SENATORS REBUKE CIA CHIEF FOR WRITING LETTER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000200890028-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 8, 2004
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: July 29, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

- ----- --- ---------,,,..,,,, ..ham,,. y
director Richard Helms was
ro..tr'l;cilllCil(iQ d 1\le`~~3 i.3 a~Il'~S lti~~:a~ '~iiil~-~ai't{gi
Senators Rthnke Ci
By George Lardner Jr.
handed a spanking in the Sen.
ate' yesterday for his letter.
writing habits,
Even members of. the Sen.
ate's exclusive CIA oversight
committee said they were
shocked. ?
Helms, Son, Eugene McCar.
thy (D-Minn.) told his col-
leagues, had written a Letter
to the Editor.
Not just any letter, mind
you, but a letter commending
the St. Louis Globe-Democrat
for an editorial entitled "Brick.
I bats for Fulbright.
for him to have done that,"1
i4'[ccarthy said, sinking thel
dagger into the CIA chief's
cloak..."We are told that the
CIA does not participate; In
domestic politics. This is a
new departure,"
WASHINGTON POST
JUL 2 9 1966
The Wishington Post
RICHARD HELMS
tions' Committee's unsuccess-
ful move to win three 'seats
on the CIA oversight commit.
tee. It said, the Senate had
1,7- "
p operl
"r
b
y
ca
u
d the
Son, AT. William' Fulbright (D "crafty. Arkansan."
Ark,) ;lot' his 1~oreign?-Bela , In a?'lbttdrpubli shed by the
H~ Approved For,.Releas~'4T0 : Ci)~75-00
or
Globe Democrat on' Wcdnes.-
Iday, the' CIA dirccitor Said:
I want to let you know of
my pleasure in reading the
editorial, 'Brickbats for Ful??
bright' , . . it reflects so well
your paper's policy of 'print.
log the news impartially, sup-
porting what it believes to be
right, and opposing what i,t
believes to be wrong without
regard to party. politics."
McCarthy, who, had offered
the unsuccessful CIA resolu?
tion, said he supposed . the
editorial was "within the Young (R?N.D.) said it was "a
h o u n d s of irresponsibility 1,9110010. to him.. And Sate, .Tohn
that should be allowed an
,
editor." :,Stennis (D?Biiss.) called it:..
But he. envisioned future' every unfortunate."
election campaigns with CIA, Fulbright said their words
letters commending criticisn~sl?had the sound of music, cum-
o# all sorts of Senators, , 'mg as they did from three{
. Helms, McCarthy said, 'oWes:. members of the oversight. com,;
an apology, not only to the, Illittee. took the' occasion'
' :to 'report rumors he'd heard,
chairman of the Senate F
or-
. eign Relations Committee and; of CIA dabbling. ill cother"
to every Senator who voted' domestic affairs,"."such as'
for the resolution, but to every. ;various labor :union. elections;
member of the United States "This is one of the prob.
Senate." : lems you run into when you
Senate Majority Lead e r' promote a career :man, lie-
C!q
took over as CIA director Iasi)
month, "But he's a good fel?
,low. I expect he'll adjust in{
IThe spanking ended with of
report from Saltonstall, -who:
had stepped'toff the floor to
~call Helms,
"I asked Mr., Helms if he
had written `the letter and he
said he had," the Senator an.
nounced. "Hb said it was a
mistake and he' was"sorry,"
Helms later salQ hb' also;
called Fulbright and again saki
1'ronn tha 8t, LOUia Globa?Doinocr.at
Mike"Mans fie id,(D-Mon')
called Helms'-, letter, "a most
25X1
I i .
serious matter" and hoj) eii'"its
will not become a habit with
him."
(In recent weeks, Helms has'
also written letters partly sup
porting Sen. Thomas J. Dodd
(D?Comi.), who is facing mis-.
conduct charges, and backing
an undercover CIA agentfac-
ing a slander suit.) .
Blass.), agreed the Globe-Dem.'
ocrat?letter was "very, very
' IA"';RDP75-00149R000200890028-6