U.S. MOVES TO BAR A C.I.A. PLOT TRIAL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100090068-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 68
• Publication Date: January 21, 1976
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/24: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100090068-8
r-, NEW YORK TIMES
21 JAN 1976
ol- tain covert operatioas in Chile. iligence community with legisia-i
Ey JOHN DI. CREWDSON
S;r::el to The \ew York Tim^s
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 -
Tustice Department lawyers re-
rewing the activities of the
Central Intelligence Agency
.have concluded that no grounds
? 4xist for a Federal prosecution
of C.I.A. officials involved it
plots to assassinate foreign
heads of state,. a department
spokesman said today. .-
Attorney General Edward IL
Levi has been advised of the
conclusions reached by lawyers
in the department's Criminal
Divislcn and is expected to
concur with their recommenda .
tion that the case be closed,:
the s2ckesman, Robert Havel,:
said.
The decision that the assassi-;
eatior plots-directed againsti
Prime Minister Fidel Castro of I
Cuba and his Congolese coun-
terpart, the late Patrice Lu-!
mumba-amounted to "a dry,
ho!e." as one Justice Depart-I
ment source familiar with then
matter p;:t it, narrows con-1
: siderably the scope of the L*l-
vestiga:ion of C.I.A. operatioas+
'arid past and present officials.
According to one well-places
Justice Department source, in.
vestigations are contint::n; into
the C.I.A.'s 20-year-long pro
Rram of opening mail between
the United States and several
Communist countries: more
than 60 wiretaps' and bugs
used by the agency to check
STAT't5 security procedures. and at
.least one burglary committed
ioX C.I.A. employees. ,
Perjury inquiry Goes On or naval expediting' against lawyers at work on the cases!
The role of Richard Helms, a friendly foreign cacntry. were "bound and determined
former Director of Central Intel- But that law was discarded'that we're going to do a
!:genre, who reportedly ap-gas inappropriate, as were the: thoughtful job."
proved that burglary, remains pcderaj conspiracy s::, tutes ands A principl stumbling h!ock!
under scrutiny by the Justice (the District of Columbia's mur-:to a speedy resok;tion of these
Department's Civil Rights Divi-(der statute. initially considered cases, he said, is the conti nuing;
sion. And the Criminal Division !because some of the discussions refusal of Con; ressional irves-I
is continuing to examine among C.I.A. officials concern-;tigating committees to supply(
whether Mr. Helms perjured in the assassinetiozl plots took:pcrinent evidence they had
himself before the Senate For- !place in the District. (gathered over the las: year.
eien Relations Committee in The Justice Department It is not the statute of l aita-1
1073. spokesman said, however. that!tlons that is running out inj
In addition to the C.I.A.- !although no Federal prosecu-:those instances. the official
inspired murder plots againsCtions would be brought over said, but rather "the time clock!
Dlr. Castro and Mr. Luniumba,I the plots against ?r. Ca. tro,iof public concern." 1i^ ex
which were either not imple-(D;r. Lumuntba or M. Trujillo.; pressed fears that if the depart-!
.mented or were unsuccessf ul.5 the department was prepared; meet were to move ahead *now
the Justice Department's law- to make its evidence available. to bring charges in any of i
yers also investigated the agen- to any state prosecutors who! those areas, exculpatory mater-i
cy's role in supplying arms to (believed that violations of law!ials might later turn up in'
dissident elements in the Do-!in connection with the plotsjHollse or Senate files that
minican Republic bent on kill-:;had occurred in tl:cfr jurisdic--would prevent or overturn Con-1
.ing that country's dictatnrial;itions. victions.
leader, Rafael Trujillo Molinas.!l Other Charges Pe:ssible At to Let Committee Die
At one point in searching ! The five-year star: pry time
for a possible violation of Fe-'- . WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (UPI)`
deral law- in connection with II'Tit for prosecuticr.5 in the-As the House intelligence
that plot, according to the de"i,,urg1ary reportedly approvedicommittee prepared today ton
partment source, the !:a xyers by ~.r. Helms, now tae Ameri- ?.ind up its ircestigatio n of
considered the applicability of can ambassador to Iran, expires! the C.LA. by the end of the
a vaguely worded statute prohi- next month. It would be possib-month, its chairman: Represen-
biting the staging of a 'military le for the next sevssal years,; tative Otis G. P? ?e joined in
ho:.ever, for the J:,_itice De-Ideclarir,- that too much secret;
partment to bring tinarges in; material was being leaked toy
connection with the mail open-Ithe press.
ings and Mr. Heiress testimo-I Mr. Pike, Democrat of Suffo!k~
ny. County, said he would not seek
The Helms testineny under) an extension of the life of
.investigation includas his as ; the committee, due to expire
surances, made during Senate; Jan. 31, because of widespread!
confirmation hear;n on his'leaks of classified irforma:ion.!
appointment as arrbassador,l The Administration. sources,
!that the C.I.A. had not been said, wants Congress to follow!
!involved in certain domesticlun the year-long investioatton;
surveillance activities or in cer-lof the United States into!
U.C. liv1IIPS TO BART
A %:I.?. PLOT TRIAL,
Levi Is Expected to Approve'
Advice Not to Prosecute i
Lice Department hoped to make Ifro:n fines to expulsion from
final determinations in the re- committees o r Congress itself'
Imaining matters soq% one offi- against Congressmen leaking
cial said that he O,nd other classified material to the pr Wis.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/24: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100090068-8