MR. E. HOWARD HUNT

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01482064
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: March 5, 1974

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MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
THROUGH Deputy Director for Management and Services/5/
SUBJECT Mr. E. Howard Hunt
1. This memorandum is for information only.
2. The office of Security has been engaged in an
effort, undertaken in coordination with the Office of
the inspector General, to attempt to define the possibility
that this Agency sponsored or officially subsidized the
fiction writing activity of Mr. E. Howard Hunt. The
possible existence of such a covert program could suggest
that Mr. Hunt had a relationship with this Agency which
may have extended beyond the effective date of his re-
tirement on 30 April 1970. During the course of investi-
gation, attention became focused on the conversion of
Mr. Hunt from Staff employee to Contract Type A status
/ The purpose of this memorandum is to
summarize the investigative efforts of this Office in
regard to this matter.
3. Information contained in Office of Security files
reflects the belief held within the no longer existent
Security Research Staff, that Mr. Hunt was engaged in
writing "image" material on behalf of this Agency under
the direction of Counter intelligence Staff. Information
alluding to activity by Mr. Hunt under the control of the
Counter Intelligence Staff was contained in material pro-
vided the Congressional Oversight Committees. During
subsequent Congressional testimony, Mr. James Angelton
Chief, Counter intelligence Operations* responded to
inquiry that he had neither net nor did he know Mr. Hunt.
This apparent disparity prompted effol-t within the
Office of Security to determine the basis for the infor-
mation connecting Mr. Hunt with Mr. Angelton's office.
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4. On 1 February 1974. at the direction of
Of Security.
telephonically contactedretired Ch
Security Research Staff, concerning his recollections.
prepared a memorandum of this conversation on
the same data. reported reiterating
his belief that Mr. Hunt was writing "spy books" as an
official duty within the Counter Intelligence Staff
is quoted as stating that he was 'never told outright
that this was the case," but that responses to his inquiries
lead him to believe that, "... Mr. Helms desired to improve
the image of the intelligence profession and the Agency
and that Mr. Hunt's books were part of the program to do
so." suggested that of
Counter Intelligence Operations and Mr, waiter Vtorsheimer,
Curator, Historical Intelligence Collection, would be worth
while sources of information on the matter.
S. On 4 February 1974, of this (b)(3)
Office, interviewed Mr. Walt Pforzheimer
stated that he had never been officially briefed on the
existence of a relationship, if any, between this Agency
and Mr. Hunt, subsidizing the writing of fiction. Mr.
Pforzheimer did relate from his personal knowledge that
the books written by Mr. Hunt under the pen name David
St. John were of interest to Mr. Thomas Karamessines, then
Assistant Deputy Director for Plans, and Mr. Richard Helms.
Mr. Pforzheimer related that after notifying Mr. Karamessines
that he had identified the writer David St. John as MT.
Hunt through tracing an address on file with the copyright
Office, Mr. Pforzheimer was called by Mr. Helms and asked
why he was interested in the St. John books. Mr. Pforzhaimer
also recalled that once while in the Foreign Affairs book-
store on Connecticut Avenue he was approached by the owner,
who is a mutual acquaintance of both himself and Mr. Helms.
Mr. Pforzheimer quoted the owner as having inquired, "Why
does Dick (Mr. Helms) keep asking me to put the St. John
novels on the rack up next to the cash register where they
can be seen?" To Mr. Pforzheimer this incident further
established Mr. Helms' interest in Mr. Hunt's fiction
writing activity. Mr. Pforzheimer also recalled later
receiving a request to research Indian funeral rites for
Mr. Hunt. Mr. Hunt used information on Indian funeral
rites in his fiction book under the St. John name entit e
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Towers of Silence. This book was published in 1966 along
with two other gt. John books and possibly two other novels
under another pen name. This output of fictional works
represents the highest level of writing Production by Mr.
It was then determined that in
this assignment should also figure
ion concerrEl
investigation.
(b)(1)
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6. Following conferences with the Office of the
Inspector General, an interview was held on 14 February
1974, with nDeputy Chief, Counter Intel- (b)(3)
ligence Operations. stated as a matter of record opx3)
that Mr. Hunt had never worked in any capacity for the
Counter Intelligence Staff. said he had no knowledg00)
of any arrangement between this Agency and Mt. Hunt to pre-
pare "image" materials and that neither he nor the Staff had
been asked to supply Mr. Hunt with any support
7. Mr. Hunt's Contract Personnel folder was obtained
through Deputy. Director of the Office (b)(3)
of Personnel for Recruitment and Placement. Examination
of this file indicated two modifications to the contract
effective on 4 July 1965. The normal offset clause in the
contract was set aside in a ruling requested of the Office
of General Counsel and made 12 August 1965. Specifically,
this ruling provided that, "Royalties from fictional works
that he writes as profitable hobby will not be emoluments
received from or through his 'cover activities." It was
further stated, "We believe he is entitled to retain such
royalties without an offset against his Agency salary."
Mr. Hunt was also provided with an exception to his standard
quarters allowance to provide a 75-25 percent sharing of the
additional costs. A review of the personnel file also re-
flects a waiver of the Duty Status Report (Form 764) with
the notation that the verbal approval of Mr. Thomas
Karamessines was sufficient for the continuance of pay.
No information citing a project or specifying the nature
of Mr. Hunt's assignment could be developed from these
records. A memorandum in the personnel file dated 1 June
1967 and signed by Mr. Karamessines states, "(Mr. Hunt),
on instructions of the Deputy Director for Plans, and with
approvals from the DCI and DDCI, was converted to contract
employment and assigned to a special undertaking (b)(3)
in behalf of the DD/P." Further, "If an evaluative comment
is needed to cover his work during this period of time he
should be rated as "strong."
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8. 0 Pebru
interview
sonnel Divisions an
the Deputy Director or a
their recollections of Mr. Hun
tors to aduinistrative memorand.
Neither
to the material derived from the
a parenthetical remark that Mr.
he would deal only with senior
that this was borne out when
Hunt were received from en
firmed this view in his re
to prepare the contract were r
Mt. KarAMOSSineS directly, vith u
the nature of the proposed 0Perationa
9. On 20 February 19740
Yale, Director of the Office
his staff including
Certification and L
briefed Mr. Hunt
to departure for
view Mr. Yale summit
attempting to define
activity from his fin c
that Mt! Yale will be re
DID,
1965
Division, Deputy Directorate
this interview was that
time nor has he become aware
Hunt's activities
stated further that
Europe Division
Karemessines,without consult
within the division. When a
obecttves, replied
positive intelligence on
periods senior officials res
the Western Europe Division
added that a mutual
4 reported th
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an emolumen
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fled as TA,i)
that
fit produced
during
zer ziiS effort
totally unaware Of itt"
acquaintance of both biasel
it Mr. Hunt explained his tb
activities by stating that
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11. This Office has been 'unsuccessful, to date,
determining if this Agency formalized a relationship
Mr. Hunt to sponsor his writing of novels. It is appar
that Mr. Hunt's official duties during the Period of the
:during which many of the David St* John (b)(3)
000lcs were written ) were coordinated by Mr. Karamessines.
No attempt has been made by this Office to interview Mr.
Karamessines on this matter.
12. Our findings are that the evidence in this matter,
while insufficient to prove Agency sponsorship of Mr. Hunt's
writings, does permit speculation that such sponsorship
may have existed. Due largely to the highly compartmented
nature of much of Mr. Hunt's activities, there is not now
sufficient information available to discredit such specu-
lation. It would Appear that senior Agency officials
-acquiesced in permitting Mr. Hunt to write while on Agency
duty, and in permitting him to use Agency resources for
research. The likelihood of this acquiescence makes total
disassociation of this Agency from Mr. Hunt's writing efforts
difficult if not impossible.
ii/ Jam. F. B1ak43
John F. -BIlk:ecurity
Acting Direct4"7
Distribution:
Original - Return to Acting
Director of Secu
1 - DDCI
1 -ER
1 - DD/MS
1 - IG
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