CIA FUNDS AIDED NEGRO REGISTRATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000300030005-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 1, 2005
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: April 7, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

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Uy Drelo Pearson and
,jack 1 rlder?son
It will be vociferously de-
nied, but some of the South's
mo:.:, vocal opponents of civil
!rights have either overlooked
or sanctioned under-the-table
.CIA aid to help Negro voting
registration and militant civil
rights groups.
The CIA money was fun-
neled through private founda-
tions right under the nose of
the Central Intelligence
Watchdog Committee headed
by Sen. Dick Russell, Georgia
Democrat, and Rep. Mendel
Rivers, the South Carolina
Democrat. Both have made
speeches denouncing the civil
,rights movement. Yet they
permitted CIA funds to go to
civil rights groups in the same
manner that CIA money went
to student groups.
The disclosure emphasizes
the importance of the drive
filed by Sen. Eugene McCarthy
(D?Minn.), and Son.. William
Fulbright (D-Ark,), to put
members of . the Senate
,Foreign Relations Committee
on the CIA Watchdog group,
now composed solely of mcm-
lber-s from the House and Sen.
ate Armed Services , Commit-
.-tee. This drive was defeated
,last fall when Russell emphati-
cally proclaimed that his com.
'mittee knew what CIA was
doing. Obviously it didn't.
-On the. Watchdog Conimit-
tee, in addition to Russell and
any 'knowledge of CIA finan? two more states are needed to i
cial ties; nevertheless- they are get .the required number of
a fact. ' legislatures on record.
This is why Sen. Simon, a
n Ullvn W 11uUU VLL Mu llla4 ture, which has already voted.,
Federal Constitutional Con? for the convention, has intro'""
vention In U.S. history has duced a resolution to "rescind'.
been started in legislatures
which hitherto voted for such the- previous action," He has a convention, The drive Is led also written to the majority,
by Illinois State Sen. Paul and minority leaders of every,`
Simon of Troy, Ill., home state House and, Senate in the 50
of a man who has chiefly states urging similar action.'In
sponsored the convention, his letter, Son, Simon points'.,.
Son, Everett Dirksen, who out, how easy.. it is for 'state;
wants to nullify the Supreme legislatures to go on' record r
Court's one 'man-one vote rul? for a Constitutional Conven.,
ing, tion.
Though Dirksen'shome leg- "There is no statutory-
islature passed a resolution fa- framework , for a Federal.
voting a Constitutional Con- Constitut i o n a lI convention."
vention in order to overturn Sen. Simon wrote his fellow.'
the Supreme Court, the 'I1l1- legislators, "There is some.
nois legislature has now found luestion whether such a Cora,
that the Supreme Court was vention can'be limited to one:
right and that the equalization tonic.
of representation in the legis? This means that a Con.
lature has worked for . lili. atitutional Convention could,
nois's general benefit. It has result in a fundamental chal-;
also, incidentally, increased lenge to our basic freedoms.
Republican representation, ""Under area representation;
having given more' votes to in the past half century, gross,
the suburbs around Chicago 'nequalities in representation;
than to sparsely : populated became part of. the American'.
downstate Illinois, scene," writes Sen. Simon. "In
Despite this, Dirksen helped Nevada, 8 per cent of the pop-,'.
to sneak', resolutions through illation controlled one house'
32 state legislatures favoring if the legislature; In Cali-
the convention, Never before tornia,' one district haO
in the 180-year history of the 5,038,771' 'voters and another
United States; . has the Nation district 14,294,: Are we seriouip` .
ever held , a convention to about wanting to return', to%'
change the Constitution;. nor such- a system?" .
has it come, this close.:;Only ; (A'19fiVBe11?McClure Syndicate" Inc;.,-
Approved For Release 2005/11/21: CIA-RDP70B00338R000300030005-7
Rivers, are such Southern stal-
warts as John Stennis (D-
Miss.), Sam, Ervin' (D-N.C.),
and Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.):
together with 0.' C. Fish-
er, (Tex.), Elliott Hagan (Ga.),
and Alton Lennon (N,,C,) - all
Democrats.
CIA's Secret C1:axnlze.u
The main conduit for CIA
money to help the Negro voter
registration drive was the
Southern Regional Council,
which received $60,000 of CIA
funds in 1963. The money was
channeled through the New
World. Foundation,
In 1962, $6000 of CIA funds
went to the Southern Regional
Council through the Aaron E.
Norman Fund, In 1962, the
Georgia Council on Human
Relations also got $2600 of
CIA money from the Norman
Fund.
The National Student Asso?
ciation, which received mas-
sive contributions of CIA
money, was also encouraged
by -the CIA to push voter re;
istration drives in the South;
Justification for using 'CIA
funds was to quiet disastrous
foreign publicity caused by
civil rights violence.
The Norman. Fund, inciden-
tally,' has also contributed to
CORE's scholarship and edu-
cational fund, ' the ' Lawyers'
Constitutional Defense Com-
mittee, and the League 'for. In.'
dustrial Democracy, ,all;vigor-
ous civil:rights advocates,
Note: F'un4' officials 'deny