CONVERSATION WITH JAMES WOOLSEY, GENERAL COUNSEL, SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00380R000100110009-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 4, 2004
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: December 6, 1973
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Relea
6 December 1973
SUBJECT: Conversation with James Woolsey, General Counsel,
Senate Armed Services Committee
1. I called Jim Woolsey today to take up several matters with him
prior to his departure from the Committee staff next week. I mentioned
our current considerations regarding the possibility of inserting into the
Stennis and /or Nedzi legislative amendments on the National Security Act
language which would provide criminal penalties for disclosures of infor-
mation concerning intelligence sources and methods by persons having an
official relationship with respect to such information. I told him we were
particularly interested in his judgment as to whether the Armed Services
Committees could successfully retain jurisdiction over such legislation or
if it was susceptible to an argument on the part of the Judiciary Committee
that such legislation was more properly within their purview.
2. Mr. Woolsey said his first reaction was that no legislation on
this subject will be successful until such time as the Congress squarely
faces the issue of what is and what is not classified information. He said
it was his "political judgment" that until this is accomplished legislation
which we contemplate has no chance of passage. He said further he
thought that Congress should establish a set of criteria for the types of
information to be covered in the classified category for the benefit of the
courts in their handling of cases of alleged violations. In this connection,
Mr. Woolsey thought intelligence sources and methods, just as COMINT
information, should be included in those categories. In sum, he feels that
the question of committee jurisdiction and the objection of a significant
number of liberal minded Senators to such legislation would preclude any
effort to have it included in the amendments of the National Security Act.
ILLEGIB
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 Approved For Release 2004/03/ ; DP75B00380R000100110009-4
3. I also talked with Mr. Woolsey about our current discussions
with respect to recent amendments to the Federal Property and Public
Building Acts which would establish standard level user charges to be paid
to the GS.A and also would (unless the Agency can obtain an exemption) place
future building construction, alterations, etc. , under the jurisdiction of
GSA and the Public Works Committees. Mr. Woolsey said he thought the
strongest argument we could use against our inclusion in this program was
the argument of security--that is that the Agency could not submit to the
normal legislative requirements and procedures because of the peculiar
security limitations which we must impose. He also said there was no ques-
tion but what Agency funds were carefully guarded by our Subcommittees.
(He added, however, we should not assert this argument too strongly without
prior discussion with our Subcommittee chairmen. )
4. Mr. Woolsey feels we should pursue the issue with the OMB and
GSA. If we are unsuccessful and if we feel it necessary to push it further
he suggests we prepare a memorandum for Chairman Stennis on the points
involved, with the thought that Mr. Stennis might take the question up with
Senator Jennings Randolph, Chairman of the Senate Public Works Committee.
He also suggested that we try to involve Jim Hyde, OMB, in these discussions
and encourage Mr. Hyde to communicate with Mr. Ed Braswell, of the Com-
mittee staff, who is a good friend of Mr. Hyde's.
5. I asked Mr. Woolsey about his future plans and he said he will be
leaving the Committee staff next week to join the firm of Shea and Gardner
a Washington law firm that is concerned mainly with practice before the
Federal courts in a diversity of fields including anti-trust, corporations,
and other areas. He said the firm also represents the National Education
Association. Mr. Woolsey's replacement will be Clark McFadden, a young
(age 27 or 28) member of the Defense Department's Comptroller Staff who
has a joint degree from Harvard Law School and Business Administration
School and whom Mr. Woolsey described as a very intelligent and upstanding
young man. Mr. Woolsey said if he could be of any assistance to the Agency
in his new position, for us not to hesitate to call on him. I told him we had
hoped he would make such an offer and certainly would not be reluctant to
contact him. F_ I
e.Lyeputy Legislative Counsel
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