MORE TESTIMONY ON OTEPKA ISSUED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600040143-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 1998
• Sequence Number: 143
• Publication Date: August 8, 1965
• Content Type: NSPR

Sanitized - ApprovralIA-RDP
AUG 81965
MORE TESTIMONY
ON OTEPKA ISSUE
Senate Unit Gives Detail
in bismissal Case
partment's alleged undercover
F ` efforts to prove Otto F. Otepk
disloyal to the department wer
made public tonight by the
(senate Internal Security sub
Committee.
These Included a nocturna
safe opening, telephone ,to
pings and clandestine examina-
tion of "burn bags" used t
dispose of discarded but class-
ified printed matter.
Although testimony pub
lashed in the volume release
tonight-the third in a serie
i from the subcommittee---w
taken in secret, the major ma
terial In it had previously bee
disclosed during the protracts
controversy- 'over Mr. Otepka'
dismissal by the State Depart-
Inent on Nov. 5, 1963.
The department charged hl
with "conduct unbecoming a
,"officer of the Department o
;a, State." He appealed his dismis-
r sal through department chan-
t nels and the case still is pending
CPYRGHT
Activities of department of-
ficials to obtaln evidence
against Mr. Otepka included
the tapping of his phone, which
caused an uproar in 1963 and
resulted in the resignation of
two security officers who first
denied and then admitted that
wires had been connect :4 to
Mr. Otepka's office phone."
Assistant Secretary Involbd
One 'of them was John F,
eilly, then deputy assistant
ecretary . for security. Mr.
)tepka charged in a letter to
he State Department Nov. 14,
963, that: Mr. Reilly had been
arried. away ' by his , "over-
ealous attempts to build a
ase against me."
Mr. Reilly, in his testimony
n Aug. 6, 1963, firmly denied
at he had ordered the tapping
f Mr. Otepka's phone. Then,
n Nov. 6 he "amplified" his
estimon:? in a statement to the
ubcommittee admitting that
An Otepka's phone was tapped,
ut the tap had been discon-
ected after 48 hours when a
est showed it was unworkable.
Eavesdropping became un-
ecessary anyway, Mr. Reilly's
tatement said, when the exam
nation of the burned bags re-
Baled that "Mr.' Otepka had
urnished certain material to
r. Sourwine."
Shortly after, on Nov. 18,
963, Mr. Reilly and Elmer D.
ill, chief of the division of
ethnical services, resigned.,
heir resignation followed it
uggestion by Senator Thomas
Dodd, Democrat of Con
ecticut, vice chairman of the
ubcommittee, that the State
epartment, instead of dis-
harging Mr, Otepka, dismiss
r. Reilly and Mr. Hill.
Several security officers tes-
ified about Mr. Reilly's order
o check Mr. Otepka's burn
ags. Mr Reilly, Terence J.
Shea testis ea "was looking for
nythfng ~ansmitting, informa-
ion in connection with this
ommittee."
The bags, a:; total of about 14,
ere taken to'Mr. Reilly'sa office
uring a period of several
onths. They' contained, said
oseph E. RoSebti, security chief
the division of domestic op-
rations, . "classified papers
hick Mr. Reilly was interested
Mf'r Otepkas safe *asopdndl
t night,' sg&tn . do lMr. ' Reilly 9
rdere, by ' a . assail lty " oei
title and pay as chief of the
division of evaluations.
Hearing Scheduled
appeal has been postponed re-
peatedly at the request of Mr.
Otepka'a counsel and now is set
for Oct. 11.
Several members of Congress,
including some in the security
subcommittee, are challenging
`i,'the dismissal and accusing the
8t department of persecuting Mt.
Otepka for cooperating with the
subcommittee in its investiga-
a Lion of security affairs.
The department takes the
. osition that Mr. Otepka went
beyond the limits of proper co-
'operation by voluntarily making
classified information available
,.to Jay Sourwlne, subcommittee
counsel, and aiding in the draw
Ing UP.- Of qquuestions,. designed "to
embarrsu hie, epartnient.w,eol-~
5~.~ a. t~sM+x wY~ifC'~e.riwihd d+
Sanitized Approved For Release .:;CIA-RDP75-001,49R:600600040143-7