HOOVER, BUGGING AND DENIABILITY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-01208R000100150171-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 22, 2011
• Sequence Number: 171
• Publication Date: April 17, 1978
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Flu-
STAT
1 - I LIJ 11 {... 111, I .L__ _ _
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/22 : CIA-RDP90-01208R000100150171-8
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PACE B-11
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ties, ",Viission Im ors Y, this was intended to. triguing internal report-was circu- I
possible," was all too. " persuade future historians that Iated after Hoover met with then- I
accurate about the practice of gov- Hoover scrupulously obeyed the laws CIA chief Richard, K- -Helms and
eminent. leaders ordering unlawful he was supposed to enforce. Any evi- _ other intelligence. `officials. The ~.
Ines imt caught- . g their dente to the contrary naturally memo admitted, that the FBI was.
would not be left lying around. But
There is reason to conducting "microphone surveil-
believe; for ea- this much is known: lance" of 13 extremes
ample, that -past:'presidents. knew-`:. .' Under pressure from then-presi- home of Black Pantherileader o Huey
more than.the record discloses about--.:.dent Richard M. Nixon to disrupt left-- Newton. It is virtuall
the dirty doings of the Central Intel- Y impossible to
wing extremists, the FBI continued plant a microphoa~e in someones
ligence Agency. Now, we have ob- its criminal trespassing and eaves- home without trespassing..
tamed secret evidence that the late L dropping . until Hoover's death m ', ? After Hoover's death, the Justice
Edgar Hoover played the same game. s 1972. Some of his former officials face ` Y ? =',Department disclosed to a'closed.
Virtually nothing iivent on in the -'door Senate inv tion that 14
prosecution. for:: illegal.`- break-ins,... - close-knit FBI that escaped Hoover's "subversive targets s were the subject
? "black bag jobs" and buggings that_ notice.. Even veteran colleagues of at least 238 entries" by the FBI
the powerful FBI chief may have sew feared to take any major action with- continuing, until'. -April, 196& cretly ordered. The evidence Indic-' out his being informed. Almost every would have been zwre than a This ates he carefully covered his. own . paper. clip had to be accounted for. after Hoover's final disavowal. Our
tracks to avoid personal embarrass. ?`_The late William C. Sullivan, a sources are em
inert if his agents were caught phatk that none of
member of Hoover's inner sanctum, these would have been initiated .i
On the record, Hoover placed in told a federal grand jury that in 1970. without Hoover's sanction.
the official files memos and orders he relayed instructions from the FBI ? When the Watergate gang came
ostentatiously taking. a firm stand director to field agents that they. up with a proposal.twcrack down on
against unlawful tactics. On Jan. 6,' should employ "any. means neces- Nixon's political enemies by violat-
1967, he notified two of his top aides sary" to bring the extremist groups . ing their basic rights, Hoover was
that he would not approve requests to book. He said Hoover cautiously credited with opposing the nefarious
for illegal planting of listening devi; avoided directly mentioning wiretap- . cam
ces on private premises. paler. But a memo to then?attor-
"I nave ping, electronic listening and other ney General John It Mitchell from.;
previously indicated that U. forbidden acts. But, Sullivan
said, the FBI chief pledged cooperation.
do not intend to approve any such re- within- the context of the discussion, "Despite my clearcut and specific op- I
quests in the future," he declared,. the tacit approval was so clear it position," Hoover wrote, "therBI is
"and, consequently, no such recom- needed no interpretation from me." ? prepared to implement the. instruc?
mendation should be submitted for-::: Sullivan resigned In 1972 In a bitter tions of the White House at your di_
approval of such matters. This prat.:.;, break with Hoover and died recently-.::: rection. of course, we would con-
tice, which includes. also : surrepti in a hunting accident. tinue to seek our
uuthorihe
tious entrances of any kind, will not ? Although interd Y specific
epart mental lion, where appropriate, to utilize the
meet with my approval in the fn- documents attest to Hoover's s d~sa- various sensitive insestigative tech-
tore." -,ft vowel of unlawful
ti
THE WASHINGTON POST
17 April 1978
Apparently the old television se. Ob
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prac
yes, an m- niques involved in in ividual cases..
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/22 CIA-RDP90-01208R000100150171-8