The Transformation of ‘Jake the Barber’: Inside the Pardon of John Factor by JFK

The Transformation of 'Jake the Barber': Inside the Pardon of John Factor by JFK. This document, released in 2023 under the Freedom of Information Act, is a letter of advice from the Attorney General to the President, discussing the merits and background of John Factor's pardon application. The document is a product of the Department of Justice, Pardon Attorney's office, and is available on the Black Vault website. The document was released in response to a FOIA request, with the Pardon Attorney determining that a discretionary release was appropriate. The document was previously withheld in full pursuant to Exemption 5 of the FOIA. The letter of advice from the Attorney General to the President on the clemency request of John Factor, also known as "Jack Factor," "Jake Factor," "J. Franklyn," and "Jake the Barber," is as follows: This is in further response to the above-referenced Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") request, in which you sought access to a copy of the letter of advice from the Attorney General to the President on the clemency request of John Factor, who was pardoned by President Kennedy in December 1962. Although we previously withheld the document in full pursuant to Exemption 5 of the FOIA, we have determined that a discretionary release is appropriate at this time. John Factor was convicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa on an indictment containing 24 counts and charging violations of Sections 88 and 338, Title 18, United States Code. He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment and a $10,000 fine, which was paid. Factor was committed to the Federal Correctional Institution, Milan, Michigan, and later transferred to the United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth, Kansas. The facts of the case are summarized as follows: prior to his conviction, John Factor had emigrated from England to Chicago, Illinois. He was prominent in demi-mode circles of that area during the 1920-42 era. In 1925, he was indicted by the federal grand jury for the Northern District of Illinois for mail fraud, but this indictment was dismissed. In 1931, he was arrested for extradition on a British request, but no disposition followed. During the Thirties, he figured as a victim in a sensational gangster kidnapping. Circa 1938, he participated in the swindle of an elderly widow in Florida, whereby the old lady was relieved of $280,000. He purchased some retail liquor stores in Chicago and organized the operation resulting in the indictments above mentioned. Factor gathered a group of competent swindlers and opened a suite of offices in the Chicago loop area under the name of A. A. Slater and Company. The petition for Executive clemency was denied administratively, and on August 8, 1956, a petition for a pardon was submitted and was carefully reviewed in the Department. United States Attorney Van Aletine strongly recommended denial of the petition because of the nature of the offense and because the petitioner had not paid the costs in the case. He also felt that he had misrepresented the facts in the case. This petition was denied administratively. A new petition for a pardon was submitted on February 16, 1959, and it also was subjected to review. Former United States Attorney Van Alatine recommended denial for the reason that petitioner, although now very wealthy, had made no effort whatsoever to make restitution to the victims of the mail fraud scheme, which he devised, and again, the petition was denied. Mr. Factor then employed prominent attorneys of Sioux City, Iowa, and furnished them with $100,000. He authorized them to attempt to locate the victims in the case and make restitution. After a considerable amount of effort, many of the victims were located, and in other instances, some of their heirs were contacted. The document is a lengthy and detailed account of John Factor's crimes and his subsequent attempts to secure a pardon. The Attorney General's letter of advice to the President is a product of the Department of Justice's review of Factor's pardon application. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. The document is available on the Black Vault website at https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/the-transformation-of-jake-the-barber-inside-the-pardon-of-john-factor-by-jfk/.