EHRLICHMAN SAYS PRESIDENT KNEW OF FUNDS INQUIRY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00901R000700100005-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 73
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 9, 2005
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: May 31, 1973
• Content Type: NSPR

EHRLJCHIYIAN M"~?
PRESIDENT KNE11"1
OFFUNDSINQUIRY
Asserts Nixon Was Fearful
6 Days After Watergate
of Action by the F.B.I.
THREAT TO G.I.A. IS SEEN
Former Top Aide Is First to
Testify in Congress on
Democratic Break-In
By DAVID E. ROSENBAUM
Special to The New York Time
WASHINGTON, May 30
John 1). Ehrlichman told a Sen-
ate subcommittee today that
President -Nixon knew six days
after the Watergate break-in
that Federal agents were in-
vestigating "Mexican aspects"
of the case.
Mr. Ehrliclunan was Mr.
Nixon=s chief domestic adviser
until he resigned April 30. He
was one of the few men in the
.White House to see the Presi-
dent regularly.
Mr. Ehrlichman was the first
of the President's present or
former top aides to testify
before a Congressional commit-
tee on the Watergate affair.
The "Mexican aspects"' of
which Mr. Ehrlichman spoke
involved the transfer of $89,000
from the President's re-election
committee through a bank in
Mexico City into the hands of
the Watergate burglars.
National Security Cited
Mr, Ehrlichman said that he
did not know whether Mr.
Nixon knew shortly after the
burglary at the Democratic
headquarters that the break:in
had been financed by money
from his re-election campaign.
In a statement to the Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee
on Intelligence Operations and
in comments to newsmen after-
ward, Mr. Ehrlichman affirmed
NEW YORK TIN'S
3 1 MAY 1973
TAT
Fblf%r.ftt6Alse2OO5I l7/?ebt'. CIAt I9nI1 OO9td(t Hills, Calif., "probably
ators that the President had
been worried that the investi-
gation of the Watergate break-
in might expose covert intelli-
gence operations in Mexico.
A Meeting With Helms
Because of that concern, Mr.
Ehrlichman said, the President
ordered him and H. R. Halde-
man, the White I-louse chief of
staff, to meet with the top offi-
cials of the Central Intelligence
Agency and to have them tell
the Federal Bureau of Investi-
gation to call off the investiga-
tion in Mexico if C.I.A. opera-
tions would be endangered.
In his statement last week,
Mr. Nixon acknowledged hav-
ing ordered Mr. Ehrlichnian and
Mr. Haldeman "to insure that
the investigation of the break-
in not expose . . an unrelated
covert operation of the C.I.A."
Mr. Ehrlichman said today
that on June 23, 1972, six days
after the burglary, he and Mr.
Haldeman met with Richard
-'Helms, then director of Central
Intelligence, and Lieut. Gen.
L ,-Vernon Walters, Mr. Helm's
deputy, in Mr. Elirlichmai's
,office."
General Walters was directed
to meet with L. Patrick Gray 3d,!
then acting director of the F.B.I.,
to tell Mr. Gray of the Presi-i
dent's concern, according to Mr.
Ehrlicliman's statement.
About 10 days later, Mr. Ehr-)
liclunan said, General Walters:,
reported that there was nod
C.I.A. operation in Mexico that;
would be imperiled by the F.B.I.1
investigation. But Mr. Ehrlich-11
said that the President dick;
not believe General Walters.
"The President told pie then)
that he still personally believed
and feared that the F.13.I. in-
vestigation might harm the)
agency," Mr. Eli lichman told!
the coniniittee. Mr. Ehrlichman i
continued:
"Ile said he believed the,
C.I.A. would be making a nits-1
take if it pretended an investi-
gation would not disclose sonic
of its current operations. He
said he hoped the general and
other C.I.A. management were
not covering up for their sub-
ordinates.
"The President said substan-
tially: A man snakes a grave
rnislake in covering tip for sub-
ordinates. That was President
Truman's error in the [Alger)
Hiss vase, when lie. instructed
the F.B.I. not to cooperate."
Mr. Nixon ordered Mr. Gray
to conduct a "full investiga-
tion," Mr. Ehrlichnian said.
Mr. Ehrlichman met with the
sob omniittee for nearly three
FO tFte kaasAci2AQ?/Qt7i/A loll C
the President.'s statement that
any interference by the White
House in the Watergate inves-
tigation was a result. of the
President's concern boat en-
dangering national ,; jAipryp. ved
chairman, said that the fornierl curence." v vV
Presidential aide would be But Mr. Ehrlichman said that
called back for more question he did not'tell President Nixon
ing. Tomorrow, Mr. Haldeman) about the matter and that the
is to appear before the sub I President had learned of it "rel.
committee. atively recently."
Mr. McClellan said that fur- The break-in "was at that
ther testimony from Mr. Ehr- time oppressed with a very
lichman was necessary because sensitive national security
"serious and conflicting altega- characteristic as far as were
tions have been received. concerned and as well as the
regarding attempts to involve' investigating authorities were
the Central Intelligence Agency! concerned and continued to bel
papers cases."
Mr. McClellan was referring
to' Mr. Ehrlichman's contention
that he did not ask the agency
to provide E. Howard Hunt Jr.
with paraphernalia that Hunt
allegedly used to break into
the office of Dr. Daniel Ells-
berg's former psychiatrist in
e
c
e
an su
committee
the summer of 1971. Hunt was) is investigating whether any
subsequently one of those who'
pleaded guilty to the Water-; Cpres,ure .I.A. to was exerted on the
gate conspiracy. cover up the Water-
gate case.
Gen. Robert E. Cushman Jr., gate to
addition to Mr. Haldeman,
deputy director of the C.I.A.I the McClellan panel plans to
in 1971. and now commandant) call Charles W. Colson and
of the Marine Corps, submitted; Ez it Krogh Jr., both former
an affidavit to a House sub- White House assistants.
stated: committee May 11 in which he Other ranking aides, such as
"About 7 July 1971 Mr. John John N. Mitchell, former At-
Ehrlichman of the White House torney General, Maurice H.
called me and stated that )low- Starts, former Commerce Secre-
and Hunt was a bona fide em- Lary, and John W. Dean 3d, for-
a consultant on security rner Presidential counsel, are
-love
,
matters and thatHunt would
come to see me and request
assistance which Mr. Ehrlich-
man requested that I give."
General Cushman swore to a
similar statement before Sena-
tor McClellan's subcommittee.
But Mr. Ehrlichman said to-
day that he did not have the
"faintest recollection" of having
made such a telephone call and
that it was "extremely improb-
able" that he had done so.
Mr. Ehrlichman gave the
Senate subcommittee menioran-
durns from General Cushman
written last Jatiuarv in which
the generals said that he did
not know who made the call
to him.
Mr. Ehrlichman said that he
first found out about the bur-
glary of Dr. Ellsberg's psychia-
trist, Dr. Lewis Fielding of
istic until very recently," Mr.
Ehrlichman said in response to
a question from newsmen.
Mr. Ehrlichman appeared be-
fore the Senators in a closed
session, but his 19-page open-
ing statement to the committee
was released.
Th
M
Cl
ll
b
expected to testify in the next,
several weeks before the special
Senate committee investigating
the entire Watergate case.
C) 2-
C r Fl- t-1 tm e. g t' e o
 By OSWALD JOHNSTON
Star-News Staff Writer
John D. Ehrlichman's
Senate testimony disclos-
ing President Nixon's role
in ordering CIA officials
last June to curb an FBI
investigation relating to
%-Watergate appears to con-
flict with earlier testimo-
ny, raising a series of new
questions.
Some of.these questions
are due for exploration
today when H. R. Halle-
man, the former Nixon
chief of staff who conduct-
ed the June 23 meeting
Ehrlichman described,
presents his version before
the Senate Appropriations
subcommittee on intelli-
gence operations.
Ehrlichman's testimony
before that committee yes-
terday left its chairman,
John L. McClellan, D-
Ark., indicating he was
half persuaded that the
meeting was not only "at
the instance of the
President" but that Nixon
knew CIA officials would
he ordered to block an on-
going probe of Mexican
funds that eventually
linked the Watergate burglars directly to the Com-
mittee for the Re-election
of the President.
THE, MEXICAN trans-
action involved the shift-
ing of S89,000 in Nixon
campaign donations
through Mexico, in an
apparent effort to conceal
their source. Ultimately,
the funds wound up in the
campaign treasury after
moving through the bank
account of one of the VVa-
tergate conspirators.
Ehrlich man, speaking to
reporters yesterday, fol-
lowed Nixon's lead of last
week in seeking to justify
the meeting with CIA offi-
cials in the naill (! of
"national security" opera-
'tions that might be hir1-
dercd if the FBI were al-
lowed to conduct a vigor-
ous probe of Watergate.
.r[a.JUJ.. , 21 eJ 1 J 1. to
3 1 MAY 1973
For Release 2005/07/01, CIA-RDP9
any blame for "imporpcr
suggestions" which ac-
cording to earlier accounts
had been made to CIA offi-
cials. These included a
proposal that the agency
use "covert action funds"
to pay hail for the Water-
gate burglars and also to
put them on the CIA pay-
roll while they were in jail.
Following another dorni-
nant theme in Nixon's
.tatelnetit of last week,
Ehrlichman also cited a
strong fear of leaks to the
press as a reason for limit-
ing the FBI investigation.
"We were suffering from
extensive hemorrhaging
by the FBI," the former
White House domestic
chief said, referring to
press accounts of on-going
FBI investigations.
Ehrlichman specifically
declined either to deny or
assert that it was the Pres-
ident himself who speci-
fied that the FBI's poten-
tially embarrassing probe
of the Mexican finances he
interrupted for the sake of
CIA operations.
"I honestly can't re-
call," Ehrlichnnmtn told
reporters. "I can't say
whether that subject came
from the President or
came from those of us who
were at the meeting."
account that Walters gave
'in a sworn and notarized
affidavit: "It had been
decided at the White
House that I would go to
acting FBI director Gray
and tell him that now that
the five (Watergate) sus-
pects were arrested, fur-
ther enquiries into the
,Mexican aspects of this
matter might jeopardize
some of the CIA's covert
activities in that area."
In a confidential in-
house memorandum of
that meeting which has
been turned over to con-
gressional committees
examining the CIA-Water-
gate link, Walters remem-
bered being told "it is the
President's wish" that he
go to Gray with this plea.
Helms has told both the
McClellan committee and
Rep. Lucien N. Nedzi's
House intelligence sub-
committee that he con-
ferred with Gray on the
CIA-Watergate link June
22 - one day before 'the
meeting Nixon ordered in
Elirlichman's office..
McCLELLAN indicated
he is confident Gray was
told that day that "there
was no problem" relating
to CIA operations. Nedzi,
D-Mich., likewise is con-
vinced that Helms told
Gray "there was no wa
an
y
IN ADDITION to this
FBI investigation of W,-
comnlent and the question tergate could affect their
it raises, Ehrlichnlan's (that is, CIA) covert proj-
version of the CIA transac- ects."
tion posed specific con- It is not clear 'whether
flicts with earlier accounts Helms was speaking di-
by former CIA director rectly of the Mexican in-
Richard M. Itch ins and vest igation, which is
CIA deputy director Lt. known to have been in
Gen. Vernon A. Walters. progress by the June 23
Ehrlichman said Wa1- meeting.
ters was ordered to warn In testimony a week ago
the FBI off the Mexico before the Senate Foreign
probe only after Hlelins Relations Con;nlittee,
and Walters were unable lid ins recalled being
to "make us a flat asked either "before that
assurance" there was Ito day or after that day" by
danger that the FBI roves- the FBI to check out Man-
tigation would jeopardize uel 0g;arrio I)apcucrre, a
CIA operations. Walters Mexican lawyer involved
even "left a very clear in the Mexico City fund
impression" there might transfer. IIelnls did so, lies
be such a clanger, Ehrlich- testified, and learned that
Plan said n .. "I
was described as so un-
sure about the effect of
FBI activities on CIA op-
erations that, with Helms
present in the room during
the June 23 meeting, he
was ordered to go.to Gray
to warn him.
Walters "left a very
-clear impression with its of
the strong possibility of a
vigorous investigation
uncovering some secret of
a national security charac-
ter such as the President
was concerned about,"
Ehrlichman said yester-
day, adding: "If he hand't,
we wouldn't have sent him
over there."
As to the Mexican
connection, Ehrlichman
hinted it may have been
Gray himself who brought
that up. "My understand-
ing . . . has been that the
FBI was aware of the
Mexican connection, so to
speak," Ehrlichman said,
"and they had raised the
question of whether or not
there might be a CIA
connection."
ON TIIE SAME day of
the White House meeting
with Helms and Walters,
the first public knowledge
of the Mexican connection
surfaced in federal court
enuring; a routine bond
hearing for the men
caught inside the Water-
gate on June 17, only six
days before. At the hear-
ing it was revealed that a
Aliami bank draft linked to
Pernard J.. Barker, one of
the burglars, had been
traced to a bank in Mexico
City.
Despite the key role .the
Mexico connection was to
play in Walters' and
Helms' recollection of the
episode, Ehrlichman's
version appeared to be
vague on that point.
"Walters," he recalled,
"was' never asked to limit
anything. lie was aksccl to
inipart the information
which lie had or could get
to the FL'I in order that
lie also tried to shift to t,aullo 1.u1 no teLttuln-
t/ But Walters and IIelms ship with the agency of
John %V. Dean III, the oust- have soli:aantially agreed, any kiild." CteL;
eel White House couns'll.
dppi'e,NffF6fFk 'idf'sd"2d(5/07101 I iVA- DP-91-00901 R000700100005-8
lion, however, Walters
 Approved For Release $Ob713: CIA-RDP91-009
HOUSTON POST
~6~~ 1f {{t '.1 ~J :4 tj .a7 .1
Post News Services
WASHINGTON - Former
White House adviser John D.
F, It r 1 i c h m a n \Vechtesdav
blamed the Central ]n-
iciligenc'e :\arrcy's deputy di-
l-- rector. Vernon Walters, for
the CIA's role in the Water-
gate coverup.
7";Itrlichnian also said he
can't recall a.string the CIA to
? help Howard Jinni, chal-
lenging" testimo :} by former
Ci:A d0q,uty Robert Cushman.
Fhrlir'hm?an, \\'d:o clcil. as
chief \Vh,Ie ]louse domestic
adviser last. April Icstifled
behind clo cd doors to the ill-
telliJ_g?ence subeoalrnhtlee of
t ll r? Senate Aplirol'ialions
Com;nittec. He later gave
11e bitch/page 2C
Trial sea; :Liievl/Ir,;a' ?lA
nc\\ sl:he;l ., 17.1, t e n rnsc'ript
cf his plc-ptrctl tcstia-~eny.
Su etanil tcc Cininotan
John M ('!r'; :n. I)'Atk. t-aiii
beet t:.. ;.i ON, : , ..:OIL iY
Ct Its
for-
cl:;fi fo:- as
c. ': s r, t :. line
Nwr,. di :r::C. h_;
. .J.
I s 1 67)
afergate matter generally . On the 1=:ll:berg matter, I ',-
supports astatement be Tres ' ::?lic'htnan could not matter,
con-
fident \ixon last \':ccl:, Nixon (radio tile.. testimony of for-
s,id he ordered Bhl'licl tnan ?1 e r CIA deputy director
lnci Haldeman to enure that Cushman, but he said 11e has
idle FBI's didn't igations into aio evidence or recollection to
Ivatergatc didn't uncover Sc- su 'inrt it.
cret operations by the CIA or l.r alter developntenls:
-White. House went::. ?i Chief U.S. District court
'' J:hrlichman said \\'alters ;1114ge John J. Sirica signed a
nd. CIA Director Richard q_day delay of innnuni for
NcLns nlct with him and Ilal- [scan and Magruder. Tito
or- ill late Jutte 11T7? der wilt keep thrill froth tesli-
I1 and \A'alters said the
Ci \ haild't been involved in
-Watergate. and that an FBt
investigation \\roulcln't utlcov-
ei any past CIA operations.
But I,:Lt'lichmatt s:id \Val-
ters gave all "C'quivocal re-
spone" to a clue itnn about.
whether any CIA ac-
tivbie'; in Me\ico ntigh,t be
v lrtovered. 1Csiter was then
ordered to contact acting F'RI.
Director I. Patrick Gray 111
and ".gi\'e him all the facts,"
Gray has testified that \Cal-
Iers told 1ti111 ;o pc,stnofe l: r~I
interviews t';ith t\tn men, one
of them a ltezir:ln la\':yi'r,
ti~hose check: supltltccl ,
lt;',ncial link bet':ecr, ttr Wa-
lc l',ale \`'i Ct1i nit'i the
,'\l: -s a f
r?~ S ? of the taps were never made that became known as the through Mexico. Haldeman
Ii~t7~Q available to Secretary of plumbers," to Stop national said it was the President's
State William P. Rogers. security leaks. Watergate wish" that Walters tell FBI
? ? In June, 1970, the Pres- conspirators E. Howard Hunt Director L. Patrick Gray III
ident called a meeting of the Mexican inquiry would
Secret U L intelligence community lead- and G. Gordon Liddy were foul CIA covert operations.
By Laurence Stern
Washington Post. Slaf1 Writer
In his Watergate state.
ment of disclaimer yester-
day, President Nixon ac-
knowledged that he was
the author of the secret
security operations that
were to entangle him
deeply and personally in
the scandal.
His main caveat Was that
he neither knew of nor au-
thorized any illegal acts.
But the President admit-
ted that he established-on
grounds of national securi-
ty-the White House-based
covert machinery that be-
came heavily implicated in
political espionage and
illegal fund-raisin, opera.
ti.ons in his 1972 re-election
catlipaign.
His statement alluded to
serious disarray within the
American inn-illcence coin-
munity. in 1970 and 1071. It
spoke of heretofore?unknown
agencies within the intelli-
gence bureaucracy, it pro-
vided the first authoritative
confirmation of what was in
the safe of John W. ))call III,
the maxi he fired as White
House counsel.
But most important was
the series of admissions that
he personally Chartered each
of what he described as the
"national security opera-
tions" that were to become
entangled in I,Vatcrgate.
These were the admis-
sions;
? In 1969 the President
ordered a special program
of wiretaps ntnnhering 'few-
er than 20" to plug news
leaks of major international
negotiations, including the
nuclear arms talks. Ifc said
the taps "produced :nlpor-
tant leads that made it Ihos-
slble to tighten III(, security
of highly sensitive mate-
rials."
National security adviser
Henry Kiksincrr is known
to have said that the taps
produced no evidence that
ininugncd the loyalty of i n
member. proved the creation of the call off an investigation into
The State Department said White house Special In- ... .
ers that resulted in a plan assigned to the plumbers The CIA refused to comply.
for expanded domestic in. team. ' ? President Nixon admit-
tellinence operations. The The President said he per. ted that in a conversation
group working under his sonally chartered the invest- with Gray on July G, 1972 he
authority approved, among discussed the actin= FBI di-
other measures, breaking lgation of Pentagon Papers rector's contacts with the
wild entering the premisesHdefendant Daniel Ellsberg. CIA. lIc acknowledged his
e said he impressed upon awareness of Walters' refus-
ol' suspected national secur- E'il I{rotrb the unit's chief, al to go along with the plan.
ity violators. The plan was the "vital importance" of TCalte along
testimony to
vetoed on July 23, 1970, a the Ellsbcrg assignment but the Senate Armed Services
month after it was ap- that he (lid not authorize Committee and a fedoraproved, because of the op- the use of illegal means to Com l tee, said Gray called
position of FBI Director J. achieve that goal. Krogh has hint on the same elate and
Edgar Ifoover. The plan was admitted that he approved told him that the e FBI could
never implemented. the burglary in September not call off its investigation
Yet this was the intelli- 1971 of 1':lisberg's psychia-
1T~~
h
Bence blueprint, the Presi-
dent said, that Dean remov-
ed from the White House
chid placed in ;, 'safe deposit
box under the control of
Judge John J. Sirica. Copies
also have been turned over
to the Senate Armed Serv-
ices Committee and the
Senate Watergate Commit-,
tee. "The same plan," the
President said, "is being
headlined today."
o In December, 1970 a
nee' interagency group, the
Intelligence Evaluation
Committee, was created tui-
cler presidential authority
for expanded domestic intel-
ligence evaluation. It was
comliused of representatives
of the White House, CIA,
FBI, National Security
out a letter
trill's office. t11 d-yuo wit
from the CIA saying it
The President said he would endanger covert acti-
personally assigned "t h e vities of the agency there..
plumbers" unit the task of - - Retrospectively, the Presi-
cotnpilin_ "an accurate rec.- donl -commented yesterday
ord" cif the Vietnam war. that an out;;rowth of this en- at 'it now seems that later
terprise, Watergate cons lira- ? there were apparently
tor- Ilt.uit acknowledged that v,:de-ranging cifortr- tolimit
lie fabricated cables design- the f Chest. ,;anon -or to con-
, to directly implicate the coal the possible involve
went of members of the ad-
lat0 President Kennedy in ministration and the cam-
the assassination of South paign committee. I was not
Vietnamese President Nos aware of any such efforts
Dinh Diem. at the time."
Members of the "plumb. At the outset of his 4000-'
ers" ^nit eventually he. word statement yesterday
came instruments for polit? Air. Nixon insisted that "it
teal sabotage operations in is not my intention to place
the President's 1972 re.elecm a national security 'cover'
tion campaign- specitically on ;Watergate . . " Yet on
the Watergate break-in. the basis of his. bwn state-
- The President acknow-l- punt each of the major tri-
ed"ed that he personally cii- butarics of lire W
t
a
ergate:
Vulencv. Departments of Jus- tc?c?ted iialdenhan and. Ehi?- scandal steinnled from pro-
nto, 'Treasury and Defense lichnhan to make sure that grails that were begun by
and the Secret Service. the Waterggate investi~Cation presidential order in the
One of the reasons for its did not infringe on covert iitleresis of national secur-
cstahti hnurnt, the President?c~pc?raliorrs of the CIA or the icy.
silt,e;estcd, was that by .1uly, \Clhite Itouse "plumbers."
:1970. Homer had "cricfe'd tire, Deputy CIA Director- Gen.
FBl :s normal liaison with ail Vernon A. A%'aiter-s recently
other agencies except the testified that the two White
White }louse", House aides asked him to
Ile revealed ie.clay
that the o,hrr;it nnr i.
cmm~litter are n!(u under
inr vcsli;gatiun, a Jact that has
never before been acknowl-
edgcel officially. "If it went
Ihc'yonrl its charter and did,
eug.acc in airy illegal acdivi-
tirs," tile. President said, ''it
spas totaIl'r wit bout my
know']chl1'c' or aulhorit;:."
In Jiine, 1971, a, week
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STAT
 ' LOS ANGELES TIMES STAT
STAT
Approved For Releas 2O5( :196-RDP91 0 901 R000700100005-8
F-1 .
Via ea` Me o Quotes 2! ' ea'~~ it
P
as u le
re s den Vis
BY JOHN H. -AVEPILL
Times Staff Writer
WASHINGTON-H. R. Haldeman, President Nixon's former chief of
staff, was quoted Monday as saying "it is the President's wish" that the
Central Intelligence agency try to sidetrack FBI efforts to trace funds
involved in the Watergate scandal.
The quote attributed to Haldeman
was contained in a memorandutn
written by Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Wal-
ters, CIA deputy director, following
a White House meeting last June 23,
six days after the Watergate break-
in.
The memorandum, one of 11. sub-
mitted by, Walters last week to the
Senate Armed Services Committee,
was disclosed Monday by Sen.
and John D. Ehrlichnian, another
top presidential aide who resigned
alone; with Haldeman on April ga.
Helms said he believed '.\lr. Nix-
on's name was mentioned but could
not recall it specifically. He said he
took it for granted that Ilaldeman
was not acting without authority.
"When the President's chief of
staff speaks to yyou," Helms said,
"you assume it is with the highest
authority."
Stuart Symington (D-Mo.) at a Sen- Panel Members Laud Helnis
ate Foreign Relations Committee Symington and other committee.
hearing, members praised ITelms for what
Heading from the memo, Syming they called his successful efforts to
ton said that Haldeman turned to prevent the CIA from being com-
Walters at, one point and said, "It is promised.
the President's wish that you go to Later in the day. Sy'nlin -toll
see Mr. Gray." '1'llis was a reference emerged from a closed meeting of
to L. Patrick Gray III, who resigned the, Senate Armed Services Conlillit-
recently as acting director of the tee, of which he is actin; chairman,
FBI. to announce Ihot secret documents
Funds Sent to Mexico had disclosed White IIc)use propo-
At the time of the. White House . sags that involved bui,giarics for
meetin the l'131 was Irvin to trace dotrtestic spyin pui pn.,e.
e?anlpaign fund; which were, sent Synlin^tnn said the atithenticits of
from ''e~as to Mexico where, it has tIn do:?ii kilt verified in Ic~sti-
been alle ed, they s~.?et converted moos \Innrl-ly by Tom Charles IIu--
into Mexican check; and cash in 21-1 inn, , In,ci i \\'hitc 1!cu c aide who
effort to conceal the icier,titie of the on e worked for ntt>tcd l re identiai
c
ottmcl
,lnhtl 11'. ])can III.
donors. '1'hcy were lager deposited in Some of the documents, Srmin
:;-
a lfianli bUllk account of confnsSed
\\'aterr;ate conspirator l3ernard L. ton said, included papers
Barker. Dean Karl placed in a
S mine ton read from the \\"alters safety deposit box. They.
memo as the cntilllllttee was clues- were later turner[ over to
tionin'' former CIA I7ircc?tnt' Itich- federal Watergate ilro CCU-ward liclnl.s, now a ; 11 :tssador to Iran, tots and the Senate's se
about CIA ia\ c Ivc'n:cnt with tl ster-
gate p;lrtieiu ni lest Watergate committee.
l'ndcr r~uc:.tmnin;;. Ilrlnl:; said he 1)iscnssing the purported
z
and \1',tllcr:; egret }~tiu,lrur?tc,l t at flu ~ ~ ? ?~~ 1- ~
tend the Jun, ?':t \1''~fi'rp~A,YflQ!'tReleas~1 C~b-'1191-00901R~,~t1#t(~bbf5i8iIlnnct' I laL?e
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t:. C..1 111 t. i:. to 21''11, \.ponsihility for
the Army's so-called Soizth-
STA
ContliTluet
Approved For Release 2005/07/01 : CIA-RDP91-00901R000700100005-8
1;,,ticrl f;. Crr..!:t.::,et Sr., .\I( X,:iiitirr:t. itai:' Jr. and 5"r*nr?ti A. Lath as (h;'re renei'aIS e;'n?tit tai in civilian politics.
 STAT
A ro ed For Release 3nU/0Mi lWiA RD0191 00 018000700100005 a
T '` b'
r Jet Request
. a e ?,a~??? was a high-level attempt
By BARRY KALB
Star-News Staff Writer
D-Mo., who as acting cha
rman of the Senate Armed
Services Committee has
been quest oning current
and formet'CIA officials
about CIA links with Wa-
tergate, announced yester-
day that lie had turned
over to the grand jury and
Serrate Watergate Commit-
tee 11 in-house CIA memo-
randa. They deal with con-
versations between top
CIA officials and the three
White House aides --
Haldeman, former doms-
tic counsel head Ebrlich-
man and former White
House counsel Dean -
between June 23, 1972, and
February of this year.
Former CIA director Richard
~NI. Helms has reportedly told the
Watergate grand jury that when
t//
U ?i : 414) LJ A U , .` 1 A- \,A w
T-. r, ~ , . a t /P , 1. F 1 J,d4,~lt .'f~
I t, r q ? r.a r: 1
t t a 1 ~,
~ d ~/ ~ t i'? 13 U i 1 /./~`'?. .., ~~ fir - it ..i 'ti j"'.~, br \;
H. R. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlich-
man and John W. Dean III tried to
enlist CIA. aid in the Watergate
cover--up on June 23, Haldeman
told helms the request was corn-
ing from "higher up."
At that time, there was only one
person at the White House higher
than Haldeman, and that was
President Nixon.
Helms, now ambassador to Iran,
made the statement to the grand
jury Friday, according to infor-
mal sources.
There was no indication that
Haldeman, then v'Viiite House chief
of staff, actually used Nixon's
name in his unsuccessful effort to
involve the CIA in the bugging and
cover-up.
NOR COULD The Star-Neves'
sources say that helms had been
able to ascertain that the rcque is
for CIA :Ielp were in fact codling
from the President.
But member's of Congress who
have been reporting on corlnres-
sional testimony by ilelnas and Lt.
Gen. Vernon A. Walters, CIA dep-
uty director, have stressed. that
when requests wore made by
aides with the authority of Iialde-
inan, the authority of the Presi-
dent horn: elf was taken for grant..
ed.
Withouth providing de-
tails, informed committee
sources have told The Star-
News they belive be nrern-
oranda contribute "added'
fact'' to the suspicion that
Mon knew of the cover-up
attempts.
SYMINGTON said on
Thursday, after hearing
closed-door testimony
from Helms, that 'it is
hard for me to visualize
how Nixon could have
been unaware of what was
going on.,'
In a statement released
Friday, in which he re-
vealed the existence of,
the memoranda, Syuring-
ton went even further:
"I believe these memo-
randa are highly signifi-
cant, and my first impres-
sion of then: is that they
appear to verify one of my,
statements yc,;terday at a
press conference, ilaincly
that it is very clear there
for the Watergate bugging
on the CIA.
"Also," Symington con-
tinued, "it is even more
difficult for me to visualize
that the President knew
nothing about it."
One source close to the
CIA-Watergate probe de-:
scribed the metros as:
presenting an important.
"added fact" about one of
the conversations. This is
believed to be the June 23
meeting-six days after
the Watergate arrests-at
which Walters was or-
dered by Haldeman, with
Helms present, to inter-
fere with the F13I's Water-
gate investigation.
Ilelnms' grand jury testi-
mony Friday, like that of
convicted Watergate con-
spirator James W. Mc'~
Cord's before the Senate
Watergate Committee,
was ' second-hand
"hearsay" at best, and
both bits of testimony fail
to provide conclusive
proof that the President
knew of the cover-up.
McCord testified on Fri-
day that in January .John
J. Caulfield, a former
White House aide then
working at the Treasury
Di'partmeat, had tried to;
buy McCord's silence .it`
the Watergate trial r.ttri
that Caulfield had said
Nixon was aware of the
attempt.
This prompted \vbite
]l-use Press `secretary
l:nnaltl 1,. Ziegler to once
ar;aln issue a statement
dw:nying that the President
Approved For Release 2005/07/01 : CIA-RDP91-00901 R000700100005-8.,
 STA
Approved For Release
{~T1'tiF1;'1 +nelf~
I,~ii!IiV4io.il
-WIT
Says It is P:ovr tlarflor fors'?
Flint to 1301ic",M. Nixon
Ultatvare of Cover Up
r sr 1tIIRJQ=,li': HUNTER.
Stec.;a1 to ::;r Nex York :.7mcs
a..
WASHINGTON, :Tay 18 _-
Senator Stuart Svj,1 u ; ell said.-
today that. new data just g+_sreci' .
tile Senate Armed Scrvict':Y
Committee nyi. c it "even nlol'l'.'
(l!riiClllt for li'!C to \'iS;la l!zc' ?
the the 1'rr_ idar,l" knew lio,110
ing about "White Mouse at=
it-itlpts to Use the Central Jn='r
telflgencc Ae cucy to cover up
r the Watergate affair. !
The new clan consist of If
men1orandurll of converse Lion
--that Son. Vernon A. W ilters,
dernlty director of the
C.I;
said that' he mach followin
conversations tvitll While'..
House aides last Jule shortiv
after the b.ealk-in at the Demci- 1
cra.Lic. lleadqua, ters at the"
\lratcrgav CCWDIOX, 'h,
`'tna tor SVOIini Loil declincd
t disclose t11 c act content e
of . the Illcfnol.l,uituns but :'
termed them "highly siguifi-
cant."
Ile, said that he had scut
copies to the Senate sdlect -:
co:11mtttt`e on 1'residentlal Carth
Asian -activiti^ r:hicil or, !ncclq
u11-scale inginto ` th(t-"
\Vac-rgnte Case ycrtcrdiy, and-r.
to the United StaLc-s AUernev,-
who is also invesi~sating thahl
case.
Visited Wvlito House
-111
w6m)
Affidavit Described
In that cafliclavit, he told of
meetings at. - v,,hic!1 three top
Write' Ho aye ?, Ses t lI, It.
l-Ialdcin;(ti, Join-, P. Ehrlich- r
Ivan and John W. Dean 3d --~.~
attempted to persuade the
C.T.A. to cover up the Water--'
gate affair.
The gertertrl cited -meeting .s,
at which lie said Hie C.I.A. had
been- asked to persuade
Federal. Ftureau of Investil,a:nl.
Lion. to h-lt i,!:linquiry into".
Nixon cultr.al;=,u funds that foci
been . "laundered" . through raj
Mexico ' City batik and late!'e;,
used, at least in part, to figs}
nonce. various; a ldlct'cover? Rc??e
tlvities by t1C "residential 1tic-1i
election committee. .
Ile , lso told of being asked -
by Mr. Dean to pay the s t] rtes ~,
and hail of the film eau;ht.'?
in the \':alcre,ate burglary, -in..=
all apparent eiiOrt to rn ilie ti: t.-,
lugitilllnt(Jdl
crime seem to he a
national sc.eui'it.v-rlaltcr. -.t-.
Ile said that his agency had~b
rejected both over es. He
also said that iv,- had sug-ed
gested to l'Ar. Drag that ti':osc,,..
responsible for ti;e \Vatergtrto _:_'
affair be dt5!111ssed. ' .,'rr
Senator Synlin;itofl said yes- ol
tcrday, before receiving 1110 ;.
mon-iorandotos of conversation, ;,i-
Testifyin ycslcrd y befc're that it a;;peared clear to Ili -n '17,
the Serrate Armed Service's-'- that there I1aci Lean it
"hifh? I-:
C"i111.ili[Li e Cclcr .1 - Waltors- r. revel" attempt by the A\ I I r'?.?
disc=lo ed th.:t lie it-(l recnntly~ :House to involve l.he C.I.A. it;:-;.
\ir,itcd ill 1\'hite }louse to lsIre.} ? :covering u;? the 1\'atergete,`
with J. Fred 1?uzhardt-Jr. vdio,;
s ' 1 S u n t r i e d I redo ltl;' by
dctlt Nixon as sp,ci.ll cct:n.eli?r
for tiro Vilter1o ins estirn-rtiout if
Conceal \1,'':tters told the'
conunittcc that. a! tie sal f' r_`s
Lion of AIr, lie 11x(1
turned over to the \lrhitc 1foals,r~y
sonic 1aie ;,c!ratie!:!m; lie Ilad
Il1:ld': ln; .11inc ni h; rccc.,ll^i
tioc1S of ('n' 1'C 'i SaliclnS \`i Illl:_
I'resid(nt '1 moil'^+. .
AL the (.!hellion of the Arrtled
SCi' tc (c innl!t1CC Cis'il ral?
,!1I's teirrev(Li thc? nurin,l'itn-,,1
nuns Irian the \'.'lsite Ilou (?
l;.i,' r s'/ ant 'rife, 1'e(!..,
t!r r1 In
Sr till : rift in!1 ,
t he Iuir , l d ~ io . rli,!?
to lcrooii1 in far Ii (0' (5(a It
sire.. ;loiled by tare of
available for comment on ma.t-. Position." of a "cover-up" because he felt.
The general said that AIr. it v; ould he iniprnper geed might
tees raised by Cic:ieral 1,raltcrs' S-Ialcir.-.man had asiseci ]tire to go appear as if he were seeking
Resignation of Gray to MI.. Gray and demand that 1guidance front 'fir. Nixon.
Mr. Gray resigned last April the F.I:.I, in:estigaton into?c.er- Mr. Gray was named acting
27 as acting director of the tain Nixon re-election cr.n:paigtt director of the F.Ii.T. last sum-
folios i disclosure that funds "latnulereci" ihrui Ii a mer foilovVing the death of J.
(IV t ;olexico City haul: be celled off Ldgar Iloover on Mav 2. Presi-
he had caro~~?cc c,,,cun.ents ,
round i~1at '1 iither dent }41xcuh norlinatej c Mr. era}
obt?uned teem a l:-.? corr.. or, to g'
spirator ire the \tTal. r:y,ale scan- inquiries into the Mexican as- to he director on Feb. 17 of this
dal after it ceisia;' them at a Is of this; matter i i ht year, but his colifirmation
meeting s'.ith two former rank- ieot: rtiizc settle of the C.I.A. s b?optted down over the R ater-
Cnacrt ;I 05 !ties in relit area." gilt disclosure's.
in,g \Vluto Time;c ofticill>, John
r .Lire t;enc?ral said t!h,,t he had General Walters's affidavit
P. l:hrlicluvan grail ,Tohu W.
Dean a ~ dome as h W.'s told, l t that also told of being asked by Mr.
i)ean last year to help cover
1 !ter t found that alt l .11.I.
Gc ]ClllaA i l' 'IC!'C Ip ti`}tPPd ]Il\'e::tl 1 Ua %voukt not, tt(l'ir? by 1haV-
a?:Ill) o
t(.
e t C. )S~ 1
in,, cf 1 'S,--!,, A d St?I\'_ dir.(' C.I.A. l-l r IS in - Iexico ilq, but al;tl 11 t is for the
W(- Co wn" and c.c, lu nn d :,11-. 1 c ;n at men in, i lac'! in tl hrrak-in at.
a l t r;itttl
T.lch ~r1 }Ll r . 1 ,r,,,,.r do corn ( tile. A': I1 )~I r, 1) 1 )el a:;, itc;,clq,l lr tors.
Of the C .LA. and now AnChas, Ci ` r i r ] a ] N tt c iralecl Ti c t;cneral s.hid ti t on June
scidor t ` I ,, ~~ drat I' lo White 1 uu::c I + l Coil- 2'1 Mr. Ilsatl called him to the
1-,ter,(
1itY? d FQtir.1:'t`tpr~ t1 a?. 1 [),,:Ili 01,: CIA-R R91A00901-RQOOV00100t
19~
t
v
xi
} i
1
r
\
,
tts,' it
i' iit f;;tto break-ul acre get 1
C i
conbi.nucO,
 .WASHINGTON POST
Approved For Release 2b&Mfi0119'dIA-RDP91-00901
Water -ate and the
The rush of events iias cast the impression that the
Central Intelligence Agency, too, was caught up in the
to crisis of governance known as Watergate and was
somehow despoiled or suborned. But such a compre-
hensive indictment should not be handed down casually.
A -closer look at the three main episodes of Watergate-
CIA involvement suggests another and more complex
view.
STAT
So what do we have? In all three episodes, the White
House trampled over the provision of the CIA's charter
specifying that the agency function "under the National
Security Council" and it sought to turn the CIA to
purposes having at best a tenuous connection to the
agency's intelligence mandate-even the way the White
House presented it-and at worst no connection what-
soever. In the episodes involving the Mexican money
and the receiving back of Ellsberg burglary materials,
successive CIA. directors and their deputies stood off
fierce White House pressure aimed at forcing them to
violate the spirit and letter of their charter. In the
episode involving aid for a mission whose purpose was
.at first unknown to the CIA, the agency recovered
promptly when it got a better sense of what was going on.
The further question arises of whether Mr. Helms
should have reported, either to the President or Con-
gress, whatever may have been his suspicion or knowl-
edge at various times that something sour was going on.
We submit that no final answer can be offci'ed until
there becomes available a fuller record not only of
precisely what Mr. Helms told Congress last February
and March and again in the last few days, but also of.
the steps he may have taken to protect the CIA from
taint before lie was relieved of the agency's director-
ship.
To establish a kind of base line, we think it ap-
propriate meanwhile to recall a rare public speech Mr.
Helms gave in April 1971, before any of the known inci-
dents had occurred, in which he spoke with feeling and
sensitivity of the difficult role of a secret intelligence
agency in a free society. The CIA operates "under
constant supervision and direction of the National Se-
curity Council," he said. It assumes only "normal re-
sponsibilities for protecting the physical security of our
own personnel, our facilities, and our classified infor-
mation . , In short, we do not target on American
citizens."
To the extent that the integrity of the professional
intelligence community may have been compromised,
we think it necessary to look first to the White ]louse.
It was the men there who in their cavalier abuse of
povVer and their contempt for the institutions of Ameri-
can 'IONIC rnment-even an institution as sensitive as tl~
CIA--tried but, it. seems, largely failed to compromise
and subvert the CIA.
, In the first episode, in July-September 1971, the CIA
was asked by John Ehrlichman to give retired CIA em-
(--;ployee Howard Aunt, then identified as a White House
security consultant, technical help for an undisclosed
mission. The Pentagon Papers had just been published.
The CIA's legislative charter gives it "responsibility
for protecting intelligence sources and methods from
unauthorized disclosures." and in that context the then-
deputy director, Gen. Robert Cushman, who had long
known Mr. Ehrlichman and who had also served as a
personal aide to Vice President Nixon, granted tech-
nical aid to Howard Aunt. But he was put off by
Bunt's manner; the agency, learning that "domestic
clandestine operations" were involved, cut the hunt
link in five weeks; General Cushman quickly informed
Mr. Ehrlichman. The burglary of Daniel Ellsherg's
psychiatrist took place a month later. At the same time,
CIA Director Richard Helms, in the same context of an
ostensible White House investigation of security leaks,
ordered up a CIA psychiatric profile of Mr. Ellsberg at
--White House request. His successor, James Schlesinger,
later termed these missions "`ill advised."
,.Ili the second episode, beginning only six days after
the Watergate break-in of June 17, 1972, top White
House aides reportedly tried on repeated occasions to
induce the CIA to halt an FPI probe into the "laundered"
Mexican money that financed the breal:-in (by having
the CIA invent a false rationale that. the probe would
compromise CIA sources); those aides then asked CIA
to use secret funds to "go bail or pay the salaries" of
tl'alcrgate conspirators. I3y~ available testimony, the CIA
resolutely rejected these entreaties. Gen. Vernon Wal-
Lters, the then-deputy director and also a former aide
to Vice President Nixon, even Said he would resign and
go to the President before so compromising the agency.
In the third episode, in early 1973-by then, "Water-
gate" was rapidly unfoldin^--the White ]louse sought
to have the CIA receive back tl:nowinglyI the Ellsberg
burglary materials it had blindly given Hunt itu 1971.
The CIA absolutely refused.
Approved For Release 2005/07/01 : CIA-RDP91-00901 R000700100005-8
 WASHINGTON POST
Approved For Re1ease1 a5JQ7/M73CIA-RDP91
Syining on1. D n b s Nixoii?
Was Unaware CIA R ole
By William Claiborne
111ashlneton Post Staff Writer
Sen. Stuart Symington (D-
Mo.) said yesterday he finds
it hard to believe that Presi-
dent Nixon was unaware of
attempts by senior White
House officials to use the
Central Intelligence Agency
to cover up the Watergate
scandal.
Symington expressed his
doubts after listening, to
three more hours of testi-
mony before the Senate
Armed Services Committee
by -present and former CIA
officials.
? Ile recalled his own expe-
rience on the National Secu-
rity Council in 1050.51, and
observed: "It is hard for me
to visualize that lie (All'.
Nixon) knew nothing, about
it." Sen. henry Jackson (D-
Wash.) expressed a similar
view.
The witnesses before the
committee yesterday were
,,-former CIA Director Rich-
and Helms and his deputy in
the agency, Gen. Robert
Cushman, and Lt. Can.
Ver- non A. Walters, the agency's
deputy director.
They gave additional de-
tails of efforts to further in-
volve the agency in domes-
tic espionage by three White
House offficials---JI. R. llat-
deman, John 1). Ehrlich-
man and John W. Dean 1.11.
The CIA officials have
previously testified to the
agency's role-al. the behest
of the White Itouse-in the
Daniel Ellsberg, investi f a-
tion and in additional ef-
forts by the White )louse to
involve the CIA in covering
ill) the break-in at the
Democratic Party's Water-
1tale headquarter, ill June
19'12.
]1clnis, (;ushnlan and Wal-
ters have all lc-,tificd, Synt-
ins,ton said, that they v:ern
unaware of the extent of
President Nixon 's kno',vI-
ed_re of these interventions.
Ilelms has also testified,
however, that ;,t,proachrs to
the agency by V, hilt, house
officials yen, mule ill the
Hanna of the I'ni - dent.
Getwral liahers, in an af-
fidavit released \Vcdnrsrlay,
described S,.,%(-ral nlcetin:_gs
with Ilaldcinan, I-aA ireved
and Dean hn tminin'; witlritr
a week after the Watergate
break-in. Ile was asked' in
the course of these meetings
for CIA hell in disguising
the nature of the break-in.
Furthermore, said Walters,
Dean specifically asked the
agency to provide bail and
salary payments from
"covert funds" for the
Watergate defendants, some
of whore) were, in Dean's re-
ported words, "scared" and
"wobbling."
Walters said he told Dean
that if CIA money were
used for covert operations
in this country, he would
have to report it to a con-
gressional committee that
deals with CIA affairs.
Walters refused to com-
ment. on his testimony yes-
terday, but Symington said
Haldeman apparently
"localized in" on Walters
and that Dean followed up
with pressure to obtain CIA
help.
Senator Jackson, also a
committee ineniller, termed
the. White House effort a
"premeditated plan and de-
sign to use the CIA as a cov-
crup in connection with ille-
cal activities undertaken by
the administration."
Jackson said Helms and
other CIA officials 'had rea-
son to believe the requests
had the sanction of the Pros-
Mont of the United States."
But, like Syming;ton, he was
unable to offer any evidence
to substantiate that claim.
When asked whether
Helnis had questioned
Haldeman and Erhlichman
about the President's sup-
port. Jackson said, "Ybu
don't ask those questions
when you're a professional
and in this kind of climate."
Jackson said tichiis "Ilad
a right to believe that it, (tile
request for cover-up
assistance) came from the
top."
Symington said that.
I]elnis testified that, lie
talked with ills Nixon ear-
lier this ye;,r v.heir Hehns
was appointed aml,assr,dor
to Iran, hut nil that the
suhiect of 1Gatery;ate did not
conic up. S niir^ton said
STEA
randa there at Jiuzhardt's
suggestion. Bi zhardt: for-
mer Pentagon counsel,
joined the White 1'juse on
May 10.
The memoranda, a com.
mittee source said, were
Walters' recollections of the
White house meetings in
June with Haldeman 'and
Elirlichman. Symingtonsaid
that the Armed Services
Committee has requested
the documents, and that Bu-
zhardt has said lie will de-
liver them. .
Helms appeared later in
the- day before a House ar-
med forces sirticommittee,
after which Chairman Lu-
cien N. Nedzi (D-Mich.) said
the former CIA director
"felt he was getting orders
from the highest authority."
Ileferrin; to White House
pressures for assistance in
domestic intelligence opera-
tions, Niedzi said, ,It is diffi-
cult with the benefit, of
hindsight how one should
have acted under tremeSTAT
dous pressure."
th;~., no ti r he
FQ~iltr~e j lf a$I~r~,~,R tb Mi,;+CIA~RiDP9io-0 O10 0Q71'1 100005-8
pressures on the CIA did
1Telins communiea e'his con-
cern to the President.
A committee source said
that Helms' testimony yes-
t.t'rday was mostly an elabo-
ration on the three White
House requests described
Monday by Walters, and
that no new approaches
emerged.
The source said that from
the questioning it was obvi-
ous that the committee
members felt Helms and the
other CIA witnesses "had
clone a pretty ,rood job of
resisting (the White House)
under the circumstances."
Helms clearly made some
accommodations to the
White house staff, the
source said, without con-
necting the requests to a
larger pro -gram of political
espionage that had not yet
been publicized at the time.
However, Ilelms may face
more unfriendly questioning
Monday when he appear s
before the Senate foreign
Relations Committee to ex-
plain why he denied at least
three times in January and
February that the CIA had
been involved in Watergate
in any way.-IIelnis marle the
denials in hearings for his
confirmation as ambassador
to Iran.
"Several members of the
committee are disturbed
that some of the stories they
have read of CIA involve-
ment.. are not consistent with
what they understood from
the confirmation hearings,"
a committee staff aide said.
The aide said Helms will
be asked in the. closed ses-
sion to descr-ihe all White
House requests to the CIA
and the domestic intelli-
rence. in which it partici-
pated,
While the committee can-
not revoke its confirmation
of litI, is, it could turn over
transcripts of testimony to
the Justice Department for
possible perjury action, or
could even r'ecotllnlend till-
peachrnrnt proceedings.
Helms is also scheduled to
appear before a federal.
grand jury hero and before
the Senate Select Subeom-
mitlce invesii;,ating Wtiter-
ate. ITe may also be called
by a L,os :1neeles County
grand jury invesii :ding the
break-in of the office of Hus-
ker-':; psychirtirisl.
It was also disclo,red yes-
terday that Walters lestified
 'BALT1\Cr::,: SUN
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1 . U .' s CIA 7~.o " ~ct '111t a
l, I .., dot.: i~ ~c r
Washington Bureau of The Suit I As he emerged from the!.from authorized disclosure." Meanwhile, a deposition
Washington--Senator John L. hearing 'room, Senator blc=! The CIA's help was sought at j from Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Wal- b,-
/ McClellan (D. Ark.) said Yes-` Clellan was asked whether be! a time of Leaks of classified ters, deputy director of central
terday that he felt the Centrali now felt the CIA had violated I information including the Pen- intelligence, made public yes-
Intelligence Agency had vio- its charter contained in t]r tagon papers. terday, quoted L. Patrick Gray
lated its
requrerts in White: National Security Act of 1947 !the CIA had "madeCr intakes," d rector, asrrrh va'~tinie oin
House aides for materials later, in providing materials to E, 1 the thrust of his comments mended last July that those
used in the burglary of Darniel'IHoward Hunt, Jr., a former was to attack the top White' involved in the Watergate
White House aide, which he' house aides for seeking the Pos
i-
'llsberg s former ps}~c]niatrist. break-in be fired. The de
Senator McClellan, who hes-; used in the burglary of the services of the CIA. tion did not say to whom Mr.
stated earlier to make this in- psychiatrist's office. Such use of the agency was C'r'ay made the recommenda
dictment, spoke after a closed) "My belief is that they v'io-'of "great impropriety, if nottion, but it implied that it was!
three-hour meeting of his Sen-' lated it," the senator replied, illegal," 1Ir, McClellan said. 1 made to John W. Dean 3d, the'
ate Appropriations Subcom-I "'Tot that they did it willingly, According to the senator, !formmer White House counsel.
mittee on Intelligence Opera-`they were asked to do it." Mr. Helms felt that he had not I General Walters also said
tions at which Richard M. 112 law states that the CIA withheld any information about that he had told Mr. Dean last
Helms, the former director of "shall have no police, sub the CIA's actions from Con June that inv,)',ving the CIA or
central intelligence, testified, poena, law enforcement pow- r'ess when he was asked ]list FBI in the Watergate affair
Mr. Helms, now ambassador ers or internal security funs- winter if the CIA had been would turn a "conventional
to Iran, refused to comment on tions." The Justice Depart- involved in the Watergate If- explosion" into a "multi-mega-
his testimony as he walked meat has jurisdictiction over fair. ton explosion."
bi'iskly out of a Senate office internal security, espionage: Mr. McClellan indicated that; According to General Wal-
building. He will testify again and sabotage. :Mr. Helms lacked. knowledge tors, Mr. Dean, in appealing
today before the Senate Armed; To justify their action, some; of the psychiatrist burglary !for CIA help to cover uo White
Services Committee. Two days CIA officials cited anotherpro-;case until recently and the 1-louse involvement in the Wat-
ggo, he met with federal prose-l vision of the law that author- other CIA involvements he did crgate affair, said last June
-cgtors investigating the C'r'ater.' izes the agency to protect "in-' not relate to the Watergate soon after the break-in that
gate case. 'I telligence sources and methods affair at the' time of the con- `some- witnesses were getting
gressional hearings. (scared and were 'wobbling.' '?'
L~~sCJflp~C n
~ LJ~r~Y~ i c?-
('_ LAj pt- L`Z-72SVei?,i0 .i3
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 STAT1
Cii1 CAGO, ILLApproved~For Release 2005/07/01 : CIA-RDP91-0
I
SUN-TIMES'
M - 536,108
S -- 709,123
MAY 1. 7 197.
By Thomas B. Ross
Sun-Times Bureau
WASHINGTON - The chair-
man of a Senate subcommittee
on the Central Intelligence
Agency accused the White
House Wednesday of violating
the law in asking the CIA to
lake part in the Watergate
cover-up.
Sen. John L. McClellan (D-
Ark.) also declared the CIA's
actions in going along at first
with the cover-up were "possi-
bly illegal and certainly of the
greatest impropriety."
R-icClellan, chairman of the
Appropriations Committee and
its CIA. subcommittee, spoke
out after -taking 3 hours of
closed-door testimony from
Z''R'c1,ord Vf Hel its former
cr;?d
John 1). I;hrlichman to tell for-
mer acting FBI Director L.
Patrick Gray III the CIA
would be hurt if he pushed an
investigation of the money
Used to pay the Watergate con-
spirators.
Walters said he carried out
the order, even though Halde-
man had indicated it was polit-
ically motivated, without any
objection from Helms, who
also attended the White House
meeting six days after the Wa-
tergate break-in last June.
Walters acknowledged 1te
waited two weeks before no-
tifying Gray that the CIA had
no involvement and even did
so only when Gray demanded
a written confirmation of his
original message.
CIA director and now am- Walters insisted, however,
hassador to Iran. the CIA resisted all other ef-
Asked if the 1997 National forts to get it to take part in
Security Act, which created the cover-up. Specifically, he
the CIA, had been violated said he rejected a request by
McClellan replied: `'My belief-White house counsel John W.
is that they (the CIA) slid. But Dean Ill that the CIA put up
it was not that they did it will- bail and pay the salaries of
fully 'hhev were asked to do those arri-esled in the break-in.
the Foreign Relat
mittee earlier this
cording to Sen. J. VV
.had absolutely no i
Richard M. Helms, former
director of the Central In-
telligence Agency, poses
for pictures before speak-
ing to a clo5ocl - door
Seri- subcommittee hearing
Wednesday in Washington.
(AP)
Helms reportedly corrobo- ter-ate or any other domestic
He said Helms, who refused r at e d Walters' testimony, activities.
to answer reporters' questions, McClellan said Helms also The National Security A c t
bad confirmed that former c o is f i r m e d he reluctantly limits the CIA to foreign ope-
high White ]louse aide, asked agreed to supply the CIA rations and prescribes it from
the CIA to take part in the coy- equipment used in the bur- operating inside the t' n i t c d
cr-up. glary of Daniel .Fllsber;'s psy- States. -11
11
indicated Ilelnis chiatrist and the psychological
had not been asked about the profile of h:llsberg requested
possibility he was fired as by the White House.
head of the CIA for failing to McClellan said he planned to
co-operate fully in the cover- call for testimony from Halde-
trp than and f:hrlichntan.
e Gen. Vernon Waaiters, deputy Helms will appear Thursday .
director of the CIA, testified on , before the Armed Services
Monday lie had been ordered Coniinitrce and is expected to
by 11. R. (Bob) Haldeman and - meet Friday ', iih the Foreign
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 Eti9 YORK TINES
Approved For Release 2005/0 f61MIdlP P91-00901R000~
that committee that John WWj
J .ke s Says 'He Dt n.yt Tell Dean 3d, recently dismissed as
counsel to the President, had,il
sked the C.I.A. to pay the bail.
Nixon ?n A b i Bids to C?I?L`:tl n land salaries of the men in-l
volved in the Watergate break-1
in. The request was believecll
By MARJORIE IIUNrER to he an attempt to get the4
5pe.tai to T::e New York T'; es agency to provide a cover' a
WASHINGTON, May 16 - for the operation.
Worts of other C.I.A. officials,11
Senator McClellan said- that:
Richard Helms, farmer Dcrectorbut under questioning he also; Mr. Helms told the subcommit-
of Central Intelligent was
defended his earlier denial ofltee today that he felt these
quoted today as saying that he White House requests were
the a,,cncy's involvcmel t in and had insisted that.
felt White House requests for,, b
se \ wrong and affair. the C.I.A. not become involved.`
his agency's assistance in the' `lIe did did not relate theses
NVatergate affair had been im ? ,Reluctantly' Granted
events to the Watergate, Sen
proper but that he never told But the Senator said that Mr.
President Nixon of his concern. !ator McClellan said. ,Helms had admitted that he~
Mr. Helms, now Ambassador "After all, this Watergate isapproved earlier a request of
to Iran, was questioned for a very broad-based thing," said another White House aide fora
Senator Milton. R. Young of;preparation by the agency or iA
more than three hours today North Dakota, ranking Republi-i"personality assessment" orf
by a Senate Appropriations can or the subcommittee, Dr. Daniel Ellsberg, who wa,q
subcommittee that is investi-. Asked if Mr. Helms hadlater indicted on charges in-;
volvinf his copying and mak.
gating the Central IntelliUerice .known that White House re-!
Agency's involvement in the quests for C.I.A. assistance' og public the Pentagon paper.l
Watergate and Pentagon pap:rs, ,were part of an attempted on United States involvemen6
cover-up, Senator Roman L.;in Vietnam.
cases, Hruska, Republican of Nebras-i Senator McClellan said that,
His testimony was not made! ha, replied: "lie didn't and, in'Mr. Helms "did not think thil
public and he refused to answer: fact, they werenn't. The so- quite proper" but that he "re
questions as he emerged from; called Mexican laundering op- luctantly" granted the requesF;
the hearing. erat.ion (lid not relate in any because it had come from th(~
way to the bugging of Demo-;White House.
Senator John L. McClellan,! cratic headquarters." Senator McClellan said that
Democrat of Arkansas, who is' The Mexican "laundering"itie felt that the C.I.A.had v'io+
chairman of the investigating; incident involved Nixon re-dated the National' Security Act
panel, said later that Mr, Berms !election campaign funds that,by becoming involved in the
had expressed concern over re-,,had been channeled through a;Eltsberg case. The law forbids
pealed attempts of Whitc,Mexico City ban., and later the agency from engagtn?- in
, used to finance various opera-.internvrl security operations.
House aides to involve tp;e
tions connected with the \V ter-
C.I.A. in the \Vatcrgate affair. gate affair.
Asked if Mr. Helms had con- Nixon Aides Involved
veyecl his concern to the Presi-;i/ Lieut. Gen. Vernon Walters,
'dent, Senator McClellan replied: ,{c,puty director of the Central
"No. He did not feel at that; intelligence Agency, told the
time that he should g;o to the Senate Armed Services Commit-
President about it. He did not !tee earlier this week that two
vaant the C.I.A. involved." J\Vhite House aides, H. R. Halcle-
'man and John D. Elirlichman,
Mr. helms had told the Senate had asked the agency to call
Foreign Relations Committee doff an investigation by the
earlier this sprint;, at his con- Federal Pureau of investigation
firmation he;rin~s on the am- nto the "laundered" campaign
,funds in the interest of national
basadorial post, that the intelli-' securily.
Bence agency had not been in- General Walters also told
volved in the Watergate affair.
Since then, however, other
present and former officials of
the agency have told Con;res-
'sional committees that thn agen-
Icy provided assistance to the
White 110115e in two incidents
involving the Pentagon papers)
case and was approached oliler l?
times by White IIonsc
- , aldcs ink; Unit ,d F'pns In rational
apparent attcmpts to cover up1, Richard helms, ex-C.I.A. chief, at a Senate hearing
events involving the break-in ofl.
Democratic hc?dlquartels at tile
\Vaterg ate complex last yearr.
Mr. Ilelms confirmed the re-
STAT
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 1 7 14 AY 1973
I le
01 :iU- A RRfrt8c1e@0901tR00070g -8
inforntat.ion to a special
White !louse security squad
called *'Lite plumbers,'' and
for that reason the bur *lary
of the psychiatrist's office
was planned by Hunt and
Liddy.
The third White House at-
tempt to involve the CIA in
the Watergate scandal' was
made last June 23 by Halde-
Prim C-4 _~_l
By William Claiborne
Wa.. htn;ton Post Staff Writer
Several high White House
President Nixon when they
asked the Central intelli-
gence Agency to help cover
up the Watergate scandal
and assist key conspirators.
Sen. John L. McClellan (D-
Ark.) disclosed yesterday.
F W r that r e a s o n . It.
Clellan .s a i d, Richard M.
c! Helms, who was then CIA
director, and other intelli
gence officials did not in-
.form either Congress or the
President a b o u It the re-
quesls.
McClellan said they
"wanted to go as far as they
could to accommodate the
President" because the re.
quests had come from such
high offices of the Executive
--Brand!.
"Some things went too fat'
and they put a stop to it,"
MIcCiellan said after listen.
But he reserved his most man
stinging criticism for former / uty,
presidential aides II.R. (Bob)
Haldeman, John D. Ehrlich-
man and John IV. Dean Ill,
calling their actions, "beyond.
impropriety."
Two major White House
requests of the CIA to assist
in apparent conspiracies
were met, iIcClellan said,
and a third was refused.
Only one of the three re-
quests, In said, was person-
ally approved by IIelms, and
that was clone "reluctantly."
"1Ir. Helms and his assist-
ants were seriously iniposed
:pun and they undertook to
-mitigate those imlSositions
by doing as little as they
could, and finally they did
refuse," i`.IcClellan said.
The first CIAlinvolt'ement
ing to three hours of test i. With l1'atergate finures, Ale.
many by Helms in a Keno Clellan quoted Helms as too
Senate Appropriations sub- tifying, occurred when the
committee hearing. agency provided E. Howard
. Helms, who is now antIbas- /Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy
sailor to Iran' emerged from
the heating room with hi.,
jaw tightly clenched and
buret[ through a crowd of
newsmen to a waiting car
without making a comment
about the first of at least
three scheduled appear-
ances before AVaterqate-rela-
ted investigating panels.
But McClellan later re-
viewed IIelms' testimony,
and then angrily accused
the White house of violat-
ing tite National Sectu'ity
Act by trying, to pressure
the, CIA into covering up fi-
nancial manipulations c?on-
nected with Watergate.
Beferrina to the 1947 act
that prohibits the Cf.\ from
domestic iliteIli ~;cnce work,
McClellan said. ''I'm satin
fled the ('IA made a :]w'.
take. 1'ui satisfied that the
CIA teas imposed upon'.
;1lcClcllan also implicitly
criticized Helens for his in
ienct' over it two-yea,' pe-
riod, saying; that when it he-
canic obvious "a cloud was
being passed ever the
iW,'tt?y" th lure) 'r ('1.\ di-
to Helms and his
Lt. Gen. Vernon
ters, McClellan said.
dep-
1Va1-
\IcClellan said Helms tes-
tified that Haldeman
"suggested to 'him that Gen.
Waiters go to see the direc-
tor of the FBI and ask them
to call off the investigation
into the Mexican money
journey."
He was referring to the
$100,000 check that was
"laundered" through a Alex-
ice City bank, proceeds of
which ended up in the safe
of Nixon fund-raiser Mail-
rice 11. Stars. The money,
figured in bankrolling the
Watergate break-in and
other political espionage op-
erations of the Committee
for the He-election of the
President.
Walters testified before
another Senate subcommit-
tee on Monday that he told
Deem three days later that
he would resign if ordered
by the White House to com-
promise the CIA in the
Watergate case.
.McClellan said yesterday
that it was Helms who or-
deredlWalters not to get in-
volved in asking Acting FBI
Director L. Patrick Gray to
cover tap the probe. Mc-
Clellan said Ilelnis was con-
vinced that'tlie FBI investi-
gation of the ;Mexican con-
nection would not interfere
with the CI.-V's operatives in
:Mexico, which he said had
been suggested by llalde-
man. '
1IcClellan and Scn. Ro-
man L. ltruska (it-Neb.) re-
peatgdly emphasizes flclm's
reluctance to become in-
volved in a \I'atei-gate cover-
tly. Apother subcotnnt'.ttee
member, hen. John Pastore
dt'scribccl Helms as
"iluite hurt that his t'epttta-
tion has been tainted after
However, when asked why
Helms (lid not take his con-
cerns to President Nixon
while his agency was alleg-
edty being pressure(( by
Haldeman and Ehrlichnian,
McClellan said:
"Ile remained silent ...
Ile didn't feel that he was
called on to go to the Presi-
dent. He didn't want the
CIA involved."
When reminded that in at
least three confirmation ap-
pearances before the Senate
Foreign Relations Commit-
tee last January and Febru-
ary helms flatly denied any
CIA involvement in Water-
gate, .McClellan said, "He
did not relate this to the
Watergate."
Hruska chided reporters
for attaching the
"Watergate" label to every
allegation of White House
misfeasance. He claimed
that at the time of the con-
firmation hearings Helms
did not connect the requests
made to the CIA to the
break-in at Democratic Na-
tional Headquarters.
McClellan conceded that
he "didn't intend to put
(IIelms) through the grill"
during the hearing. He said
that he and other suhcom-
? niit-tee members had little
'time to prepare questions
and that helms was testify-
ing mostly from memory.
however, McClellan said
he probably will seek more
testimony from IIelms at a
future date. Ifc said he also
planned to seek testimony
from Haldeman, Ehrlichman
and Young.
IIc?ink meanwhile, is
s hectried to tesViy at 10
a.nt, today before the Senate
Armed Services Committee
and sunietinic later before
a federal grand jur;.- here
and the Senate Select Sub-
comniiltce investigating the
Watergate scandal.
I
i'e001' had :n opportunity to
complain about the A rove IN11'~y as?A
O d (0' )01 : CIA-RDP91-00901R000700100005-8
Ix ~1:;,tAl t ON . tag ,;, is iu a
Witt) disguises, burglary
tools and electronic surveil-
- lance equipment that were
used to break into the' of-
fices of Pentagon Papers de-
fendant Daniel Ellsberg's
psychiatrist.
McClellan said Helms Qd
not knot' the egttipmvnt had
been provided--at i:hriich-
roan'S request-until "Stime-
tirr:' later, v.hen Hunt be-_'an
making more requests for
'C1.\ assistance.
ltdnis, according to i\le-
Clellan. ordered former
Deputy CIA Director Gen.
Robert E. Cushman to stop
pea': idiu t equipment to
1111 lt.
Mc?Cicilun said the next
r'erlttest c?anie when David L.
loon a National SCcut'ity
Council Taff mneuiber, a.~,Iwd
th CIA for a psychological
1)1'U.;lo an Iil:;hcr
Ilrints "reluctantly wcnt
14;11i that t'ecp:. t,
,\IuCUthin said, oven titou;,it
hc"'tiidn't think it was dote
pi o or by t'casull of lie
con-i;inua
STAT
STAT
 SWASiII!' Tod; STAR
Approved For Releaser-Add1U7/(T173CIA-RDP91-009 1 R000700100005-8
19 r1
r ~ l
f=
Agency Rejected Plea
By OSWALD JOHNSTON
SS
lar-Ne,,s Staff N'r, cr
%Vhite House aides scek-
ing to enlist CIA aid in
.covering up the Watergate
:cast last summer tried to
get agency officials to pay
j"scared- and ' obbling"
witnesses from top secret
funds, apparently to hide
their connection with the
Nixon re-election cam-
paign, a top CIA official
has charged.
According to an affida-
vit by the CIA deputy
t-'' director, Lt. Gen. Vernon
A. Waiters, prepared Sat-
ur'day and made available
late yesterday, former
White House counsel John
W. Dean III specifically
asked that "covert action
funds" be used to pay bail
costs and salaries for the
Watergate burglars.
Use of funds earmarked
for foreign "covert
actions" normally re-
quires a directive from the
President himself. Dean
was "much taken aback,"
Walters reported, when he
was told CIA funds could
not he used for domestic
purposes without specific
approval by Congress.
salaries v; hrle they were in
jail, using covert action
funds for the purpose."
IN MAKING the re-
quest, Dean was asking
the CIA deputy to draw on
a top secret fund which is
specifically committed in
the CIA's budget, itself
highly classified, to clan-
destine operations over-
seas.
'1'hc covert action fund is
under the jurisdiction of
the deputy director of
plans, the agency's de-
partment of "dirty
tricks," and is used for
such secret operations as
bribing candidates or vot-
ers in elections and med-
dling more violently in the
domestic affairs of other
nations. The 1961 Bay of
Pits invasion of Cuba, the
1953 coup that restored the
Shah to control of Iran, or
the more recent clandes-
tine war in Laos were all
eligible for funning from
the covert action fund.
Under CIA operating
regulations, Set forth in a
series of highly classified
memorandums handed
down by the National Se-
curity Councils 01 succes-
sive pl?esidents, covert
action operations and thei
funding must he cleared
by the top-secret "forty
Conullittec" in the White
Ilouse.
ACCORDING TO \Val-
tors, affidavit, which ill
most respects parlll-
leled his closed-door testi-
many in recent days be-
fore a Senate committee,
Dean made this request
June 27, 1972 -- 10 days
after a team of five headed
by a former CIA agent was
discovered inside I)ema-
cratic party kill ricrs
at the Watergate here.
])using the meetlelg,
Walters said, Dean
"reviewed the Watergate
case, saying that some
witnesses were gcttiii
scared and were
'wobbling.' I said that no
matter how seared they
got, they could i,tt involve
the CIA lx'cause it was not
involved in the bu ,tang of
the \V, tcrfcaie."
Dealt then made his
request: 'Ile then asked if
the CIA cuu!d IletJIldhed
hail and pay the sus p `cIS'
TiIIS COMiy1ITTEE,
tea Illed after a riun,,Ix,red
National Security Council
memorandum, is the sue
cessor to the similarly
named "303 Committee."
It is composes, of repre-
sentatives from CIA, the
State I)cpartnlent, the
Defense D partmcnt. and
the Joimtt Chiefs and is
cll