Tom Pendergast Inmate File: Letter from James V. Bennett to Robert H. Hudspeth
Letter from James V. Bennett, Director of the Bureau of Prisons, to Robert Hudspeth, warden of the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, regarding Tom Pendergast, Inmate #55295. Bennett writes regarding allegations made by Governor Lloyd Stark that Pendergast "was directing his political organization from Leavenworth," and his discussion about that issue with Elmer Irey, who works in Treasury Department law enforcement. Irey concluded that Stark was misinformed, and that Pendergast was not engaged in political activity from prison. Pendergast, known for his powerful Kansas City political machine and ties to organized crime, was found guilty of income tax evasion in 1939 and sentenced to 15 months in the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth.