CIA OFFICER TELLS OF TOFTE HOME SEARCH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000300280006-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 18, 2003
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: February 24, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

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Approved For Rel& 2037 j/O3 : CIA-RE ?'7 -0()149R00030?280006-6
By WILLIAM 3ASIIAM
Star SLJu writer
,moulcr-in-l-?acv, Mrs.- Charlotte 1uiie;resl5 01 nallonal securii?
took part in a hastily cor.ceived1,have to take ray word for lL" Judy both dcfcadants in i`r'ediale superior, William S;
plan to conduct a floor-by-floor Gross angrily said ii '.ere is 110 the suit, went to the Toile home;Wilkinson, and another agent,
search of fellow-agent Hans V. reason" why the CIA S1i0L'lci not on July 23, tC look at c basema : Steve Kuhn, the evening of
Tr ` c's former Georgetownlooserve the laws that require `apartment advertised for rent. I
1 .,, ,,,..?. !` .. I.iuiy 23, at CIA lle4dc;uarters fn
home last July to seize classified search warrants. the question The CIA later sai that SIOCUni ' T.n -
? , ley, Va.
documents. is, he said, what have we accidar:hy had stun:,-led upon lie said they "generally
The admission, filed late !established in this country if classified documents on the plan to recover the
c-;rced on a
yesterday in U.S. District Court, some agency of the federal home's third floor and that aL
was submitted by Charles D. government can iavade a maa'. repor`ed this to the Lz-- icy, Papers the next day. Tofte's
Speshe, a CIA security officer. :l attorney, Byron N. Scott, yester-
i The court secu 'are part of a day asked the court for permis-
papers
civil suit filed last fall by Tafte Sion to include Wilkinson. and
Kuhn as defendants in the civil
against agency head Richard suit.
lleims, Speake and two others On July 24, Speake said, he
for recovery of a private letter
the
Slocums
drove to the
're said also was taken from his and
home last July 24. The four are T ofte home e and and found only Mrs.
Leister there. He said that while
being sued as individuals - not Slocum engaged her in a general
as representatives of the govern-.
o conversation, he and Mrs.
men... Slocum "proceeded to look all
forte, a veteran agent, was
.fired last October after the over the premises."
documents were seized. His suit they uncovered
c,ainis that the agents used false "a Speake said thevariety of classified docu-
I
A Central Intelligence Agency
employe has admitted that he
made.
Helms Quoted
A Republican Congressman, in,
another development, said that
CIA director Richard Helms has
admitted it was a "mistake" to;
search Tofte's home.
Rep. H. R. Gross, R-Iowa,;
said Holm told him-the CIA had,
The security officer said that
"rather than announcing the
true purpose of our visit to Mars,
Leister, who, was a lady of
advanced years, I would distract'
her by talking about the prem-
ises while Mr. Slocum retrieved'
the' documents." - I
As they left, Speake said, he,
picked up a brief cc.se belonging
to Tofte. He said they collected
a "substantial number of classi-
fied papers, pamphlets, book-?
lets, etc., upon which the classi-
fications, ranging from confiden-
tial to secret; were clearly
stamped."
The letter involved in the suit
.reportedly is a communication
,from Helms to Tofte, written in
1955..? It asked .:iofte, then a
-businessman in Mason City,.
Iowa, to join the agency for a
lifetime career, Torte, who once
served 1w th the Danish under-
ground, during World-, War II?
was earning $25,000 a year when.
lhe.was fired.. "r
no right to search Tofte's home. i orne and take things ... What At this point, according to
The conversation, Gass said,' have we deteriorated to?" . Speake's aff.davii,,-he mentioned
occurred earlier this week butt The incident began when Slocum's discover to his 1,1-
he wvn;,lri not etahnrat. Vnl;'ll!an.ent
nn, n Sl
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Approved For Release 2003/12/03 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000300280006-6