AGENT OUTLINES SPENDING AT EX-AIDES' TRIAL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000300230017-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 14, 2003
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: May 12, 1965
• Content Type: NSPR

W4SU1NGT(}'d PC)SI J
Approved For RAN1e1U-1 M&'g-
MAY 12 1965
STAT
Agent Outlines Spending at Ex-Aides' Trial'
By Peter S. Diggins
Washington Poet Staff Writer
A Marine Corps major traced
for a Federal jury in Alex-
!andria yesterday the course
of several thousand dollars
entrusted to him as a special
Defense Department agent and
disbursed to two Pentagon of-
ficials.
The officials, William H.
Godel and John A. Wylie, are
being tried for conspiracy and
embezzlement. .
Maj. William R. Corson told
the Court he was appointed a
"Class A Agent" for the Pen-
tagon in June, 1962. Such an
agent handles out-of-the-ordi-
nary funds for Defense Depart-
ment officials.
The appointment was made
verbally by Wylie, then direc-
tor of Budget and Finance at
the Pentagon, but Corson said
he never received a written
confirmation of the action.
Corson's Class-A Agent ac-
count wa3 opened with $15,000.
Over the next few months,
Corson said he paid a por-
tion of the money to Wylie
and Godel after they had sub-
mitted requests saying they
were for special projects.
In late October, 1963, Cor-
son said Wylie asked that the
three men meet early in the
morning at an Arlington
motel, where, he testified,
"Wylie asked if my account
had been audited and I told
him it had been last month."
Wylie frequently seemed
"almost incoherent" during
the breakfast, Corson recalled,
and "the conversation was ex-
tremely elliptical."
On Nov..5, the Secretary of;
Defense called in all "Class;
A Agent" accounts for a final's
rendering, Corson said.
Of Corson's original $15,000,
he said Wylie was indebted to.
him for $1550 and Godel for
$3031. Corson was ordered to
return , `with Godel's and.,
Wylie's money the same after- I Godel was helping to establish 1
noon. The money was paid and
the account was settled.
Corson was not cross-ex-
amined during the second day
of the trial.
Several witnesses during the
clay mentioned a special aid
project in Viet-Nam, which
Judge Oren R. Lewis Insisted
that references to the South-.
east Asian nation be kept to;
a minimum. . -
"Several people, here wan-t4
to try the Viet-Natn war over,-
again," he said, "I'm not going
to permit It."'.
Approved For Release 2003/12/02 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000300230017-2