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In April 1942 Oppenheimer's name was formally submitted for security clearance for the [[Manhattan Project]]; the following month, observed William L. Borden, executive director of the congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy (JCAE), Oppenheimer "either stopped contributing funds to the Communist Party or else made his contributions through a new channel not yet discovered."<ref>[[#refAECH|AEC Hearing]]: 837 (PDF 849)</ref> Oppenheimer "appears to have dropped out of the party in early 1942,” write Haynes, Klehr and Vassiliev.<ref>[[#refHKV09|Haynes, Klehr, Vassiliev 2009]]: 58</ref> According to Jerrold L. Schecter, spokesman for the National Security Administration in the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] administration, “Robert Oppenheimer’s long time membership in the Communist Party of the United States was made secret in 1942.”<ref>[http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=1409&fuseaction=topics.publications&doc_id=43900&group_id=13349 Was Oppenheimer a Soviet Spy? A Roundtable Discussion with Jerrold and Leona Schecter, Gregg Herken and Hayden Peake], Cold War International History Project, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars</ref>

In April 1942 Oppenheimer's name was formally submitted for security clearance for the [[Manhattan Project]]; the following month, observed William L. Borden, executive director of the congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy (JCAE), Oppenheimer "either stopped contributing funds to the Communist Party or else made his contributions through a new channel not yet discovered."<ref>[[#refAECH|AEC Hearing]]: 837 (PDF 849)</ref> Oppenheimer "appears to have dropped out of the party in early 1942,” write Haynes, Klehr and Vassiliev.<ref>[[#refHKV09|Haynes, Klehr, Vassiliev 2009]]: 58</ref> According to Jerrold L. Schecter, spokesman for the National Security Administration in the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] administration, “Robert Oppenheimer’s long time membership in the Communist Party of the United States was made secret in 1942.”<ref>[http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=1409&fuseaction=topics.publications&doc_id=43900&group_id=13349 Was Oppenheimer a Soviet Spy? A Roundtable Discussion with Jerrold and Leona Schecter, Gregg Herken and Hayden Peake], Cold War International History Project, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars</ref>

FBI surveillance in 1942-43 reported that Alameda County Communist Party Secretary Bernadette Doyle told John Murra, a “suspected intelligence agent of the USSR,” that “OPPENHEIMER was a party member but that his name should be removed from any mailing lists in John Murra’s possession and he should not mention it in any way,” and told Nelson (according to a telephone intercept)<ref>[[#refBird-Sherwin|Bird, Sherwin 2006]]: 234</ref> “that she believes the matter should be taken up with the state committee regarding the two OPPIES, inasmuch as they were regularly registered [as members of the Communist Party] and everyone in the county knew they were Communists."<ref>The FBI report adds: "It is believed that the two OPPIES mentioned above had reference to subject J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER and his brother FRANK OPPENHEIMER." FBI report: J. Robert Oppenheimer, December 2, 1943, FBI file: J. Robert Oppenheimer, Internal Security - C, Sec. 1 (not paginated). Cf. [[#refCINRAD|CINRAD]]: 229 (PDF 238); M. Stanton Evans, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=vz42rDYmf3wC Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America's Enemies]'' (New York: Crown Forum, 2007), ISBN 978-1-4000-8105-9, p. 316-318</ref>

FBI surveillance in 1942-43 reported that Alameda County Communist Party Secretary Bernadette Doyle told John Murra, a “suspected intelligence agent of the USSR,” that “OPPENHEIMER was a party member but that his name should be removed from any mailing lists in John Murra’s possession and he should not mention it in any way,” and told [http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/e-dossier-no-11-was-oppenheimer-soviet-spy-roundtable-discussion Comintern agent] "[[Steve Nelson]]" (Stjepan Mesaros), according to a telephone intercept,<ref>[[#refBird-Sherwin|Bird, Sherwin 2006]]: 234</ref> “that she believes the matter should be taken up with the state committee regarding the two OPPIES, inasmuch as they were regularly registered [as members of the Communist Party] and everyone in the county knew they were Communists."<ref>The FBI report adds: "It is believed that the two OPPIES mentioned above had reference to subject J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER and his brother FRANK OPPENHEIMER." FBI report: J. Robert Oppenheimer, December 2, 1943, FBI file: J. Robert Oppenheimer, Internal Security - C, Sec. 1 (not paginated). Cf. [[#refCINRAD|CINRAD]]: 229 (PDF 238); M. Stanton Evans, ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=vz42rDYmf3wC Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America's Enemies]'' (New York: Crown Forum, 2007), ISBN 978-1-4000-8105-9, p. 316-318</ref>

According to [[Grigory Kheifetz|Kheifetz]], "due to their special military work, the connection with them [Robert and Frank Oppenheimer] was suspended.”<ref>Alexandr Vassiliev, [http://www.wilsoncenter.org/topics/docs/White_Notebook_No.1_Translated1.pdf White Notebook #1] (tr. Steve Shabad), p. 138</ref> Ovakimian and Graur reported to Merkulov: “In view of the special significance and importance of the work he does... the fellowcountryman organization received orders from its center to break off relations with ‘Ch.’ [i.e., "Chester," Oppenheimer's code name] to avoid his exposure.”<ref>[[#refHKV09|Haynes, Klehr, Vassiliev 2009]]: 45</ref> Merkulov summarized:

According to [[Grigory Kheifetz|Kheifetz]], "due to their special military work, the connection with them [Robert and Frank Oppenheimer] was suspended.”<ref>Alexandr Vassiliev, [http://www.wilsoncenter.org/topics/docs/White_Notebook_No.1_Translated1.pdf White Notebook #1] (tr. Steve Shabad), p. 138</ref> Ovakimian and Graur reported to Merkulov: “In view of the special significance and importance of the work he does... the fellowcountryman organization received orders from its center to break off relations with ‘Ch.’ [i.e., "Chester," Oppenheimer's code name] to avoid his exposure.”<ref>[[#refHKV09|Haynes, Klehr, Vassiliev 2009]]: 45</ref> Merkulov summarized: