STATE DEPT. LEAKS WERE PROBED BY FBI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01601R000300340074-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 8, 2001
• Sequence Number: 74
• Publication Date: September 3, 1971
• Content Type: NSPR

AB IA' I)11I
Approved For Release 2001/0,W0.-)GIR 80-01601
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131Y J IE?''YP EY A NTE IVIL
1~'ashizigton, Sept. 2 (NEws ] ureau)---Justice De
partment agents have been questioning State Department
employes about recent leaks of sensitive information to the
newspapers, P. State Department spokesman .disclosed
today.. -- - . - .
Questioned by newsmen, the
spokesman, Robert J. McCloskey,
would not say how many State
Department employes were in-
volved or -whether lie detectors
were used. But he said no disci-
plinary action resulted. -
The probe, it was learned, was
conducted by h'I;I agents.
Series of Probes
Mccloskcy said there was no
single investigation but a series
of them cimned at specific news
stories.
IIe would not name all;, of the.
articles, but other officials said
t vo recent. incidents involved
ACparatc New ' ork, 1 imes' sto-
7'nes quoting from a CIA report
to the White House and setting
out the 17.S--ne totmf]ng position
at the disarma;hent talks with
the Soviet Union,
Another leak under investiga-
tion, sources said, was Jack An-
-derson's nationally syndicated
column quoting from a secret
government report on the drunk-
en antic?s of a-U.S. diplomat dur-
511g Vice President Spiro Ag-
2lew's recent visit to Kenya in
A s.?.
.
-
McCloskey also said State De-
partment officials have been told
to lice "discretion and comillon
sense" in talking with ne'.t?snlen
about sensitive topics such as the
forthcoming presidential visit to
China.
"The Department has a deep
concern when information that
i could be prejudicial to a national
interest in foreign policy is pub-.
lished or broadcast," especially
when it has been disclosed "by
unauthorized person s," the
spokesman said.
He added, however, .that offi-
cials have not been told to limit
their contacts with reporters. Iie..
declared that the department of-
fers greater access to newsmen
I than any other foreign office in
the world.
Approved by Rogers
"1A'e have cooperated with
agents of the Department of Jus-
iee who have undertaken inves-
tigations within the Department
of State," McCloskey said. lie
would not say who ordered the
agents into the State Department
but he said it was done "with the
full concurrence and approval" of
Secretary of State William P.
Rogers.
ST4 TINTL
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP80-01601 R000300340074-4