LETTER TO RICHARD BEN-VENISTE FROM JOHN S. WARNER RE WATERGATE DEFENDANTS -- BERNARD L. BARKER AND EUGENIO R. MARTINEZ

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01482377
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: August 29, 1973

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
OGC 73-1641
29 August 1973
Mr. Richard Ben-Veniste
Office of the Special Prosecutor
1425 K Street, N. W.
Washington, D. C. 20006
Dear Mr. Ben-Veniste:
Re: Watergate Defendants -- Bernard L. Barker
and Eugenio R. Martinez
In accordance with our conversation this date,
enclosed is the letter we request you deliver to Judge John J.
Sirica, attached to which is the information about the service of
Messrs. Bernard L. Barker and Eugene R. Martinez with the
Agency. You will note that this information is classified
SECRET. For your information, we have obtained security
clearances for Messrs. Daniel E. Schultz and Albert W. Overby
so that they can read these documents, ii Judge Sirica so decides.
I am also enclosing for your information a copy of the
letter we are sending to Schultz az Overby apprising them of what
has occurecl the last week or so in this case.
Please advise if I can be of any further assistance
to you.
Enclosures
Executive Secretary
Sincerely,
John 3. Warner
ing General Counsel
kti
Letter is unclassified when enclosures
are separated.
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NTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENIC
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
29 August 1973
The Honorable John J. Sirica
Chief Judge, United States District
Court for the District of Columbia
Room 2428
3rd and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
Dear Judge Sirica:
Re: Watergate. Defendants � Bernard L. Barker
and Eugenio R. Martinez
On 13 August 1973 the Central Intelligence Agency
received a letter from the law firm of Schultz & Ov-erby re-
questing information about the service of certain of their
clients with this Agency.
Enclosed is the information we have on Messrs.
Bernard L. Barker and Eugenio R. Martinez, which you will
note is classified SECRET. Schultz & Overby also requested
information on Mr. Frank A. Sturgis on the assumption that he
had been employed by the Agency, which 1n fact was not the
case,
The Agency has no objection to the defendants and
their defense counsel reading these documents, if appropriate.
We have obtained security clearances for Messrs. Daniel E.
Schultz and Albert W. Overby for this purpose:
Enclosure
Sincerely,
John .S; Warner �
g Gerieral Counsel �
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:NTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENC
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20305
29 August 1973
Daniel. E. Schultz, Esq.
Schultz �..,z Overby
1990 M Street, N.W.
Washington, D. C. 20036
Dear Mr. Schultz:
-
Re: Watergate Defendants -- Bernard L. Barker
and Eugenio R. Martinez
Reference is made to your letter of August 13, 1973
in which you requested information about the service of certain
of your clients with this Agency.
Through the Office of the Special Prosecutor we have
forwarded to Judge John J. Sirica the information you requested
on Messrs. Bernard L. Barker and Eugenio R. Martinez. This
information is classified SECRET and we have advised Judge
Sirica that the Agency has no objection to either you or the
defendants reading .these doCuments.
You also requested similar information on Mr. Frank A.
Sturgis based on your understanding that he was at one time em-
ployed by the Agency. I believe Mr. Lawrence R. Houston advised
Mr. Overby in a recent telephone conversation that Mr. Sturgis
has never been employed by the CIA.
Sincerely,
ohn. S./Warner
ng General Counsel
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- �
"RAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
OGC 73-1617
27 August 1973
Mr. Richard Ben-Veniste
Office of the Special Prosecutor
1425 K Street, N.W.
Washington, D. C. 20006
Dear Mr. Ben-Veniste:
Re: Watergate Defendants
Reference is made to a letter of 20 August 1973 from
Mr. Lawrence R. Houston of this Office in which we advised
you that the law firm of Schultz & Overby had requested in-
formation about the service of their clients with this Agency.
In this connection, I am enclosing the information we
have on Bernard L. Barker and Eugenio R. Martinez. We
would appreciate your comments and suggestions on how
this information should be provided to Schultz and Overby
and Judge Sirica, since it is classified SECRET.
Sincerely,
John S. Warner
ng General Counsel
Enclosure
C:
Executive Secretary/w/cys enclosures
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f. 7
// /
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT : Eugenio R. Martinez
22 August 1973
Mr. Martinez, born 8 July 1922 in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, is
a naturalized U.S. citizen. He was recruited by CIA in 1961 to
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
At that time, e was
being paid $8,100 per year. Having been removed from normal
civilian pursuits because of his Agency activities, Mr. Martinez
was placed on a part-time retainer of $100 per month, after the
project was terminated to provide an opportunity for him to once
again get into the mainstream of Civilian life. During this
period he provided occasional reports of interest to CIA. Mr.
Martinez was terminated in absentia on 17 June 1972.
Mr. Martinez was a loyal and reliable employee during his
years of association with the Agency /
/ \often under adverse con- (b)(3)
ditions, willingly endangering his own life for the cause of the
missions in which he strongly believed.
(b)(3)
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21 August 1973
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Bernard L. BARKER
1. Barker was born in Havana, Cuba on 17 March 1917
of a native-born U.S. father and a Cuban mother. His birth
was recorded at the U.S. Embassy and he was recognized as
having acquired U.S. citizenship by birth through the
citizenship of his father. He traveled, not on a U.S. pass-
port, but on an identity card proclaiming his U.S. citizen-
ship. He entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II,
was shot down on his 12th mission over Germany and was a
prisoner of war for 16 months. He was honorably separated
with the rank of Captain. In 1950, along with several
Cuban-born U.S. citizens who were war veterans, he entered
the Cuban police force, where his bilingual abilities soon
brought him advancement.
2. Barker's relationship with CIA began in mid-1959
in Havana as the result of his position with the Cuban
police force, under the Batista regime, in which capacity
he was detailed to liaison duty with U.S. agencies in Havana.
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5. Barker's contract at $500 a month was renewed
yearly until his termination effective 31 July 1966 which
was amicable and resulted from the change in times and the
resulting change in CIA activities in which Barker did not
fit because of his previously widely known association
with the Agency. Because of Barker's loyal and productive
service during his six years' contractual association with
the Agency, his contract was further amended to include
payment of a one-time termination bonus of $1,500. The
Agency also assisted Barker in getting a job in private
industry. Barker left the Miami area on 13 August 1966 to
undergo a four week training period for a supervisory position
in which he was to work in a liaison capacity between
management and the company's Cuban work force at a salary
of $180 per week (60 hour week) plus expenses. At the
time of his CIA termination, Barker wanted it to be made
a matter of record that he would drop everything and rejoin
CIA at a moment's notice in any capacity or salary level,
if his services should ever be required again. As required
of persons under a contractual relationship with CIA,
Barker signed a Termination Secrecy Oath on 12 August 1966,
thus prohibiting him from divulging any matters relating
to his association with the Agency.
6. While under CIA contract, Barker was a loyal and
dedicated employee who responded without hesitation to
various requirements placed upon him. He was totally
committed to Agency objectives and provided CIA with
valuable information during his contract tenure.
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