OTEPKA IN LIMBO BUT SECURITY CASE IS STILL EXPLOSIVE

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP75-00149R000600040033-9
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
1
Document Creation Date: 
November 11, 2016
Document Release Date: 
December 15, 1998
Sequence Number: 
33
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
June 7, 1964
Content Type: 
NSPR
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP75-00149R000600040033-9.pdf80.8 KB
Body: 
WASHINGTON STAR Sanitized - ApprovedUPor R2A 6 se : Cl FOIAb3b CPYRGHT By CECIL ROLLAND Star Staff Writer a ou minutes e y noon on June 27, 1963, Otto Otepka was summoned Into t office of John Reilly, his F perior in the State Depa; mont's Office of Security. At that meeting, Mr. Reil told Mr. Otepka, 47-year-o Government career man, th he was being detached from F job as chief of the securi evaluation division and w. ,being assigned to write a ban book on security. Mr. Reilly then went with M Otepka to his office and, they walked down the corrido according to Mr. Otepk "doors popped open" all ova the place. In Mr. Otepka's office six Mr. Reillys own men jc_p- them. They demanded and g, the combinations of all safe The locks were changed ar Mr. Otepka was denied acce., to all his records, includin personal papers. J." M3 rz: According to Mr. Otepka, Mr., Mr., Otep a hasn't beep invite Reilly "shook his finger in my to any lunch.iions for anyone' face," and reminded him of an since his difficplties began. earlier conference in which he; He believes his office Is had stressed "institution al`hugged" an his telephone: loyalty." To this, Mr. Otepka ,lines are tapped. If anyone says, his response was that calls, except on the most per- 'my first loyalty is to iny.functory matter-including his country." lawyer-Mr. Otepka takes the "You're punishing nip for number. Then he goes else- telling the truth on Captiol hill.. where to call back. I won't take back a word of it, It's the same at his Wheaton Mr. Otepka added. .(Md.) home. There are strange- The upshot was that Mr,: noises on his phone every time it Otepka found himself in an`.rings. A friend expert In elee office with no material to carry' 'tronics, has told him this indi- out his assigned task of writing; Oates it might be tapped. a security handbook. Charged Laxity in Security For a while he got the C;,r- gressinnal Record. Then this But there are few occasions: was stopped. At his insistence, which require Mr. Otepka to he got it again, , leave his home to .return a call. ,T,h(~; .,:ate Department infor- , People who used to call him' tnation that came to him con- have stopped doign so. sisted of announcements of per-; .'What caused all this was Mr.,, sonnel changes, parties and the ti,,- ;r ..activities of howling teams. I COAT ALtili Shunned By Associates a' In time it became clear toj Mr. Otepka. He had been con-I signed to that "limbo large and' broad" and for the most part' "unpeopled and untrod." Associates avoided coming to; his office. They passed him in the hall with the barest nod. As inmost offices, the Staete Do-, partment Is a social sort of place. If anyone is reassigned somewhere else, there is often a 'luncheon to wish him well in his pew. post. . . , ., . ' CPYRGHT Seeks Explanation After the lunch hour, MI ,Optepka went back to Mr. Rei ly. He demanded an explani tlon. , Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149R000600040033-9