lived in River Oaks, Houston with his wife, Sandra. Their house was behind the house of Khalid bin Mahfouz.[6]