Rick Doblin

In the storm of controversy that followed McCloud's announcement, Rick Doblin offered up one defense of his decision to work with a DEA snitch. Leonard Pickard, he claimed, had given him the green light to work with Halpern; and Leonard Pickard, Doblin implied, was the only one hurt by Halpern's actions. (Doblin replied to an earlier version of this document by pointing out that he never directly made this claim.) This implication bugged me because I am good friends with Alfred Savinelli, and Alfred was once very good friends with Halpern and was peripherally involved in Pickard's LSD operation. According to documents in Alfred’s possession, Halpern’s early reports to the DEA considerably exaggerated Alfred’s role in the criminal operation. Alfred’s embroilment in the subsequent investigation and prosecution of the case was severe. As Alfred puts it, "John Halpern ruined my life."

Shortly after Leonard Pickard and Clyde Apperson were arrested on Nov 6, 2000, Alfred received a call from Halpern. Savinelli believes the call was being taped, and that Halpern was leading him to make incriminating statements. Twenty minutes later, John called Alfred's partner Laura as well, and had an awkward conversation with her. (Doblin has admitted that Halpern taped some phone conversations, though these may not have included the calls to Savinelli or his partner.)

Reviewing this material, one is hard-pressed to see why Pickard would be so sanguine about Halpern's continued involvement with the psychedelic research community about which Pickard cared so much. Perhaps all those trips left him with a heart of infinite compassion and forgiveness; perhaps, as some people suggest, he is a supreme game player and master of social manipulation. (Who sent McCloud that package of anonymous documents anyway?) But it is not only Pickard's place to forgive. And it is certainly not Rick Doblin's.

Rick Doblin

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