LEAKS UNDER THE ROTUNDA?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100010025-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 27, 2012
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: May 19, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Si Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/28: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100010025-3
1 ! r APP
WASHINGTON POST
19 May 1986
Leaks Under the Rotunda?
By Sara Fritz
Los Angeles Times
Amid growing concern about
government leaks, Senate officials
have discovered that a hideaway
where congressional leaders often
discuss national secrets is vulner.
able to electronic eavesdropping, it
was learned last week.
At the same time, a survey by
three committees found that the
Senate has what one official termed
"the potential for serious security
problems" because it has no stan-
dardized procedures to protect top-
secret documents stored in sena-
tors' offices.
The findings resulted from a re-
assessment of Senate security or-
dered by Majority Leader Robert J.
Dole (R-Kan.) after the arrest last
December of a transcriber working
under contract to the House Armed
Services Committee who allegedly
tried to sell a classified transcript to
a Soviet agent. And they come at a
time when members of Congress
are being criticized by administra-
tion officials for divulging national
secrets to the news media.
Alfred M. Lehn, who heads the
Senate office of national security 400 people in four different build-
information, said Dole recently or- ings. We need some central office
dered improvements in the Senate's that will be responsible for all of it."
secret meeting room, situated di- But Lehn quickly added that the
rectly under the Capitol Rotunda, report found "no indication of any
after experts determined that the breach or attempted breach" of se-
decade-old facility was vulnerable curity as a result of the current pro-
to modern surveillance devices. cedures.
Lehn said the improvements, As a result of the study, Lehn
which are believed to involve rein- said the Senate soon will take steps
forcing the room's lead-lined walls, to determine how many Senate em-
were necessary even though there ployes have been authorized by the
was no evidence that the security of Federal Bureau of Investigation to
the room had been violated. read classified documents and, if
Lehn said a separate study sub- - necessary, will reduce the number.
mitted to Dole found that no one in In the House, Michael J. O'Neill,
the Senate has any idea how many chief counsel of the intelligence
classified documents are being committee, said its members have
stored in senators' offices or how discussed creation of a centralized
many Senate employes are author- office to protect secret materials.
ized to read top-secret documents. O'Neill also said that the special
The report recommends creation of room where the House intelligence
a centralized system to control clas- panel meets to discuss sensitive
sified materials. matters has been improved regu-
"The report found there is good larly over the years to keep pace
cause to believe that we have the with the increased capabilities of
potential for serious security prob- eavesdropping equipment. He said
lems," Lehn said. "You do have an his committee also has had a system
awful lot of offices that can store for regularly disposing of outdated
classified material-120 separate classified documents since it was
places under the control of 300 to founded in 1977.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/28: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100010025-3