PHONY FIRM WAS COVER FOR CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000303520012-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: February 3, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303520012-7
NEWPORT NEWS DAILY PRESS (VA)
3 February 1982
RICHMOND (UPI) A former Richmond
city councilman 'operated a phony research
firm beginning in the late 1950s that was spme-
times used by the CIA to train spies, The, Rich
mond News' Leader reported Tuesday.
"I did it as a patriotic citizen." John E.
Lawler told the paper.
Lawler said he began accepting CIA assign-
ments when he retired in 1950 as special agent
in charge of the Richmond FBI office. He was
on the council from 1956 to 1960.
Lawler. 73. said he ran a phony research or-
?ani:atior, dubbed the Old Dominion Research
Co. that was a front for 2 CIA training and pay-
roll operation:
The newspaper said the firm, which Lawler
operated between 195E and 2960. fit the patt-
ternT of other CIA-backed --An~ui.:a;ions that
po ed as foundations to. pay students and
olars ab-ci4, to eali-ect inteil:eenee.
Lawler agreed to the interriex? after`he do-
Hated a large collection of personal papers and
documents to Virginia Commonwealth Univer-
sity.
One folder in the collection includes eppli
cations for overseas research grants or letters
from Lawler approving research projects in the
Middle East and, Europe, the paper said. ---
Lawler maintained he never *knew moth
about what went on in the research corporation
and v.-`:at he did knew he has since forgotten:- - _'
"It just vanishes in time" he said-
The CIA declined to confirm or deny the
News Leader's report
An initial inquiry from the paper in Atril
brought a letter saying -there was no record"
of the undercover organization. But the News-.
Leader said a subsequent letter.in December
acknowledged 'five 'should have said that -a
records. search failed to. locate any' overt ,
records, . _. .~ !
-"Further;-we should have-stated that'the
fact pf the existence or non-existence of any_'-..:
documents which would reveal a confidential or -
covert CIA connection with.or interest in mat-
?ters relating to those set forth in your request
is classified::""
By this statment,"*the letter went on to-
say, "we are neither confirming nor denying
that any.such documents exist"
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303520012-7