OTEPKA'S ROLE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600040149-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 1998
• Sequence Number: 149
• Publication Date: July 27, 1965
• Content Type: NSPR

WASHINGTON POST
AND TLMES HERALD
Sanitized - Approved Foo e ~q. CIA-RDP7
FOIAb3b
CPYRGHT
Oteplca's Role
e Associated Press story~;
on the case of William A.
W i e 1 a n d, carried by The
Washington Post this morn-
ing,
creates the false impres
sion that Otto F. Otepka'
"cleared" Mr. Wieland in Jan-
uary 1962.
Referring to the testimony
of Deputy Under Secretary
William J. Crockett before the
Senate Internal Security Sub-
committee, the storysays:
I "The deputy under Secretary:,
told the subcommittee the
first favorable determination
in the Wieland case, in ,Janu-
ary, 1962, was signed by Otep-
ka, even though he told the
subcommittee 18 months later
in August 1963, that he clues...
tioned Wieland's 'judgment..
and integrity.'
Apparently the testimony of
Crockett to which the sto
ry refers is his statement, at`
page 99 of the transcript, that"
the "file indicates that the'
CSC was notified by letter
dated January 29, 1962, that a
favorable determination had
been made in Wieland's case.,,
This letter was signed by Mr.
Otto Otepka."
Contrary to the impression
created by your story and by
Mr. Crockett's testimony Mr.
Oteplca did not clear Mr. Wie-
land in January 1962, or there-'
after. Mr. Otepka has testified
before the internal Security:
Subcommittee that prior to
January 29, 1962, he made neg-
ative findings with respect to
Mr. Wieland's judgment and,
integrity. In view of these
findings he submitted the
matter to his superiors for'
their decision. Thereafter, ac-
cording to the testimony, a fa-
vorable determination in Mr.
Wieland's case was made by:
Mr. Otepka's superiors. The
letter to the Civil Service
Commission dated January 29,'
1962, signed by Mr.' Oteplca,
was merely a formal notifica-
tion to the Commission of the
final determination made by!
the Department of State. It
was not in any sense a state
ment of -Mr. Otepka's views,'
or a determination or ','clear..
Sanitized - Approved For, R~d Otto F. e o OTA-:RDP75-00149R000600040149-1
Washington. .. ~.~ ,