TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESIDENT'S NEWS CONFERENCE ON FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC MATTERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP09T00207R001000030041-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 5, 2011
• Sequence Number: 41
• Publication Date: March 10, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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Approved For Release 2011/08/05: CIA-RDP09TOO207RO01000030041-7
NEW YORK TIMES
10 MARCH 1977
Transcript of the resident's News Conference
on Foreign and Domestic Matters
7. Classified Information
Q. Mr. President, last week in -an
interview you expressed concern about.
sified . information.:- Admiral' Turner,
your choice to head the C.I.A., has.said,
favor criminal penalties for that, for
disclosure by Government officials of
that type of information. But Vice
President Mondale -said he's opposed-
to it. I wonder, sir, if ydu'd tell us'
where you- stand on that issue, do
A. Well, my own- interest would be
to minimize the use of any criminal
penalties for disclosure of information.
There are other penalties that can be
used without criminal charges. And I
think that Vice President Mondale drew
et
,
..hat procedure we
will follow. My own hope would be
that w
could
t
h
d
e
preven
t
e
isclosure
of intelligence or information that
might be damaging to our national se-
curity rather than trying to control that
problem by the imposition of legal
criminal penalties. , ..; .:,
Q. Could you elaborate on how you
might prevent that, Mr. President? -
A. Well I think, first of all, is a tight-,
er control over the-number of people-
highly sensitive, that might damage _e
relationship between our own country
and our friends and allies. And we've
?iready initiated steps-.to that degree.;
As you. know; Admiral Turner's: only'
getting his. presence. felt in-.the defense
administered;to,:him,=,sr t I $= j
But we'll make sure that- the public .
knows.- what. new policies we impose;
But the one that's easiest to describe
and also very difficult to do, is to make
sure that. we?don't have too many peo.
ple knowiag about- matters that they
don't need. to know And.! also that. we
can protect the legitimate confidential-
ity of agreements. between ourselves
and our allies.
Now I .would never permit anything-
.that was either illegal or improper. And
we've got:: a. very. good arrangement;-
that was primarily set up by President
Ford, to prevent abuses. The-.Intelli--
gence Oversight Board is-made up - of
three distinguished men, appointed. by-
President Ford, who have compllete? ac-
cess to any operation conducted by the
intelligence forces.
Senator Inouye's- committee in the
Senate and, I think, six committees in
the House also have access to this in-
formation. And of course, I'm monitor-
ing it myself. And I think Admiral
Turner's integrity, is also a guarantee
that there will, be no future abuses.
But that doesn't mean that every-
thing that we do-in gathering intelli-
gence-on which -our security _ might.
veryt,rwell depend-has to be revealed,
to -the public-. And drawing of that'dti
tinction-is one that's my responsibility.
And I think I can handle it. 4
9. Inquiry on Helms
Q. Mr. President, it is widely reported
that a grand fury in Washington may
be -`nvesti-atinc Richard Helms; the.
former C.I.A. director, to see whether'
to move forward on a case. And it
is reported that perhaps the jury will
want to see certain C.I.A. documents,
and I presume you would be the final
arbiter. Have you been asked for those
documents, and what will be your poli-
cy if you are asked for them in this
case or any other case?
A.?I have not been asked for any,
documents, and the Helms case has not
come to my attention, either officially
or even indirectly, from any of the peo-
ple involved.
Whether or not to proceed with the
case will be the exclusive right of the
Justice Department: The-revelation of
any documents" that affect our national
security will be my own judgment in
this or other cases. And I can't respond
any further than that, because that's
all I know about the subject. . a
Q. If r may, sir. A. Yes, sir. Q. The
problem, -as you know, relates to, I
guess, national security considerations
I on one hand and the legal.system and
I justice on the other. Given the recent
history, I just wonder how closely you i
will weigh those two? - .
A.. Well, the prosecution of the case
has nothing to do with me. That will
be a judgment made by the Justice De-
partment. The actual revelation to a
grand jury or, in case of a trial if it
should ever evolve, of confidential or
of secret material would have ; to be
judged byme.
Q. That would control, sir, would
it not, whether the-prosecution could
go forward even if it chose? A. It may
or may not. At that point; the responsi-
bility for making a, judgment and the,
responsibility for the consequences. of
an. inaccurate judgment, if it should
'occur,.would be my uwn.::: y,*
Approved For Release 2011/08/05: CIA-RDP09TOO207RO01000030041-7