(EST PUB DATE) WRAP-UP OF THE AGENCY'S ASSOCIATION WITH ROBERT R. MULLEN AND COMPANY (W/ATTACHMENT)

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00611536
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 14, 2020
• Case Number: F-2016-01299
• Publication Date: January 1, 1973

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Wrap-Up of the Agency's Association With
Robert R. Mullen and Company
�I. General
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
z
primarily relates to the Agency's need for. cover for employees assigned
abroad. However, over the years there have been other contacts not str""--
(b)(1)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
The Agency's relationship with the Mullen Company and its principals
limited to cover matters. (b)(3)
II. Cover
The willingness of the Mullen Company to provide cover was first
broached in 1963 by a representative of another bona fide firm providing
cover for Agency employees. Over the years there have been starting in (b)(1)
October 1963 some different jover slots with Mullen Company with t(b)(3)
last such association ending in August 1972.
A. Cover Placements:
(1) An office was opened in and terminated (b)(1)
in at the Agency's request. The business producec(b)(3)
by the office did not justify its maintenance by the company on its
own account, and it was closed.
(2)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
an office was openedri. hich ultimately provided
cover slotn It was losed in hen there was
ts.s.....
no longer a need for these cover slots and the company could not
maintain the office on its own account.
(3) Another c sl-ol was maintained in
until
(4) From
the Agency employee.
(5)
from
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
the company provided cover in
and this office, too was closed with the withdrawal c(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
The above cover arrangements were provided by Mr. Mullen at actual cost (b)(3)
until November 1967 wkien a fee of Ilper ye r was paid for each slot.
Mullen named rtain)incumlDents in the cover slots to a Mullen subsidiary, (b)(1)
I Inter_progres, which was set up to foster East/West trade This enhanced (b)(3)
'individualver slots / but no use was made of the corporation for other
Agency purposes. �
Another office was opened
the cover was terminated i
disposed of by the company until
the problems related to the leas
and althougl(b)(1)
s not final(b)(3)
because of
isposa of office assets.
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
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(b)(1)
(b)(3)
B. First Contact with Bennett - Upon the resignation of Robert Foster Bennett
from the Department of Transportation on 1 January 1971 to become
a director and vice president of Mullen Company, the Agency cleared
and on 30 April 1971 biiefed him on the current cover arrangements.
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
C. Witting Mullen Company Employees - A number
of employees of the r,
company have become aware of the Agency's association with the
company over the years. These include Amanda Abernathy,
Mr. Mullen's personal secretary, a retired
AgepcyioveewIiristas hired by Mullen as the company's accountant,
ex-Agency employee who su_Qceeded (b)(1)
(b)(3)
anc
III. Other Agency Contacts
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
A. Mr. Mullen apparently had an association with Mr. Richard
Bissell, alormer Deputy Director for Plans. As a result,
Mr. Mullen was in contact with the Agency in connection with his
travel fo and this contact continued from 1959 through
June 196L.
B. The Mullen firm was hired to provide promotional support to the
C.
Cuban Freedom Committee for per month plus expenses.
In March 1965, the Agency purchased from Mullen E dormant
company, the Intercontinental Reqgarch Company, Inc., for
around a.nd it was used as
abroad but was dissolved in 1 9 6 8.
D. In July l970, Mr. E. Howard
. with the,
E. In addition to the above contacts:
(1)
dvised that cover was available
/but the Agency was not interested.
(b)(1)
.(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
Mr. Karamessines in October 1971 (then the DD/P) was invited .
to lunch by Mr. Hunt. Mr. Hunt expressed Mr. Mullen's concern
with the effect on his company of the closing down of overseas
offices established for the Agency after relatively short periods
of operation. As a result, Mr. Karames sines instructed that
i�fiv�e�rear-3
the
2
(b)(1)
.1
(b)(3)
3
t
I.
(b)(1)
!
-)
;
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
� .-
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r-
OCAJRC.
(2)
r , . Mr. Karamessines' deputy, met
with Messrs. Mullen c�d Hunt concerning a possible cover
arrangement it
(3) Other contacts incl de a Januar
Mullen concerning
September 1964 debriefing concerning a
IV. Hiring of Hunt
A.
1966 debriefin
� (b)(1 )i
(b)(3)I
f Mr.
nd a
13rganizati6:n.
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
'contacted Mr. Robert R. Mullen in March 1970(b)(1)
--illating to the�a-1.dvice and assistance in obtaining a public. (b)(3)
relations position for Hunt.
B. On April 10, 1970, Mr. Mullen advised that he had decided to (b)(1)
employ Hunt. Concern over the possibility that the employment(b)(3)
of an ex-Agency employee might have an adverse effect on the
cover arrangement of individuals with the Mullen Company, was
in Mr. Mullen's mind negated. He had known Hunt since the early
days of World War II, it was logical for him to employ Hunt and
that Hunt could fuzz his Agency background by claiming to have
� been an author who had published some 30 books. It was later
understood from Mr. Hunt that his salary with the company was
� $20, 000 per year with the understanding that it would be .adjusted
upward in the near future.
C. After Watergate, Mr. Robert Mullen mentioned his hiring of Hunt
� for the Mullen Company on several occasions. He said that in
1
retrospect he w'shed he had not hired him and recalled that
(b)(1 ) !
pproached him concerning qualifications required
(b)(3)
for employment in public relations work and possible leads for
employment 'for H nt when .11e was about to retire from the Agency.
Mullen stated tha "twisted my arm pretty hard" and he (b)(1)
hired Hunt. Mullen said further that he believed that the DC1 wished (b)(3)
.Mullen to employ Hunt, especially alter receipt of a special letter
of recommendation from Mr. Helms who later personally expressed
his appreciation to Mullen for hiring Hunt. Mullen said he honestly
believed because of the pressure exerted by, that the Agency (W(1 )
wished him to resolve problems attendant to Hunt's retirement by (b)(3)
hiring Hunt. �
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LUCti... I 1.
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D. In a 20 July 1973 meeting with Mr. Mullen the Helms letter
was raised and Mr. Mullen recalled that Mr. Hunt in addition
to the letter from Helms had also exhibited a copy of a letter
of recommendation by Helms to a company which Mr. Mullen
believed was Aril.ie4=G;;Era4. Mr. Mullen also recalled
that at a function at the Kennedy Center he had seen Mr. Helms.
They were not able to converse, but Mr. Helms had winked and
given a hand signal to Mr. Mullen which Mr. Mullen had
interpreted as an approval of hiring of Hunt. Mullen attempted
to get the Helms letter but said his secretary reminded him
that the entire file concerning Hunt had been given to the U.S.
Attorney's office by Mr. Bennett during the investigation of the
"Watergate incident" during the summev and fall of 1972. On
another occasion Mullen observed that in view of Hunt's admitted
forgery of State Department cables he wondered whether the
letter was authentic. An exhaustive search of the Special
Prosecutor's files was conducted and it was reported by
Mr. Merrill of the Special Prosecutor's staff that the letter
could not be found.
SA
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�
V. Post Watergate Contacts
As a result of the jeopardy to the cover arrangements from the Water-
gate incident and another unrelated incident which threatened to compromise
a number of operational interests of the Agency, contact with Mr. Bennett
who had assumed own.ership of the company circa June 1972, was maintained.
Mr. Bennett was extremely cooperative and in addition passed along information
which he received from his various sources concerning the Watergate affair,
E. Howard Hunt, his association with the Howard Hughes interests with
which he had obtained a public relations contract for the Mullen Company,
allegations concerning dishonesty of Robert A. Maheu whose company formerly
had handled many matters for the Hughes interests, and other matters.
A. One such meeting occurred on 10 July during which, among other
things, Bennett informed the Agency representative that he had worked out
an arrangement with the U.S. attorney in connection with the Grand Jury
proceedings of the previous week which would permit him to answer a question
concerning the Agency's relationship with the company without divulging the
cover relationships.
B. In connection with an alleged leak from the Justice Department concern-
ing the Mullen/Agency relationship, Mullen and Bennett were permitted to
review the memorandum to Acting Director FBI from the Agency concern-
ing the Mullen Company relationship in an effort to determine the source of
the alleged leak.
C. Mr. Bennett, in anticipation of a Grand Jury appearance, secured the
services of a Washington law firm. In view of his representations that he
could not have handled the questions concerning the Agency adequately without
the advice of counsel, the Agency reimbursed him for one-half of the attorney's
fee. The reimbursement was $440. �
D. On 19 October 1973 we advised Bennett that should he be interrogated
by the Special Prosecutor he should explain his full knowledge of the Agency's
relationship with the Mullen Company. Bennett said he had already been twice
interviewed and that he had stated he could not discuss these matters because
he was bound by a secrecy agreement.
E. On 7 September 1973 Mr. Mullen contacted the A enc cori.cern1ng an
upcoming interrogation by the Select Committee of and was
advised that she should answer all questions truthfully to the best her
knowledge. .�
a
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
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