A PIECE OF TAPE BY JAMES W. MCCORD, JR.

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01482024
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: May 31, 1974

Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01482024
MEMORANDUM FOR: DiitOr of Centr
A copy of this memorandum
has been se to th
Counsel.
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Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01482024
IEseg,otive Registry '
31 May 1974
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT : A Piece of Tape by James W. McCord, Jr.
1. James W. McCord, Jr. has just published a book entitled A Piece of
Tape: The Watergate Story: Fact and Fiction. The publisher of this $3.95
paperback is Washington Media Services, Ltd., which is evidently MtCord's own
publishing outlet. It is not a well-written book; it is badly edited and
repetitious. McCord advised the CIA General Counsel that he was aware of his
legal obligations to CIA regarding disclosure of classified information and
that there would be no such disclosures. He is true to his word.
2. The first part of the book, running some 80 pages, is McCord's
account of what happened in "Watergate" insofar as he was personally concerned.
In this section, he makes very clear that several people tried to fob off the
Watergate break-in as a CIA operation. He vehemenently denies any CIA
involvement and turned down those who urged him to take this line. He also
mentions (p. 43) the letter he sent to CIA warning them about these ploys.
McCord then goes on to relate the attempts of his own lawyers and others to
raise the "CIA defense," which he rejected. Overall, he puts the blame on
the President for initiating the scheme to get the CIA "enmeshed." He is
also critical of Senator Baker's role (pp. 78-79).
3. Part II of McCord's book is a digest of major testimony before the
Senate Watergate Committee and other relevant statements keyed to the actual
dates as they occurred. Thus, for example, under June 22, 1972, he writes:
"HELMS: He assured Gray today that the CIA had no involvement.
'The Agency had nothing to do with the Watergate break-in,' he
advised Gray."
On the same date McCord lists:
"GRAY: He called Director of CIA Helms and asked if the Watergate
operation was a CIA operation, and Helms responded that there was
no CIA involvement. ,,At 6:30 p.m. Gray met with Dean...Gray believes
it likely that he told Dean of his earlier conversation...'since
Helms informed me that there was no CIA involvement.' "
Part II is by no means confined to CIA, but rather covers all aspects of the
Watergate break-in, the cover-up, and who-struck-John.
(EXECEVE REM
7�.T i51
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SUBJECT: A Piece of Tape
4. Part III is a summation of all that has gone before, and Chapter 47
(p. 217), Chapter 48 (p. 221), and Chapter 54 (p. 229) are entitled "The
Illegal Misuse of CIA," I, II, III, respectively. Again this is mostly taken
from the testimony. The first two of these chapters cover the Haldeman,
Ehrlichman, Helms, Walters meetings and the meetings with Gray. At page 221,
McCord notes that, according to Dean, Mardian raised the proposition that CIA
could take care of the entire Watergate matter and the legal fees, and that
Mitchell suggested that this be explored with Haldeman and Ehrlichman. The
third chapter on "The Illegal Misuse of CIA" involves the so called "CIA
Defense." However, the mentions of CIA are not confined to these three
chapters of Part III, but occur throughout.
S. I do not wish to imply, by my comments above, that MtCord's book
turns only on CIA. Actually that is a comparatively small proportion.
McCord strongly supports the fact of CIA's non-involvement in Watergate, and
that Watergate was not a CIA operation. However, McCord is the central figure
by and large in much of the book.
6. One recalls that the group which broke into the DNC in the Watergate
office building had taped the stairwell doors; that a guard found the taped
doors and untaped them; that a conscious decision was made to retape them and
proceed with the operation. It is of interest to note that McCord blames
himself for not untaping the door behind them once they had entered (p. 33).
Of such tapes is history made. It is also interesting to note that in
March 1974 McCord filed a Petition to Congress for the impeachment of the
President.
WALTER PFORZHEIMER
Curator
Historical Intelligence Collection
Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01482024