THE STORY OF CBS AND THE PLOT TO INVADE HAITI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00337R000200050008-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 7, 2001
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: February 26, 1970
• Content Type: NSPR

R ., le.SC 6'hA4 (4p%1iutLr SHINOTON STAR
Approved For Release 2001/07/26: CIA- ~TR000200Q?0008-4
PROBERS READING THE SCRIPT
The Story f CBS and the
o
Six of them were
lot
th
.
e p
By GUS CONSTANTINE
tried and convicted in Novem- e
star staff writer { ' .'ter 1967 while the charges ^^ 9-
. The Columbia Broadcasting against the seventh were, was hired by CBS as a con- _ cr
5L i
dropped by the Justice Depart- sultant for the invasion story.
{ System has been accused in a i^~t
confidential House subcommit- # ment. There is an appeal + er for the invasion story.
tee staff report of contributing pending in Now Orleans. ? Jay McMullen, CBS produc-
close to $80,000 to a 1966 plot According to the Commerce or for the invasion story.
to invade Haiti. Subcommittee staff report, the ? Andrew St. George, a
According to the report, CBS plot was hatched early In 1956 free4lance writer who tipped
invasion plans
in return obtained exclusive is Cuban and Haitian exiles off CBS on the,
rights to film illegal shipments as a two-step invasion which and was hired by the network
1 of arms and training sites of would seize Haiti from a base as associate producer and
the plotters preparatory to the Dominican Republic, writer of the story.
filming the invasion itself. then use it as a jumping-off ? James Wilson, a CBS cam-
It also charges that t}ie net point to strike at Cuba. examen who informed federar
its involvement and that it re learned about it in March 1966, plans.
ril to film inva- ? Eugene Maximilian, Hai-
-85
biked a CBS cameraman for ;~
d in A
p
a ree
M `r g
?,reporting the matter to federal
authorities. rtf if sion preparations, including tian counsel to the United
Richard Salant, president of E weapons shipments and each- States and the target of an
es, and did so in June and at extortion attempt.
-ar
CBS News, confirmed in New
;other York yesterday that "CBS RICHARD S. SALANT ' t ends th times. inos. the It network further put lip -customs toms o msey agent nt in in charge asarge si of enstant- -
News filmed gun-running ac- tend
tivities and training exercises House Commerce Committee funds toward the rental of a forcement at Miami, who kept
as part of an investigative re- said in an Interview. +yacht to serve .as the invasion ; track of the unfolding invasion
"`fla to scheme.
port on the activities of Cu- The report which was pre- ulle opera
-
S Nov d ou,t of the the opport Purls ~utllned
ban-Haitian exile groups." pared for the subcommittee' CnB in p mbtr,
But he denied that the net- last June 20, ? ;caused some tio
work helped finance the inva- agonizing in the Commerce said, when a customs agent The subcommittee report
sion plans or that it had any Committee over whether to who had been kept informed of sa s CBS' association with the
complicity in the plot." call a public, hearing. .the plans told the network the!, conspirators began in March
Asked whether the network Informaiton in the report led planned invasion of Haiti 1966.
had knowledge whether law to subpoening of CBS films, would not be permitted. The conspiracy took shape
was being violated, Salant financial records and logs in Salant said CBS officials initially as just one more Latin ,
said: r connection with the invasion wanted to pull out as early as intrigue in Florida to topple
If you're involved in film- attempt.Executive sessions September but that "customs the regime of Cuba's Fidel
hich CBS per-agents called and asked them' Castro.
uns and training exercis-
Ri
t
ng g
w
were held a
es, obviously you have knowl- sonnel testified. to continue. In this instance, the plan
44A n ft-.
.fiAVPloped by late _i
w ....t..