Oppenheimer and Catherine Puning Harrison

Oppenheimer's many Communist connections nearly disqualified him from the Manhattan Project. He only passed his security clearance thanks to the intervention of the head of the Manhattan Project, General Groves. After joining the project, Oppenheimer was under constant scrutiny. In June of 1943, he lied to his Manhattan Project handlers about the purpose of a trip in which he and Tatlock were having an affair.