ZORINSKY ACCUSES CIA OF DELIBERATELY WITHHOLDING INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000707420001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 7, 2011
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 30, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/07: CIA-RDP90-00552R000707420001-2
'iR?.e k.Jc11du.4Jr
Edward Zorinxy
Nebraska
Suite SR-443, Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510 Contact: Art J-eg51
[phone]
FOR IMMEDIATE?RELEASE: April 30, 1985
ZORINSKY ACCUSES CIA OF DELIBERATELY WITHHOLDING INFORMATION
Washington, D.C............ Senator Edward Zorinsky (D.-Neb.) today accused the Central
Intelligence Agency of deliberately withholding information on the salaries it pays to the
Nicaraguan Contras.
Zorinsky said he asked CIA representatives for the magnitude of the salaries in a
classified Capitol Hill briefing in mid-March.
A month later, a highly classified one-sentence response was provided that Zorinsky
termed "a clear evasion of my_question."
"Like a slick lawyer, they chose to interpret my question so narrowly that there was
no room for a substantive response," he said.
"Their response was a deliberate attempt to withhold information from a U.S. senator,
the ranking Democrat on the Subcomittee with responsibility for Central America," Zorinsky
added.
Zorinsky termed the incident symptomatic of the "game playing and the deceit"
characterizing U.S. policy in Nicaragua and all of Central America.
"Is it any wonder why the Congress fought and beat down the President's request to
provide further funding for the Contras?" he said. "Is it any wonder why proposals were
being circulated by Democrats and Republicans alike which would have kept the money out of
the CIA's hands, even for so-called humanitarian assistance...?"
Zorinsky said "an honest, forthright relationship between the CIA, the entire
Executive Branch for that matter, and the Congress, would be a good first step in getting
U.S. policy in Central America back on the right track."
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/07: CIA-RDP90-00552R000707420001-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/07: CIA-RDP90-00552R000707420001-2
Statement
Senator Edward Zorinsky
Tuesday, AAril 30, 1985
People may wonder why, during the debate last week in the
Congress over the funding of the contras in Nicaragua, there was so
much skepticism and outright distrust expressed about the Central
Intelligence Agency. The fact of the matter is that this skepticism
and distrust emanates directly from dealing with the CIA and my latest
experience with the Agency serves to illustrate this. Stated clearly
and simply, you can't get a straight answer out of the Agency.
Officials chose to evade the obvious intent of a question I posed to
them on the funding in order to hide the obvious truth.
During a classified briefing on Central America before the
Committee on Foreign Relations on March 19, I asked CIA
representatives how much we pay members of the contras. What are
their salaries? They didn't have the answer at hand and said they
would forward it to me. About three weeks later, an Agency official,
through staff, gave an answer over the phone but was told to make a
formal response in writing. Finally, a month after my question was
asked, a response was transmitted to me under highly sensitive
security classification that necessitated its storage in the files of
the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. It was classified too
sensitive to he stored in the files of the Foreign Relations
Committee. But it was a one-sentence response and a total non-answer.
The Agency's response was a clear evasion of my question, because like
a slick lawyer, they chose to interpret my question so narrowly that
there was no room for a substantive response. They gave me only what
they had to under their strict interpretation of the question, even
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/07: CIA-RDP90-00552R000707420001-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/07: CIA-RDP90-00552R000707420001-2
though they knew full well what I wanted. Their response was a
deliberate attempt to withhold information from a U.S. Senator, the
ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee with responsibility for Central
America.
This is just one example of the game playing and the deceit which
has characterized the issue of U.S. policy in Central America,
especially in Nicaragua. Is it any wonder why the Congress fought and
beat down the President's request to provide further funding for the
contras? Is it any wonder why proposals were being circulated by
Democrats and Republicans alike which would have kept the money out of
the CIA's hands, even for so-called humanitarian assistance, by having
it channeled to the Red Cross or the UN's refugee agency?
One of the reasons why our policy in Nicaragua is in a shambles
is because of this lack of trust stemming from deliberate evasion and
deceit on the part of the CIA. An honest, forthright relationship
between the CIA, the entire Executive Branch for that mattter, and the
Congress, would be a good first step in getting U.S. policy in Central
America back on the right track.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/07: CIA-RDP90-00552R000707420001-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/07: CIA-RDP90-00552R000707420001-2
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155
Zorimky Criticizes Stonewalling on ContCIA. AU~gm
ra ` `
By Gabriella Stem
WORLD-UFttALD bURtAtJ
1Yashingtan - Sen. Edward 7ortn$i y
criticized the CIA Tuesday for
"wiihholdirg information cm the sala?
riwS It pays 10 the Mr-ir(lguan contras."
AThe IM0 A offricis c to nevet the.
airlounl paid to comers at a claso Sen.
ate runlullrtee hearing in niid.Mnrrh
The CIA rftWnLm, which carne eiweek,,,; Inter, was " sew
a non-answer,"
7(1rins.y shirt, and was Clsssiff,d so it
coslld not be roterls d to the public.
In an interview TueWo ', Zorinsky
srid the CIA should give him a corn.
plete 1'PspoJt e, tree that is aveil,zbJe to
(ha n,ihi , 1........._. .... .
..... Mrr..M. ,a.s.., .W .! .....M ilex.. ..)J_..
..., .,u~. wluair
Stirs the se w 11y of our coon
l:y. %
Foi ig,i Helaticm Comnlltee, a he
wanted to know how much money can.
I= have 2 ceJved from the United
States. He said he wanted to know in
order to delemlfrie whether the rebels
are fighting the Sandinista govemment
or fighting for personal financial gain.
"I want to knfaw how much is patri-
otic niotivatian and how much Is eco-
nomic motlvatim," Zoft ( said
A CIA spokesman said Tuesday (hat
the agency would not reply to 7
ky's criticisrns.
.'1~'e have no comment on tht
attor"s statement. it he has tiny
Ofs re ,ardi CIA activities >7
lions, then he should take ft up wit
Sennic Select Cominitteo on L
genre," said Patti Volz nl the CIA.
Zorinsky said he teamed Iht
aiiurccs he declined to name (ha
CIA had paid salaries ID the conir
liar( of congixtsiarlally appropt
MOM Y III Nst Years.
"I E:new they were being paid bu
what amounts," he shit. "Prey
ammunition and alms and nlaterit
war is a Ian dilterent from the i
SUremWlt Af rrVA n,ni7,,,0..,, ..r .
Srnlyitpni+ng torrncutey."
He described rho aopnru~e .,r~.,
"a clear evasion of nl?question, `?? I
stick Lawyer, they rhosa.o interrpre
question so narrmvly that there we
room fur a sLlstantave reaponye.
"Ibeir resp ;% was a dallberatt
tempt to wit old infomudlcn fro
U.S. senator."
Zorinsky said he could not ret'eal
CIA rise, but said it did
amount to a suiflcient answer.
"!t was a one-sentence reawrlye
a total non-answer."
That kind of attitude
he sad
,
tins
, ages %'4de6pread suspicion of the 1
by members of Congress e.id be it any wonder why the Ctrs
toast( and beat do i the p
rtuest to provide further funding
be ronttusT Is It any wonder wh
POSah were betag elrtx;lRted by l F
oats and Fteyubllcam alike wh
would have kept the money out of I
CIA's hands, ever, for ao-called hums
tartan assistance?"
Zortn y said Cor ress stopped
nanh'ng the cone about ^ year a;
ie said Ms q~uuestion eon
cmea any
Mespaid batareturdsinceeWttt t
He said he was interWed it the m
deed, tare w(p g tif,U
were being led to bellve ( Ln
. , , returning their oouauy to
41f1I4hPiii
o~ eu q?. W o ?J s7S
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/07: CIA-RDP90-00552R000707420001-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/07: CIA-RDP90-00552R000707420001-2
MEMORANDUM FOR: ` /
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STAT
CD lam. t, S -e
Date 6
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/07: CIA-RDP90-00552R000707420001-2