James Forrestal sought another investigation after rejecting the Navy Court of Inquiry's treatment of responsibility. James Richardson refused the assignment and openly called himself prejudiced. By that he meant that any fair and complete inquiry would place part of the blame for the successful attack on President Roosevelt. The episode shows that the Navy's acknowledged Japan expert would not support a case confined to Kimmel and Short. Forrestal is tentatively read as a useful instrument of that blame process rather than a conscious architect of a presidential cover-up.
Notable Point · 2:20:01-2:21:45
Why Richardson refused Forrestal's inquiry
Richardson refused Forrestal's proposed inquiry because he believed a fair investigation would assign part of the blame to Roosevelt.