THE CIA IN DOMESTIC AFFAIRS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000400190091-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 28, 2000
• Sequence Number: 91
• Publication Date: April 27, 1966
• Content Type: OPEN

OONGRESSIONAL RECORD
27 April 1966
Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000400190___901-4
Or, tprcclandestine agency, ostensibly
founded for intelligence gathering
pur- poses, has turned into an organization
with its own foreign service, air force,
political desks, military staffs, and com-
bat forces.
Not content with rivaling the Depart-
ment ' of State for the responsibility of
making and carrying out foreign policy,
the CIA now appears to be involved in
domestic affairs. I would like to com-
mend to the attention of my colleagues
an editorial which appeared recently
In the Washington Post dealing with this
i' The Central Intelligence Agency is cur-
rently engaged In an attempt to deny any
means of redress to a man whose character
It has ruthlessly assassinated. By an open
admission of its Deputy Director, a CIA oper-
ative named Jurl Raus was Instructed to
defame an Estonian, Eerlk Heine, active In
the Estonian community In the United
States by bruiting It about that Mr. Heine
was a covert Soviet agent. Mr. Heine sued
for slander. Mr. Raus does not deny that
he made the offending statements. At the
same time he makes no effort to defend
them as truthful. He merely submits to the
court a CIA assertion that he said what he said on instructions from his superiors, that
what he said Is therefore privileged and that
Mr. Helne's suit ought to be dismissed on
these grounds.
The law Is probably on the side of the CIA.
In 1960, the Supreme Court decided, by 9"
to 4, a case, Barr v. Matteo, holding that
two subordinate officials of the Office of Rent
Stabilization had an absolute privilege
against a suit for libel 'based upon a press
release they had Issued. Chief Justice War-
ron, In a dissenting opinion, said propheti-
cally and, we think, altogether soundly that
the decision would have the "effect of deter-
ring the desirable public discussion of all
aspects of our Government and the conduct
t of its officials. It will sanctify the powerful
and silence debate. This is a much more
serious danger than the possibility that a
{ Government official might occasionally be
called upon to defend his actions and to re-
spond in damages for a malicious defama-
i tion,"
In 1949. ? If It turns out that the Govern-
ment has come Into court exposing itself, ;;
,then It will have to take the peril. It It
when that agency tried to withhold relevant
information in the trial of Judith Caplan
11
We make no judgment as to the merits of
the controversy between Messrs. Raus and
Heine, But, we think it Intolerable that
Government officials should hold an unlim-
ited liccns"or slander. If, as the CIA as-
serts, "It would be contrary to the security
Interests of the United States" to release the
Information relevant to Mr. Raus' defense,
then the CIA ought to indemnify Mr. Heine
for the Injury done to him. The United
States has other interests than security; It
has an Interest In justice and in the integrity
of its courts. We think that a Federal judge
ought to have the power to any to the CIA
what Judge Albert Reeves said to the FBI
~..._ . _ .,, , embarrasses the Government to disclose role-
Jr. vant material, then the Government ought'
The CIA in Domestic Affairs not to he here."
This case raises some other vital questions.
EXTENSION OF REMARKS What on -earth Is the CIA doing trying to
or manipulate the affairs of the Estonian com-'
-unit
in th
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'HON. ROBERT W. KASTENMEiER Interfortnce In the political actions of (Of-
or wiscoNBSH sign nationality groups amounts, In bur :
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES judgment,, to a most dangerous sort of Sub-, I
Wednesday, April 27, 1966 version, a pollution of one of the main cur-
rents of American political life.. The CIA.
Mr. KASTENMETER. Mr. Speaker, ought to be excluded absolutely from In=1
the Central Intelligence Agency, a; rolremenl In domestlo aBafrr.
11 '
Approved For Release 2 0016 6? ~~IA-RDP75-00001 R0004
Qp 9OQ91-4