HELMS: CHARGES AGAINST CIA A 'MYTH'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R000600230053-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 24, 2004
• Sequence Number: 53
• Publication Date: May 17, 1978
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000600230053-3
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Helms: Charges Against CIA a 'Myth'
Associated Press
Former CIA Director Richard Helms says that
an accusation the intelligence community withheld
secrets. from Congress over the years "is a myth
that's been created in the Congress."
"I don't know of any director, at least during my
time, who fiddle-faddled with Congress," Helms, a
25-year veteran of the CIA, told the Senate Intelli-
gence Committee yesterday.
"We presented a budget every year that had all
the details. There were no secret wars in Laos and
all that nonsense. That's part of the mythology of
Washington," he said.
Helms was fined $2,000 and given a suspended
two-year jail sentence last year after pleading no
contest to misdemeanor charges of failing to
testify fully before a . Senate committee in 1973
about CIA covert actions in Chile. He said yester-
day he was the victim of a law that was unclear
and ambiguous about protection of sourepc
HELMS' STATEMENT about disclo ;ures was
touched off when Sen, Birch Bayh, D-I-id., chair-
man of the committee; said there were efforts in
the past "to not let Congress have the information
or make Congress believe something wtis happen-
ing a little different than it actually is."
Responding to Helms' defense of the agency's
performance, 73ayh said he did not know whether
it was the fault of Congress or the CIA, bat there is
"a general perception a large number of congress-
men didn't know what was going on."
Helms, director of the CIA from 1966 through
1972, testified before the committee on a bill estab-
lishing a new charter for the intelligcnce co:n-
munity.
He said the committee "is attacking the prob-
lem of dealing with the intelligence community in
a way that seems to raise more difficult es than it
resolves. "
Approved For Release 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000600230053-3