CONVERSATION WITH WILLIAM WOODRUFF, COUNSEL, SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, RE SENSITIVE PROJECTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73B00296R000100180070-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 26, 2003
• Sequence Number: 70
• Publication Date: February 9, 1971
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Relea%t Afl / 4, ( `;,(qIA P73B00296R000100180070-5
/ frrt`i
9 February 1971
SUBJECT: Conversation with William Woodruff, Counsel, Senate
Appropriations Committee, Re Sensitive Projects
1. This afternoon Q and I discussed with Mr. Woodruff
the problem of briefing Senator Allen J. Ellender. I said I told the
Director of Woodruff's concern that Ellender be briefed as soon as
possible, particularly in view of Woodruff's uncomfortable position of
being aware of certain matters which the Chairman had not been cut
in on. I also told Woodruff that I had just extended, for a second time,
the Director's invitation to set up a briefing for Ellender at any time
convenient to him. I noted that a couple of the sensitive projects which
Woodruff was concerned about also involved the Defense Department,
and asked Woodruff whether the Defense Department might be briefing
the Senator on these matters. I said if this was the case we wanted to
be careful not to cross any wires. Woodruff said as far as he was
concerned the Agency had carried the ball on past congressional
briefings, and it had not occurred to him that DOD would take over at
this stage. Regarding the best timing for a briefing for the Senator,
Woodruff said that if he remained in town during the upcoming recess,
10 - 22 February, this might be the best time to catch him since there-
after he would be extremely busy. I told Woodruff we much prefer to
have Senator Milton Young and Woodruff present at such a briefing and
wondered whether they would be available during this time period.
Woodruff said whether Young was available or not he thought it important
that we get on with the briefing, especially about the sensitive projects,
since if Ellender heard about them later we might be in real trouble.
2. Woodruff asked how we plan to handle the briefings, and I
said I thought we would first want to give the Senator a general intro-
ductory briefing, perhaps with the participation of the senior deputies,
before taking up the sensitive projects which concerned us. Woodruff
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said this would be all right, but he thought it would be well for us to
let the Senator know at least of the existence of the sensitive projects.
I fully agreed, remarking that the next time I saw the Senator I would
tell him there were a couple of sensitive projects we wanted to brief
him on at his convenience and I said the Director would probably do
the same thing. I said if the Senator came out for a briefing at
Headquarters, the Director might call him out at the outset to mention
these projects, even before introducing the general briefing, so that
the Senator would at least be forewarned that the briefing on the
sensitive projects was in the offing.
JOHN M. MAURY
.J Legislative Counsel
Distribution:
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1 - Chrono
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