DISCUSSION WITH ELIZABETH MCINTOSH

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00643431
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: June 20, 2019
• Case Number: F-2016-02337
• Publication Date: December 26, 1973

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Lint 11 1 IAL
26 December 1973-
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Discussion with Elizabeth McIntosh
1.3.nd I met with Betty McIntosh in our offices
for abou an flour, between 1120 and 1230 on 24 December. She had
set this time and date as the most convenient for her purposes.
2. By way of background, she said that when she returned
from Tracy Barnes was starting DO Division, and
Howard Hunt was his " man." There were a couple of projects,
and they did not know just what they would keep. There was the
,
was closed
out at the time of the Katzenbach Committee hearings, but con-
tinued as a band she understands that he still
works for
years ago, and as a result had sound credentials in the press world.
His press service handled overseas work only, with no domestic
involvement. In the in picking up press releases from
Goldwater headquarters, would not go along with the 'proposal
to pick them up although he had access.
3. Mrs. McIntosh doesn't recall who originated the idea to
pick up the press releases, but commented that it was typical of
Tracy. Since refused to participate, Mrs. McIntoch went in
and arranged to make the pick-up--as a representative of
but without
agreement or knowledge. Then
went in regularly and picked up the
material.
4. Mrs. McIntosh said that it "was an order, and Howard
had to do something about it, and we did." At the time Mrs.
McIntosh did not think much about it. It was overt. She thought it
went to headquarters, and didn't know differently until "this publicity."
COrY. ENDA!.
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We asked her about and what her role was. Mrs.
McIntosh said that may well have known about it, _
and may remember, but she was not involved. She only did the typing,
but didn't want to do anything else. That is why they "had
She would go out and run around."
5. We talked about other things that Hunt and his group were
involved in, to the extent they related to "domestic operations." She
said that they helped with a Chinese defector, Tung Chi Ping (she
recalls), who had defected from Africa (Bujumbura, as she recalls).
They arranged a Saturday Evening Post feature story. They also
arranged for a publisher in New Jersey (Harcourt-Brace) to do a
book on a Russian defector from India 1vthe name of Tarasov; Mrs.
McIntosh They worked with'
on it, and he may haNe some recollections of it. They also
helped with a project in New York-
with Hunt and Mrs. McIntosh suggesting books to send.
In every instance, the basic activity was related to overseas purposes.
The defector books were for republication and distribution overseas.
served an internal purpose only once, when it
gave press accreditation to to attend a youth meeting
6. Mrs. McIntosh, in response to a question, said that she
knew of no relations with Tom Parrott in the White House. For that
fact, however, she did not know that Chet Cooper was involved in
any way. brought the material back to Hunt, who gave it to
Tracy. She assumes that he arranged for the delivery.(this probably
accounts for the press report that did not
recall making the deliveries). Mrs. McIntosh said that
phoned her after the Post reporter had phoned her When
she phoned Mrs. McIntosh she said she didn't recall even going to
Goldwater headquarters.
7. Mrs. McIntosh, trying to recall others who might be able
to recall details, named who had worked for
Howard Hunt on Cuba. She may have been there (DO Division)
early, and have some knowledge about it. She now lives in Crystal
City.
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8. Mrs. McIntosh had a letter from Howard Hunt (xerox
copy attached), dated 19 December, warning her that he had told Senator _
Baker and his people about the activity, and had given them her name.
She got the letter the day she was called, so was forewarned. The
call to her was at 6:30 P.M. It was a bad connection, and she could
not hear, but the reporter said he could hear her perfectly. Three
things were clear to her: (1) the reporter wanted to "denigrate
Howard," and obviously did not like him, (2) he wanted to know every-
thing about DO Division, and pushed on this, (3) the reporter felt
the Democrats did the same thing, in the dirty tricks area. The
reporter emphasized the domestic operations question and asked her how
she felt about them; she referred them to Langley. He wanted to know
the size of Hunt's organization, and she said it was small, with one
secretary. Then the reporter wanted to know how many were in DO
Division, and she said ten (which apparently led to this statement
in the press, she says, to report that Hunt supervised that many).
9. The reporter asked if Hunt took the material to the White
House, and if he bragged about it. She said she didn't know how it got
to the White House but that Hunt had not bragged about it. She said
she did tell the reporter that if there was a service to give the White
House it would have been considered important, and it would have
been mentioned. The story came out that she said Hunt bragged
about it.
10. She said the reporter wanted to know why she would want
the material. She said it was overt material that would "give a
picture" of what was happening. Given the way the government worked
she assumed that it went to Langley, which she told the reporter. She
said that he had name.
11. As Mrs. McIntosh talked, she recalled that there had been
a connection with Phil Geyelen, now one of the editors of the
Washington Post. Back in those days he was with the Wall Street
Journal, and Hunt had arranged a meeting with. Geyelen and a Chinese
defector from Damascus, Miao Chan Pai, and he did a story on the
man.
12. Mrs. McIntosh said that Hunt reported directly to Tracy
Barnes, and not to who she recalled as more of an
executive officer, was clx3sest to their operation, although
they did not report to him either.
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13. Mrs. McIntosh asked what she should do if approached by
the press again. We said that we could not give her official advice,.
as her willingness to cooperate was personal, so long as she did not
reveal classified information, but that she did not have to cooperate.
She said that she did not want to cooperate, and we advised- her to
simply say that she had been misquoted once and did not wish to have
any further exchange with the press. We suggested that she not
divulge how she had been misquoted, as that would only give the press
another story to write. Simply decline to give them anything. She
then asked about possible approaches from the Watergate Committee.
We told her that she could be subpoenaed, and it was best to cooperate.
However, she could explain that she wished to have guidance from the
Agency on giving classified material, and since Hunt's letter made it
pretty clear that his information had been leaked to the press, she
could ask (whether it would be honored or not) that information from
her be held in confidence.
14. We agreed that if we had further questions to ask we could
contact Mrs. McIntosh, and she said that �f she recalled anything
further she would contact
Attachment:
. As Stated Above
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