6 OTEPKA AIDS ARE DEMOTED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600040047-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 1998
• Sequence Number: 47
• Publication Date: April 14, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

FOIAb3b
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA
CHICAGO T'RT& NE'
lAppeal Bares Action
CPYRGHT "? of State Dept.
CPYRGHT
Washin ton April 13 -CRIE 11 meat of taking action again
duties in which they, were'
skilled.
dismissed last fall on charges
of conduct unbecoming a state
department officer after he co-
operated with, a Senate inquiry
into lax security in his division.
Otepka appealed this dismis-
sal and demanded a hearing,
but the state department has
never granted him one. He has
remained'on the payroll but has
been kept in isolation. :'
Colleagues Back Him
Six of his colleagues Pn' the
bureau, under questioning by
government investigators, said
that they believed that Otepka
is innocent. They said they
would testify in Otepka's be-
half whens the hearing was held.
They al$o joined with Otepka
in criticism of loose security
practices in. the- state . depart-
ment.
On March 15, the six were
told of their transfer to. other:
posts, all ' in positions of less
importance, and,removed' from
meat's bureau of security, was of more than 10 years. Norp
! Otepka, former chief of eval est federal ratings. Ilite is
uat ons in the. state depart- awyer with government servi
to cover up a plot against Otto Lime Otepka, the three pr
that it transferred six veteran f~ mg Otepka and have Ili
security officers in an attempt fired:"
state department was : called the six because they claim
upon today to answer charges to have knowledge of "a plot
inter-American affairs-was de
Harry M. Hite, Edwin
signed, they said, to intimidat
Burkhardt, and John It. Norp
six friendly witnesses for Otep
Jr., filed formal appeals to I.
Ji ka.
Civil Service commission f
The attempt has failed, the
said, asserting that they intend
Raymond Laughton, Filly
to testify that the charge
Hughes, and Frank V. Gardn
'
against Otepka are spuriou
and fabricated solely -to harm
These appeals were placed
"
t'
!
him because he responded
the Congressional
l
ecord
Rep
H. R
Gross [R
Ia
] a
,6i truthfully when asked by Sen.
.
.
.,
.
'
I ate investigators about short.
Rep. James 'E.
Bromwell [R
comings and deficiencies in the
Ia.].
state department's personnel
I. security program.
[Chicago Tribune Press Service] Both accused the state depallt
s a.former Federal Bureau
nvestigation agent with
ears oy experience in the go
rhinent. Burkhardt is an e
erienced. civil servant.
.:All.chorge that their new a
ignments, which they say we
rdered in'reprisal for t h e i
efense`of Otepka, constitute
eduction in rank. Their he
ssignment to the bureau
CPYRGHT
Sanitized - Approved For Release :
Recall Reilly's Action
The Cvil Service commission
was asked. to take note of the
fact that John F. Reilly, former
deputy assistant secretary of
state, placed Otepka under sur-
veillance, tapped his telephone,
ti and then denied. these actions
under oath when. questioned by
the Senate internal security
subcommittee. Reilly later ad-
mitted this perjury and was
asked to' resign.
Another state department of-
ficer, } David I. Belisle, a special
't t
asses an w Reilly
also was
reprisal for: my, close associa-'I
,
asked to resign, but has been
permitted to remain. He also
denied knowledge of wiretap.
ping but later admitted it.
"I have been informed that
my reassignment was due to
the' fact that `I carried the
torch' too,far and too long for
Mr. Otepka, Norpel told the
Civil Service commission. The
action against me is based on
don with;and outspoken defense
of Ot.eplca.
Guilt ley Assuciatioo
"The `guilt by association'
concept which the state depart.
ment professes to openly op-
pose is the only basis for my
degradation . Mr. Belisle
continues in a position whereby
he greatly affects the -opera-
tions of the office of security.
It is my belief that it was thru
his persuasion that my reas-
signment occurred.,
"The disclosed' testimony of
Mr. Belisle and ,,Mr. Reilly to
date has shocked the 'public
and 'rendered a disservice to
the. entire securityintelligencc
community whose integrity suf.
fered by the calculated actions
of these two men."
l3romwcll told the House that
only one word - persecution -'
could define the state !depart
ment's use -of executive power i
in,,the Otepka case.
IA-KLW O .
FOIAb3b ,
0040047-4