"FAMILY JEWELS"

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
06689574
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
U
Document Page Count: 
3
Document Creation Date: 
December 28, 2022
Document Release Date: 
September 29, 2017
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
F-2016-00788
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon family jewels[15306203].pdf77.54 KB
Body: 
Approved for Release: 2017/09/12 C06689574 Page 2 MEMORANDUM FOR: Executive Secretary, CIA Management Committee SUBJECT "Family Jewels" 1. The purpose of this memorandum is to forward for your personal review summaries of activities conducted either by or under the sponsorship of the Office of Security in the past which in my opinion con- flict with the provisions of the National Security Act of 1947. 2. These activities cover the period from March 1959 to date and represent as accurate a record as is available in our files. Those activities which took place prior to the date of my appointment as Director of Security on 1 July 1964 have been developed to a certain extent through the recollection of the senior people in this Office who were involved or who had knowledge of the activities at the time they occurred. 3. I have gone back to March 1959 because I believe that the activities occurring since that time still have a viable "flap potential" in that many of the people involved, both Agency and non-Agency are still alive and through their knowledge of the activity repre- sent a possible potential threat or embarrassment to the Agency. I would be glad to provide clarification or an explanation of any of these activities if desired. You have my assurance that unless otherwise stated each of these activities was approved by higher authority--the 00002 Approved for Release: 2017/09/12 C06689574 Approved for Release: 2017/09/12 C06689574 Page 3 of Central Intelligence, the Executive Director- Comptroller, or the Deputy Director for Support. Attachments SEGR EY' ELY 00003 Approved for Release: 2017/09/12 C06689574 Approved for Release: 2017/09/12 C06689574 unit,Lmooir I CLJ 001283341 . � . 4 into the US labor situation, and particularly to try to ameliorate the quarrel between George Meany and Walter Reuther. Cord Meyer steered a very skillful course in this connection, but the Agency could be vulnerable to charges that we went behind Meany's back, or were somehow consorting with Reuther against Meany's wishes. 8. There are, three 'examples of using Agency funds which I know to be controversial. One was the expenditure of money under Project MOSES in securing the release of Cuban Brigade prisoners. Details of this gperation are best known to Larry Houston, George MacManus, and Second, as you well know, when Lou Conein received his Summons to report to the Joint General Staff Headquarters on 1 November 1963 a large amount.of cash went with him. My impression is that the accounting for ,this and its use has never been very frank or complete. Third, at one of the early Special Group meetings attended by McCone he took strong exception to proposals to spend Agency funds to improve the economic viability, of West Berlin, and for. an investment program in Mali. 'His general position was that such expenditures were not within the. Agency's charter, and that he would allow such spending only on the direct personal request of the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Defense, or the White House. (b)(1) (b)(3) (b)(1) (b)(3) 9. I raise these issues of funding because I remember the Agency's being severely criticized by the -House Appropriations Subcommittee for having spent $3,000 for stamps in connection with a program to buy tractors to secure the release of prisoners from Cuba. 10. Under the heading of old business, I know that any one who has worked in the Director's office has worried about the fact that conversations within the offices and over the telephones were transcribed. During McCone's 7" s' rfr r� . 00460 UNCLASSIFIED Approved for Release: 2017/09/12 C06689574