LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL MEMO FOR THE RECORD RE: CONVERSATION WITH MR. JOHN FINNEY, NEW YORK TIMES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00337R000100130007-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 2006
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: June 24, 1969
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2006/09/ :-CrA-RDP72-003371 300100130007-7
24 June 1969
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Conversation with Mr. John Finney, New York Times
1. During the Director's appearance before the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee on 23 June, I was cornered in the hall by John Finney.
I had known him casually when we were neighbors in Alexandria some years
ago and have run into him socially once or twice since.
2. Finney asked if a DCI had ever appeared before a congressional
committee with a member of the cabinet. I said not to my knowledge. He
asked if this wasn't a bad thing. I said I couldn't see why it would be from
our standpoint--I was sure the Director would say the same thing regardless
of who else was there--that the one thing he has drilled into all of us is that
we have got to stick to the facts as we see them regardless of whether they
are popular or politically opportune. I said I thought this would be under-
ood by all concerned, Executive and Legislative alike, since the people
in responsible positions must realize that we would be entirely useless to
them and everyone else if we did otherwise. I recalled that the reason we
were set up in the first place was to provide an independent voice in the
intelligence field- -this was our whole raison d'etre. Finney said this was
good to know. He said "Helms is doing a good job isn't he ? " I said certainly
from the standpoint of those of us working for him--he was a real pro in the
business and he had a very precise concept of our mission--serve our customers
by getting the facts, reporting them candidly, analyzing therm objectively and
staying strictly out of policy. 25X1A
JOHN M. MAURY
Legislative Counsel
Distributio
Original - Subject (Briefing file)
Chrono
Approved For Release 2006/09/25 : CIA-RDP72-00337R000100130007-7