LETTER TO MR. JAMES M. FREY FROM GEORGE L. CARY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP77M00144R000800150019-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 24, 2004
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: November 26, 1975
• Content Type: LETTER

OLC 75-2993
Approved For R"it/qfl?ELEIMC7LZN0a1llIOR000800150019-1
WASHiNGTON,D.C. 20505
26 NOV 1975
Mr. James M. Frey
Assistant Director for Legislative Reference
Office of Management and Budget
Washington, D.C. 20503
Dear Mr. Frey:
Enclosed is a proposed report to Chairman Ribicoff, Senate
Committee on Government Operations, in response to a request for
our recommendations on S. 2477, a bill "To provide more effective
public disclosure of certain lobbying activities to influence issues
before the Congress and the executive branch, and for other purposes. rr
The Senate Government Operations Committee has been holding
hearings on various lobbying bills over the past several months, and
is preparing to report out a lobbying bill in the very near future.
We would appreciate advice. as to whether there is any objection
to the submission of this report from the standpoint of the Administration's
program as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
SIGNED
George L. Cary
Legislative Counsel
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OLC: WPB: sk (20 Nov 75)
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 Approved For Release 2004/05/12 : CIA-RDP77M00144R000800150019-1
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON,D.C. 20505
Honorable Abraham Ribicoff., Chairman
Committee on Government Operations
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
This is in response to your request for our views on S. 2477, a. bill
which would regulate lobbying by providing for public disclosure of certain
lobbying activities. Under this bill an individual or organization which meets
the definition of "lobbyist" must register and file reports with the Comptroller
General.
The Central Intelligence Agency was established by the National
Security Act of 1947 primarily to provide policy makers with information
on foreign areas and developments. It is not a policy making agency and,
consequently, has not been subject to lobbying pressures. Therefore,
our interest in legislation. of this type has been limited to the concern that
overbreadth of language could inhibit this Agency's foreign intelligence
gathering mission. Specifically, we have been concerned that a broad defini-
tion of the term "lobbying" could be expansively interpreted to cover communica-
tions relating to sensitive intelligence matters between, this Agency and outside
persons. Disclosure of such contacts would be contrary to provisions of
law which charge the Director of. Central Intelligence with protection of
intelligence sources and methods [50 U . S . C . 403] and which exempt CIA
from other laws requiring disclosure of Agency organization and personnel
[50 U.S.C. 403(8)] .
This potential conflict has been raised by several other lobbying bills
introduced in this Congress which have embodied broad and ambiguous
definitions of the term "lobbying," namely, S. 774, S. 815, S. 2068, and
S. 2167. However, S. 2477 has a more precisely defined scope which would
not impinge upon the Agency's foreign intelligence mission. `:Cherefore, we
prefer the latter bill over earlier proposals.
The Office of Management and Budget has advised there is no objection
to the submission of this report from the standpoint of the Admi.nistration's
program.
Sincerely,
George L. Cary
Le?i.slative Counsel oU-r-o,V
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Approved For Release 2004/05/12 : CIA-RDP77M00144R000800150019-1 '~7s 1ez~