IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO BE DREW PEARSON: JUST GUTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000200300068-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 20, 1999
• Sequence Number: 68
• Publication Date: May 7, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

EDI'POR & PUBLISHER
Sanitized - Approved For Rel'se 7(RDP75-00
S
S
It
doesn't
take
much
to be
ikew
Pearson:
Sanitized - A
And integrity...
and initiative...
and judgment...
and awareness.
And all the other
things that make
newspapermen
glad Pearson is a
newspaperman:
44 Drew Pearson has
done it again. His persist-
ent reporting of the curi-
ous relationship between
Connecticut's Democratic
Sen. Thomas J. Dodd and
Gen. Julius Klein, a regis-
tered public relations rep-
resentative for the West
German government, has
become a national story
too big for Pearson's syn-
dicated column.
"Now Pearson finds him-
self under attack: The Jus-
tice Department is looking
into how Pearson came
into possession of docu-
ments from Dodd's files.
"What is most disturb-
ing is the justice Depart-
ment's involvement. Pes-
tering Pearson gives the
impression that the depart-
ment thinks it is worse for
a senator's staffers to re:
veal his correspondence
than whatever might be
the reason for their actions.
"The columnist and the
senator are on a collision-
course which is certain to
hurt one of them. We're
betting it won't be the col-
umnist.
provp-~ p p~~
"St. eTr~'l it7tPs
What is disturbing
about the case is that the
Federal Bureau of Investi-
gation and Attorney Gen-
eral Katzenbach apparent-
ly are questioning some of
Mr. Pearson's sources.
"Since Mr. Dodd has
powerful friends in the
White House and federal
agencies, there is bound to
be the ugly suspicion that
someone is trying to dis-
credit Mr. Pearson's case
by showing he obtained
the evidence in an irregu-
lar manner.
"The point here is not
how Mr. Pearson obtained
his information, but wheth-
er his charges stand up.
That is what the Senate
Committee on 'Standards
and Conduct is honor-
bound to determine. Any
other inquiry is out of
order at this time. , ,
Grave charges of
misconduct in office have
been leveled against Sen.
Thomas J. Dodd (D-Conn.)
by columnist Drew Pear-
son. Some of these accusa-
tions go far beyond alleged
unethical practices. They
involve charges. that Dodd
siphoned political cam-
paign funds into his pri-
vate bank account.
"Newspapers throughout
the country have reported
the bulk of Pearson's
charges. His sharp attack
against Dodd is too widely
known, and too detailed,
for the Ethics Committee
to sweep the matter under
the rug of a closed hearing
room.
"The Senate must re-
solve this present situa-
tion promptly, cleanly, and
without equivocation. Un-
less it does,, a shameful
shadow will fall across a
great legislative institu-
tion, which no amount of
pious doubletalk can drive
away. IA-R s sgg14989,00
fir
W ? There is a larger
question raised by the se-
ries of claims made against
the Senator: That is, the
Senate itself, and its un-
willingness either to estab-
lish ethical standards or to
enforce them.
"The Senate Ethics Com-
mittee has thus far dis-
played more interest in
how the documents on
which the accusations are
based fell into the hands
of Pearson and his associ-
ate Jack Anderson. But
the criticism having been
made, Mr. Dodd certainly
should be given the chance
to put the public record in
order. , ,
44 Between Jan. 24
and Mar. 1 columnist Drew
Pearson published some
13 documented reports on
alleged activities of Sen.
Thomas J. Dodd (D-Conn.)
and his relations with Gen.
Julius Klein, lobbyist and
a registered agent for West
German interests.
"By tradition the Senate
Ethics Committee doesn't
meet unless a Senator asks
that it investigate him -
perhaps the major reason
it meets so seldom. Yet the
Ethics Committee is em-
powered to meet and act
on its own.
"Dodd is an important
Senator. His reputation and
that of the Senate itself re-
quire that these serious
charges be fully investi-
gated. , ,
-The Milwaukee Journal
What does it take to put
Pearson on your editoral
pages?Justwrite,wire or call
collect to find out. John
Osenenko has the answers.
Bell-McClure
Syndicate
230 West 41st Street
New York, N. Y. 10036
VIO