THE OTEPKA AFFAIR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600040121-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 1998
• Sequence Number: 121
• Publication Date: October 12, 1963
• Content Type: NSPR

CPYRGI~nitized -Approved ForFF~~~~~
:die Otepk,~ffair
News of a first- rate security scandal-reminis-
cent of the days of Alger Hiss--h~s_been.,bubbling
beneath the surface in Washington for nearly two
years now. Last,,~.~e~axt.of the story, played
y p~.~~~~Yianagec~ to get into the
down b liberal ` , ~ a
.._,~-
press~ ,~ - a# ;
What triggered -was' the State Depart
ment's annou~etiex~ "lad land~-- ~ ''fire Otto
Otepka, one ol``its top ~eciirtty o fice~s, ~cr a]Ie~edly
leaking "confidential" material '~ _ u~torized
personnel.. Otepka, 48, is chief of the"d~ivlaion of
evaluations in tl;e~,de~artment't~~ ~f Srity.
A career civil s c~~,bf~i~er ~;he ns~umental
in ridding the ~art~ t =of T security .risks
: ~ h~
under:Ike: - e~` ~,_r~~,.
The charges against ~'df"' ka astonished law-
makelrs. The main = -was' that he had re-
vealed information ,#~~, ate Internal Security
subcommittee, ~probin~ -'C~`epaztnent's operations.
Stormed James Eas)llaxz#~'"~b:-Miss. ), chairman of
the subcommittee:=` ~Tla+e powers of Congress are at
stake. I intend?,.~8~ protect Mr. Otepka by every
means at my command, against accc+satinr-s whi~li
cx~m~t ai r~, it :.ffect, that he told the truth when
eti~r =.-_= u~ dca so by a Senate subcommittee."
-,ti>: i'x~5i '~;t_ciate Judiciary Committee (including
such :=?~c cIF: =~n)ia 1~a4 revealed the present
AdminiStl`$tist?.~ h3..; ~,Y-rc~nYQ(~ ~nIPrCTE?nC', t'lY~ra714'~:
t0 top rlcn~:~r~ri,r?~ik ac~rsc~n~,el sa+ lh~ rrne say the Administration
is ~~~>i,~;,-~r~ting a vencic:ttu t~ainst Otepka since he is
heir) resnr"nslbi? for