JACK ANDERSON ASSERTS CIA TRIED TO INTIMIDATE HIM TO NAME SOURCES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00494R001100710006-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2010
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: January 11, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2010/07/26: CIA-RDP90-00494RO01100710006-2
PHILA.DFLPHIA INQUIP R.
11 January 1985.
Jack Anderson asserts CIA tried
to intimidate him to name sources
Los Anjclet Tmes
The CIA made a "crude attempt" to
intimidate Jack Anderson into re-
vealing confidential sources for a
story about alleged drug smuggling
by the intelligence agency, the syndi-.
cated columnist said yesterday. .
Patti Volz, a CIA spokeswoman,
said that a Dec. 26 letter to Anderson
seeking information* about the
sources was not "a question of in- .
timidation," but that it was rather an
effort to have him substantiate pub-
lished accusations that the CIA was
"involved in something blatantly it-.
legal."
Anderson's exchange with the
agency marked the second reported
effort by the CIA to challenge critical
news reports of agency involvement
with the bankrupt Honolulu invest-
ment firm of Bishop, Baldwin,.
Rewald, Dillingham & Wong.
The agency has openly challenged
ABC News' reporting of the Bishop,
Baldwin story, and in November
filed a formal complaint against the
network with the Federal Communi-
cations Commission.
[The FCC staff yesterday turned
.down a CIA request that-ABC News
be-punished for "intentional news
distortion" and:Yiolation"of the Fair-
7iess`Doctrine and the FCC's personal
attack rule, the Associated Press re-
ported.
[The CIA had complained about an
ABC report that the CIA plotted to
kill Ronald Rewald,? a Honolulu in-
vestment counselor..-The complaint
asked for a full retraction and,ior.
consideration of the tissue as the -.1i
censes of radio and TV. stationst..
owned by ABC come up for renewal:-"
[ABC News eventually acknowl-
edged it could not confirm the story, {
but the network rejected the request
fora broader retraction of the story.
(James C_McKinney, chief of the
FCC's mess media bureau, ruled that
the CIA had no case because news- CIA's inspector general,. the Justice
casts were exempt from the personal Department and a congressional in-
attack rule and the CIA failed to telligence oversight committee-
show show that the broadcast "involved Copies of the letter were sent to the.
discussion of a controversial issue.") Justice Department and congression-
Anderson responded to the CIA's al officials as well as to Benjamin C.'
letter with a mocking offer to share Bradlee, executive editor of the Post.
his sources with. the agency, if the According to a copy of the-letter
agency. would agree to -share-? its-- read to the Los Angeles Times, Lau-
sources with him. der wrote to Anderson: "You should
"I think the letter smacks of intimi have no trouble making the-informa
dation," Anderson said in a tele- Lion available. If no such evidence is
phone interview, "but it's not going forthcoming, ?we. will- assume that
to be successful."
you have none. -
Much ..of ABC's, Anderson's and. "The letter speaks for itself," Volz
other reporting about th Honolulu said yesterday."This isn't a question
company has centered on the allege .of intimidation. If he [Anderson] has
Lions of illegal CIA ,arms shipments evidence of us, -being involved in
to foreign countries, efforts to desta- ? something-blatantly illegal, then he
bilize the economies of a number of should report that to appropriate
countries and an alleged agency plot- authorities.. .
to murder an American citizen. In the column, Anderson quoted
The request for Anderson's infor- Rewald as telling confidantes that he
mation came in a letter from George was asked to take part in a CIA-
V. Lauder, the CIA's director of pub- sponsored drug-smuggling opera.
lic affairs. Lauder's letter was a re- lion. Rewald is under federal indict-
sponse to an Anderson article pub- ment for allegedly defrauding about
lished Dec., 26 in the Washington 440 people of ' about S22 million.
Post and other newspapers. . Rewald has asserted that his firm
Lauder requested that, Anderson was a front for clandestine CIA oper
turn, -over his information -to the ations.
Approved For Release 2010/07/26: CIA-RDP90-00494RO01100710006-2