FORD DEFENDS U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN FOREIGN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000201990002-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 24, 2010
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: May 11, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/24: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201990002-0
-1 11 May 1984
FORD DEFENDS U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN FOREIGN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS
BY RICK PEARSON
SPRINGFIELD, IL STAT
Former President Gerald Ford said Friday he doubts the CIA aided political
parties in El Salvador with cash, but said there is nothing wrong with U.S.
government support of foreign political candidates.
Ford also criticized the World Court, which earlier this week ordered a halt
to U.S. mining of Nicaraguan harbors, saying "you use it when you want it, and
calling it a group of ''high paid jurists who don't really do much.''
The former Republican president made the comments at a $25-per-plate
fund-raising luncheon for GOP congressional candidate Richard Austin, who is
facing freshman Democratic Rep. Richard Durbin in the November election.
Ford was scheduled to fly to Mount Vernon later for a fund-raising dinner for
Republican Randy Patchett, who faces former Democratic Rep. Kenneth Gray in a
Southern Illinois congressional district matchup.
Ford said he doubted the validity of reports that the CIA provided covert
financial assistance to political parties opposing El Salvadoran right-wing
candidate Roberto D'Aubuisson in last Sunday's presidential election.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that Jose Napoleon Duarte,
the Christian Democrat Party candidate who won the election, was the major
beneficiary of a $2 million, two-year CIA financing plan.
"I don't know whether that's true or untrue. That's what the newspapers are
saying and that's what D'Aubuisson is saying, " Ford said. " I'm not sure Mr.
D'Aubuisson is an objective commentator since he's the one that lost.
''I'm going to wait and see, but in my opinion if the United States'
government is in favor of somebody, it certainly has a right to indicate who it
favors in an election."
Ford also defended Reagan administration policies in Central America, saying
one of the issues President Reagan must address in his re-election bid is the
leadership role of the United States in relation to its allies and adversaries.
. ''I get the impression that these Democrats think Central America is way out
in the Pacific someplace. Central America is on our doorstep, Ford told an
audience of about 750 people.
''We need a president that is strong, firm and consistent."
He said the U.S. role in Central America was not to ' 'overthrow'
governments, but to provide military aid for stability and economic aid to
promote democracy.
Concern about alleged human rights violations in El Salvador is justified,
Ford said, but not to the point that it halts economic aid and "lets a country
go down the drain.','
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/24: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201990002-0