PRESS ALLEGATIONS RE USE OF AGENCY POLYGRAPH

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01430446
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: May 9, 1973

LII UNCLASSIFIED
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DENTI AL
SECRET
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
FROM:
Howard J. Osborn
Director of Security
(b)(3)
EXTENSION NO.
TO: (ffIcer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
DATE
9 May 1973
OFFICER'S
INITIALS
COMMENTS (Number eoch comment to show from whom
to whom. Draw a line ocross column after eoch comment.)
� Deputy Director for
Management & Services
10.
1 1.
12.
13.
14.
15.
ADMIN
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9 May 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Management & Services
SUBJECT Press Allegations re Use of Agency
Polygraph
1. This memorandum is for your information only
and confirms a report I made to you by telephone earlier
today.
2. On 22 July 1971, an article was carried on
American proposals relative to the SALT talks in The New
York Times over the by-line of William Beecher. It was
devastatingly accurate and contained direct quotes from
a Presidential advisory memorandum the White House had
sent to Mr. Gerard Smith, Director, Arms Control and
Disarmament Agency, a few days earlier. The President
was alleged to be furious with this unauthorized dis-
closure of classified information and directed a. sweeping
investigation within the United States Government to
determine the source of the disclosure. Investigation
was conducted under the direction .ofi., Mr. Egil Krogh and
Mr. David Young, Staff Assistanle' fo Mr. John Ehrlichman,
Counsel to the President for Domestic Affairs.
3. On the basis of investigations conducted by
State Security and Defense officials, four individuals--
one individual in the Department of Defense and three
individuals in the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency--
were tabbed as leading suspects. Mr. Egil Krogh contacted
me on 26 July 1971 and requested that we arrange to polygraph
the three suspects in the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
and volunteered the information that the Federal Bureau of
Investigation would be asked to polygraph the one suspect
in the Department of Defense.
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4. I informed Mr. Krogh that from time to time
in matters involving the national security the Agency had
detailed to Mr. G. Marvin Gentile, Director of State
Security, a polygraph operator and a polygraph machine for
his use in polygraphing State Department employees who
were recipients of allegations concerning their loyalty.
I emphasized that this procedure had the Director's
approval and that State clearly understood that the examin-
ation was their total responsibility. I further informed
him that this was the only way we could undertake to enter-
tain his request and that even then it would require the
specific approval of the Director. Mr. Krogh asked me to
obtain such approval and work out such arrangements with
Mr. Gentile.
S. Later that same day, Mr. Krogh called Mr. Gentile
and inquired as to whether the arrangements had been made.
Mr. Gentile indicated they had and suggested that the same
polygraph operator be used to examine the Defense suspect.
Mr. Krogh informed Mr. Gentile that he considered this an
excellent idea and that he would instruct Defense officials
to make their man available to Mr. Gentile for a polygraph
examination.
6. The four individuals were Mr. William R.
Van Cleave of the Department of Defense and Mr. Leon
Sloss, Mr. Thomas Pickering, and Mr. Benson D. Adams of
the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. The polygraph
examinations resulted in clearing the four men and the
results of the examinations were forwarded over my signature
to Mr. Gentile on 29 July 1971. A copy of my covering
memorandum is attached.
7. Mr. Murrey Marder, a staff writer for The
Washington Post, in an article dated 3 September 1971,
stated that a State Department spokesman had acknowledged
at a news briefing that agents of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation had polygraphed State Department employees
suspected of leaking information on the SALT talks in
July. Mr. John Edgar Hoover, then Director of the Federal
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Bureau of Investigation, denied this allegation in a
letter to The Washington Post and said that the polygraph
examinations had been conducted by another agency. Specu-
lation centered around the Agency, but after a day or so,
press speculation in this regard died away.
8. Mr. Marder apparently has never been satisfied
and has been pressing Mr. Charles Bray, State Department
spokesman, for confirmation of Agency involvement. Mr.
Bray learned today that Mr. Marder plans to use a press
conference to be held at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon to press
this point further. Mr. Bray has been given guidance by
Mr. Gentile to avoid confirmation but if this �is impossible
he will indicate the examinations were conducted by State
Department Security officials utilizing an operator and
a machine detailed to the Department for this purpose. I
do not know whether or not the fact that the government-wide
investigation was directed by Mr. Egil Krogh is known to
Mr. Marder but I suspect that it is and that this is the
reason why the matter has been raised again. Mr. David
Young was instrumental in pushing my office to conduct an
internal Agency investigation of this disclosure and the
White House was satisfied that no Agency employee was
the source.
Attachment
oward J., 'Os orn
Director of/Security
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