HELMS, AIDE PROBED ON SECURITY LEAKE WASHINGTON POST 5 AUG 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100160044-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 23, 2012
• Sequence Number: 44
• Publication Date: August 5, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6
Helms, Aide Probed on Security Leak
Intelligence Panel Sought FBI Inquiry; Senator. Denies Charge
By Joanne Omang
Washington Post Staff Writer
The FBI, at the request of the
Senate Select Committee on Intel-
ligence, is, investigating "a potential
violation" of national security se-
crets by either an aide to Sen. Jesse
Helms (R-N.C.) or the senator him-
self regarding U.S. intelligence-
gathering capability in Chile, com
mittee officials said yesterday.
A State Department spokesman
quoted Elliott Abrams, assistant
secretary of state for inter-Amer-
ican affairs, as saying there was "no
indication Helms was personally
responsible for any breach of secu-
rity, or even that he was aware of
it, but that's why you investigate."
Two sources close to the probe
said it has focused principally on
Christopher Manion, Helms' aide on
the Foreign Relations Committee.
The sources added that Helms had
not been ruled out as a suspect.
Helms heatedly denied the
charge, telling reporters it was "a
smear campaign" by the State De-
partment and the Central Intelli-
gence Agency. He accused Abrams
of "a deliberate falsehood" in spark-
ing the probe. Manion, the brother
of Daniel A. Manion, recently con-
firmed as a federal appeals court
judge, could not be reached for
comment last night.
In a formal statement, Sens. Da-
vid R. Durenberger (R-Minn.) and
Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), respec-
tively chairman and vice chairman
of the intelligence committee, said
the committee had "received infor-
mation that there had been a poten-
tial violation" of the law that bars
disclosure of classified information
held by a senator or Senate em-
ploye or officer.
Abrams' spokesman said Abrams
had "mentioned" the alleged secu-
rity violation to Durenberger dur-
ing "a chance encounter at a social
event."
Without mentioning Helms or
Chile, the statement said the coin-
mittee had asked the Justice De-
partment to investigate and that the
results would be turned over to the
Senate Select Committee on Ethics.
The Justice Department refused to
comment.
See CHILE, A16, Col. 3
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6
SEN. JESSE HELMS CHRISTOPHER MANION
... accuses Abrams of "falsehood" ... said to be focus of FBI inquiry.
,
CHILE, From Al the dead ..of night and made those
charges I am, saying Elliott
An'- intelligence'. committee Abrams committed a :deliberate
spokesman said the statement had, falsehood, knowing it to be a lie,"
been issued in response to a report; Abrams' spokesman. said Abrams
in Sunday's New York. Times about' had neither lied nor leaked anything
a probe involving Helms and Chile. to the news media.
Sources close to_ the investigation Helms said the State Department
said the alleged security leak in- and the CIA "want to silence me,
volved a U.S.-ability to monitor in- they want to intimidate me, they
sternal communications of thewant to harass me, and it's not go-
Chilean armed forces, through ing to'work," He has long claimed
which officials had.., reportedly ( that independent fact-finding mis-
learned unreported details of the sions.by. him and his staff have pro-
July 6 burning death of a: Washing- . duced better information than dip-
ton resident, Rodrigo Rojas,, 19, in lomats or--agents normally obtain,
? an antigovernment demonstration. and that they feel threatened by his
Government troops have been ac criticisms of their performance.
cused of Rojas' murder. "Is -it a smear campaign? -Of
The technology had also allowed course it is. If they can't beat you
unspecified contact with the grow- into the ground, they smear you
ing opposition to President Augusto into the ground," Helms said.. "I
Pinochet within the Chilean armed don't know anything about any, co-
forces, the sources said. The FBI , vert . mission and Elliott Abrams
began its , inquiry July' '18, the'_ ,knows that
sources added. Intelligence sources said CIA. Di-
Helms visited Chile and met with rector ,William J. Casey . had been
Pinochet- the week after Rojas' angered.,: by, the. reported security
death, taking along his wife and per- breach but did not want to clash
sonar- -'aides Deborah DeMoss; "directly with Helms by ordering his
James Lucier and Clifford A. , own investigation.
Kiracofe Jr. Manion, who was not They said Secretary of State
on the trip, has traveled. to Chile George P. Shultz had been "furious"
many . times in the past. One staff when Helms praised Pinochet's
member said the five-day visit was government during his visit. there
financed . by, the .-Chilean. National and criticized U.S.. Ambassador
Agriculture Society and not by U.S. Harry G. Barnes. Jr.:for' attending
taxpayers. of us [on the trip], includ- Rojas' funeral.,.
Abrams told a House subcommit-
ing the senator, had access to any . tee hearing that Helms' remarks
classified information on Chile. were "indefensible" :and said later
There was no hearing, no briefing, that Helms was "completely iso-
no documents, no nothing. We had . lated" in his defense of Pinochet. He
nothing to leak, period," the staff had previously criticized Helms'
member said. ;. charges that. the governments of
Helms made a surprise visit to Mexico and Panama are involved in
the Senate press gallery yesterday' .corruption and drug traffic.
to deny he had leaked anything to
the Chileans. "It was Elliott Ab Staff writers Mary Thornton and
rams" , who . started the - probe, Patrick E. Tyler contributed to this
Helms said. "He crept q here in report
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6
Helms, Aide Pr~bed.on Leak
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6
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