CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE SELECTION AND BRIEFING OF STAFF MEMBERS OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE TO STUDY GOVERNMENTAL OPERATION WITH RESPECT TO INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP77M00144R000500110100-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 4, 2004
• Sequence Number: 100
• Publication Date: January 24, 1975
• Content Type: REPORT

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This paper was prepared by
on 24 Jan 75.
took a copy to
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Considerations Regarding the Selection and Briefing
of Staff Members of the Select Committee to Study Governmental
Operations with Respect to Intelligence Operations
The Senate Resolution establishing the Select Committee grants
virtually unlimited scope and authority to the Committee to probe into the
most sensitive categories of information and activities of the CIA and
other member agencies of the U. S. intelligence community. This
unprecedented investigation of the U. S. intelligence community imposes
a special and solemn responsibility on the Committee staff members to
protect sensitive sources, methods, and information entrusted to them
from unauthorized disclosure.
Past experience indicates that ad hoc committees intended to
function for a limited period of time soon become major sources of leaks
to the press, most often from carelessly selected staff members who turn
out to have political axes to grind or who wish to ingratiate themselves with
the press. It is therefore incumbent upon the Select Committee to choose
its staff members with the utmost care and diligence. Just as was the
procedure for the selection of Committee members, only persons who
have not become "polarized, " either for or against intelligence operations,
should be chosen as staff members. Whether or not the Select Committee
becomes a "leaking sieve" will depend on the integrity, objectivity, and
intellectual discipline of the staff members. It would, of course, be most
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harmful to the credibility of the investigation and its conclusions if
staff members are found to have a record of bias or favoritism towards the
CIA or other intelligence agencies that may come within the purview of
the investigation.
In addition to the selection of staff members on the basis of integrity
and nonpartisanship, it is important that staff members be experienced in
the handling of classified materials. They should also have demonstrated
that they are capable of taking seriously the responsibility for safeguarding
classified information.
The name of each prospective staff member should be submitted to
the appropriate Federal agencies for a full security clearance and he should
not be permitted to handle classified material until a security clearance
is secured.
After receiving a -security clearance, each prospective staff member
should be required to sign a secrecy agreement pledging not to reveal,
either during the hearings or at any time in the future, to unauthorized
persons, any classified information entrusted to him. The secrecy agreement
should stipulate that violations of the pledge would subject the individual to
a citation for contempt of Congress.
In consultation with CIA, rules and procedures should be drawn up
to regulate the care, circulation, temporary and permanent storage and
disposition of transcripts of testimony as well as any documents, files, or
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other classified materials made available by the intelligence agencies to
the Select Committee as evidence. These rules and procedures should be
in writing and each staff member should be required to certify in writing
that he has read, fully comprehends, and will adhere to these regulations
for safeguarding classified materials. Arrangements should be made for
each staff member to be given special briefings by the CIA and other
intelligence agencies on any matters of importance peculiar to the handling
of materials from each intelligence agency that is likely to provide classified
materials to the Select Committee.
It should be the responsibility of the Chief of the Select Committee
Staff, aided by full-time professional security officers, to assure that
security rules are rigidly enforced. Staff members who turn out to be
unwilling to unable to comply with these rules should be dismissed without
delay.
As important as security procedures may be to the orderly
management of sensitive intelligence materials, these will be of limited
effectiveness unless the staff members selected are persons of proven
integrity, nonpartisanship, and intellectual discipline.
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UP- 039
ADD 1 CIA, WASHINGTON (UP-015)
TWO CONS.ERVAT IVES, TWO LIBERALS AND ONE MODERATE WERE NAMED TODAY
AS THE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL SENATE COMMITTEE.
NAMED AS WERE CONSERVATIVE SENS. JOHN TOWER, TEX.,, AND B-ARR.Y.:
GaL W~^T R, ARIZ.; LIB 'RALS CHARLES MATHIAS, MD., AND RICHARD
S LE UL--' -_R r PA .9 AND ;f0DE:,rtATE tl 3-MER 'T,E:NN .
SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER HUGH SCOTT APPOINTED THE REPUBLICAN
MEMBERS. MANSFIELD STILL MUST NAME SIX DEMOCRATS TO SERVE ON THE
11-MlE;M1BER PANEL.
TOWER WILL SERVE AS THE VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE PANEL, TO BE KNOWN AS
THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS. TOWER EARLIER
TOLD NEWSMEN HE WAS NOT ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE ASSIGNMENT.
UPI 01-22 11:07 AES
,,,r,>,,A pe ovedtFo~ iRe cease 2004/10/1a2t oCIA fRDP~771E1~1001t44,R P? QQ-7r propriatc
rcna'ti tic componient in the Agency to the attached irem from the news wire services.
 r SECRET
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ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (optional) xE.r ' "'?
FROM:
EXTENSION
NO.
Legislative Counsel
DATE
25
24 January 1975
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
ildi
b
DATE
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
t
h
ng)
u
g)
INITIALS
commen
.)
to whom. Draw a line across column after eac
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
t
i
1
f~
have talked with Ed
.?~'We
or
rec
D
1
Braswell regarding our concern
2,
about the problem of access by
~
temporary employees of the
Select Committee to sensitive
3.
Agency information. Ed said he
thought Stennis would like to
4.
discuss this with Senators Tower
and Goldwater and asked us for a
The
r on the subject
.
pape
5.
attached was prepared in the main
by nd I think
b.
does a good job o stating the
problem without getting into
i
personalities. A copy was given
7.
to Ed today for use without 25X
attribution to CIA.
8.
9.
eo e Cary
" egislative Counsel
10.
.~"
it.
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12.
13.
14.
15.
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