LETTER TO W. E. COLBY FROM J. W. FULBRIGHT RE MR. HELMS APPEARED BEFORE THE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 7, 1973 (UNDER OATH) IN CONNECTION WITH HIS NOMINATION TO BE AMBASSADOR TO IRAN

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01482373
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• 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: October 29, 1973

J. W. FULBRIGHT, ARK., CHAIRMAN
JOHN SPARKMAN. ALA.
MIKE MANSFIE .0, MONT.
FRA�K CHURCH. IDAHO
STUART SYMINGTON, MO.
CLAIBORNE FELL. R.I.
GALE W. MC GEE. WYO.
EDMUND S. MUSKIE, MAINE
GEORGE MC GOVERN. S. OAK.
HUBERT H. HUMPHREY, MINN.
GEORGE D. AWE!,
CLIFFORD P. CASE, .J.
JACOB K. JAVITS, N.Y.
HUGH SCOTT, PA.
JAMES B. PEARSON, KANS.
CHARLES H. PERCY, ILL.
ROBERT P. GRIFFIN, MICH.
CARL MARCY, CHIEF OF STAFF
ARTHUR M. KUHL. CHIEF CLERK
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9JC-rtifeb ,TEAcctez Zenctle
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
The Honorable W. E. Colby
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D. C.
Dear Mr. Colby:
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20510
October 29, 1973
When Mr. Helms appeared before the Foreign Relations
Committee February 3, 1973 (under oath) in connection with
his nomination to be Ambassador to Iran, he was questioned
in some detail about prior associations with the Central
Intelligence Agency on the part of the Watergate defendants.
The following exchange took place:
"The Chairman. And Frank Sturgis, was he an
employee?
"Mr. Helms. Never.
"The Chairman. In any capacity?
"Mr. Helms. I am sure of that."
In an affidavit filed with the United States District
Court for the District of Columbia October 10, 1973, sup-
porting his motion for leave to withdraw his guilty plea,
Mr. Sturgis says:
"I had also been active in the Bay of Pigs operation
and continued clandestinely working for the liberation of
Cuba thereafter."
And again:
"I had known of Mx. Martinez since the Bay of Pigs
invasion and knew that he had been engaged in clandestine
incursions into Cuba for many years following the Bay of
Pigs invasion. I was doing similar work though Mr. Martinez
was working for a different sector than I was. It was my
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belief based upon my own observations during the years follow-
ing the Bay of Pigs invasion that Mr. Martinez was working for
and being directly financed by the Central Intelligence Agency
as opposed to my own situation which involved the agency's
knowledge and approval of my operations and their indirect
financing of them."
With respect to Mr. Martinez, Mr. Helms testified as
follows February 7:
"Mr. Martinez was never an employee of the Central Intel-
ligence Agency. He was on a retainer of $100 a. month at that
time; seen occasionally by a representative of the agency, and
his role was simply to identify to us from those legal and
illegal immigrants from Cuba those individuals who he thought
might be of interest for� informational purposes. He simply
't.;iiStia'idetitify-hithAnd we took it from there,�-and it was a -
very loose kind of arrangement in which he reported in from
time to time. And it is indeed true that as soon as it was
found out he was involved in the Watergate thing we simply
turned him off and have not talked to him since."
Helms repeated the substance of this testimony on
pages 58-59 of the Transcript.
I would appreciate your clearing up-these discrepancies.
Specifically--
Was Sturgis active in the Bay of Pigs operation?
,
Did he continue clandestinely working for the liberation
of Cuba thereafter, either on behalf of the CIA or with its
knowledge, approval, or acquiescence? If so, what were his
activities?
Was Martinez engaged in clandestine incursions into Cuba
for many years following the Bay of Pigs invasion? Were these
made on behalf of the CIA. or with its.knowledge, approval, or
acquiescence?
What does Sturgis 111Pan whPn he says, 'I was doing -
similar work though Mr. Martinez was working for a different
sector than I was"?
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What does Sturgis mean when he refers to "my own situation
which involved the agency's knowledge and approval of my
operations and their indirect financing of them"?
Sincerely yours,
�
�
/ �
J.W. Fulbright-
Chairman
�
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