Paul McCarty:  A Threat to Government or an Innocent Man?

By Rachel Clark

Spring 2003

            A rags to riches story? .... Far from it.  The story of Paul McCarty is one of disappointment and loss, determination and perseverance.  How do you fight the FBI?  How do you prove to the government of the United States of America that you aren’t what everyone deems you to be?  How would it be to live your whole life one unattainable goal after another and to never be able to fulfill your dreams of becoming what you’ve strived so hard for?  Just ask this one man, who has dealt with all of these struggles, just to come out with the upper hand at the end of his long life.

            McCarty was a strong-minded man who was willing to, and practically did fight to the end to see the outcome he wanted come to pass.  In 1949 McCarty was listed in the Hoover files as a communist and in 1953 he was finally notified of this accusation.  During this 4-year stretch and many years to follow McCarty was unable to attain and sustain employment, as well as being kept from taking promotions for the fact that he couldn’t pass security clearances.  McCarty and his wife Polly, along with their sons David and Dennis moved all over the United States searching for permanent employment and stability, while in the meantime barely sustaining themselves through part-time jobs.  It wasn’t until 19__ that McCarty and his family finally settled in Cedar City.

            During his battle with the FBI McCarty had many lawyers, some of which told him to give up the fight, and he wrote numerous letters to government officials including Clinton, Bush, ______ and others, all with the prospect of someone taking the time to recognize the injustice that had been done to him, and aid him in getting his name cleared from the FBI.  It wasn’t until the year of 2000 that McCarty was informed that if he dropped his intentions of suing the FBI, they would clear his name and send him all the files they had against him.  McCarty consented to this agreement and received most all the files the FBI ever had on him, though some areas were blacked out and it appeared that maybe some information was missing.

            Though McCarty got his wish, to see his name cleared before he died, he still desires that it would have happened years ago, and that he didn’t have to endure so much hardship during his life.  He lost his wife in the crusade, which stood behind him the whole time, and he never got to pursue his aspirations to be an electrician.  Still today at age 90, McCarty goes through all his records making new discoveries and piecing the whole story together, in anticipation that one day a book will be written on the story of his life and that great controversy he underwent against the government of the United States of America.