SENATORS WARNED TO KEEP SECRETS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100020102-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 17, 2012
• Sequence Number: 102
• Publication Date: May 18, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/21 : CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100020102-6
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE
SENATORS WARNED?
TO KEEP SECRETS
Helms Controversy Promp%
a Letter to Lawmakers one h
Intelligence Disclosure
rte
By MARTIN TOLCHIN
Spedal to The New Yort Time
~Ju
-q^
WASHINGTON, May 17 - The Sip
ate Republican and Democratic led.:
ers formally warned their colleagues
today that Senate rules prohibited ch'
closure of intelligence information of
tained from the Senate Select Commix:
tee on Intelligence or any other
sources. L D
The warning, sought by the inteik-
gence committee, was made in a letter,
to each senator from Howard H. Baker
Jr., Republican of Tennessee, the ma=
jority leader, and Robert C. Byt *Democrat of West Virginia, the rhli
nority leader. They noted that Sen4e
Resolution 400, which set up the int' 13-
gence committee, barred disclos .f`
without committee approval of intelli-
gence material obtained from the c,07
The letter was prompted by a write
'
request from the chairman and vice
chairman of the intelligence comr t-
tee, representing the unanimous viet'$
of committee members. This reque.
made in a hand-delivered, "eyes only"
letter that is now in the committee's
safe, cited disclosures by Senator Jesse
Helms, Republican of North Carolina;
about the role of the Central Intelli-
gence Agency in the presidential elec-
I tion in El Salvador. "'
NEW YORK TIMES
18 May 1984
Mr. Helms has vehemently deniedYe
disclosed information obtained frddi
the intelligence committee. He has said
he got his information from sources;ln
El Salvador.
UDderminingConfidence The letter sent today said: "Theiap-
pearance that details of proceedings
before 'the intelligence committee-)br
sensitive information before the intel1A.
gence committee are being discusses
in open session on the floor, or in *my
other manner not authorized by S. Res.
400, cannot help but undermine 4jee
mutual confidence that must exist'be-'
tween the committee and the intelli-
gence community if 'congressional
oversight of intelligence activities is to
be effective." JO .
It cautioned: "If any senator
calves information about alleged i R-
ligence activities from sources other
than the intelligence committee, hs7Yit'
she should bear in mind that such irtfor-
Mr. ems said today that
started a Senate Ethics Committee inr
quiry to determine who leaked they
Goldwater-Moynihan letter to The Neevvi~
York Times, in violation of the Senate.
rules. He charged Mr. Moynihan with
the leak because, he said, Mr. Mo'ni:
han was supporting Gov. James B,;
Hunt Jr. of North Carolina, a Democra
who is seeking to unseat Mr. Helms h(
his campaign for re-election this talk
politics, and that's all it is," Sengto?
Helms said. =~
Aid to Presidential Candidate"'
Senator Helms disclosed on the'Si'en;
ate floor last week that the agency had
given to the campaign of Jose Napok6rr
Duarte "comprehensive, across*e,
board services," including money fob
precinct Organizers, radio and telm.;
sion advertisements and computer
vote registration. 11) ,
Mr. Helms said that he received
his'
p
mation may well be classified and tie information not from the committee"
subject of the committee's oversighh` but from a radio broadcast in San' at-'
public comment."
Senators Barry M. Goldwater,
publican of Arizona, committee char-'
man, and Daniel P. Moynihan, Demo=
crat of New York, vice chairman; said
in their letter that although they cite
the conduct of Mr. Helms there was na
conclusive evidence that be had -vioa
lated Senate rules, according to time
familiar with the letter.
However, Mr. Helms's conauct w
severely criticized at a meeting at,
which Mr. Goldwater and Mr. Moyni+
han showed the letter to the Sent(
leaders, according to those familiar
with the meeting. r
"He certainly did aryextraordinary
thing," one committee member said of
Mr. Helms.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/21 : CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100020102-6