LETTER TO THE HONORABLE WALTER D. HUDDLESTON FROM STANSFIELD TURNER

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP80M00165A000700020050-1
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
3
Document Creation Date: 
December 15, 2016
Document Release Date: 
May 24, 2004
Sequence Number: 
50
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
September 1, 1977
Content Type: 
LETTER
File: 
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PDF icon CIA-RDP80M00165A000700020050-1.pdf124.8 KB
Body: 
M }5w^4i ~ Y ~ A The DirettDr .Approved For F ase 2V8410?76190' 1IA DP80M00165AT0070002Q05O-I executive Registry 7 OLG 77-3054/b Honorable Walter D. Huddleston, Chairman Subcommittee on Charters and Guidelines Select Committee on Intelligence United States Senate Washington, D. C. 2'5 Dear Mr. Chairman: indis I have your letter of 21 Jul 1977/(R#9090) which, among other things, requests my views on t e n cessity of retaining section 102(c) of the National Security A t -of 1947, which authorizes the Director of Central Intelligence, otwithstandin the provisions of other law, to terminate Agen employment ' in the interests of the United States." I view this authority as a effective management of thi highly sensitive and delicat possesses some of the Nat an overall personnel prof ments, and needs to intr vitality. Section 102(c) accountability, profess personnel mix. nsable underpinning for the Agency.) activitie on's most This Agency is entrusted with on behalf of our Government, nsitive secrets, must maintain with changing mission require- e compatibld duce new talen s an essential to to preserve organizational in achieving the goals of security, and appropriate onalism, judgment) The opportunity fir serving in the CIA is a istinct privilege and our expectations fro= our employees must be eally high. Recently, the employment rel~.tionship of two persons who h served us well in the past and had((?fine potential for the future was vered because they did not demonstrate the requisite professionalism nd judgment. I must have the ability to exercise strict control over an complete confidence in the manner in which employees in this Agency perform their duties. Unclas siIo{og&iWfteM~L-a004/07/08 : CIA-RDP80M - 25X1 from enclosure loC.+:A;. Approved FPRelease 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP80M00A000700020050-1 It should be noted that authority similar to 102(c) exists for national security purposes for other departments and agencies, including the National Security Agency (50 U. S. C. 833) and the Departments of State, Justice, and Defense (5 U. S. C. 7531). Most Federal employees have a statutory expectancy of continued employment and can be removed only for such cause as will promote the efficiency of the service and they are entitled to appeal the decision. Although the statutory outcome is different under section 102(c) because of the need for secrecy in intelligence matters, I believe the system must be just, if for no other reason than the practical one that foreign intelligence services assign overriding priority to penetration of this Agency by uncovering and exploiting the weaknesses of personnel. Controls on the fairness of the system are also represented by the oversight bodies that exist within both the Executive and Legislative Branches. Enclosed please find the statistical breakdown you requested on the use of section 102(c) authority over the past 15 years. Unfortunately, this Agency does not maintain statistics on those employees terminated under section 102(c) who were later declared eligible for U. S. Government employment by the U. S. Civil Service Commission, as the responsibility for obtaining Civil Service eligibility rests with the employee. Yours sincerely, STANSFIELD TURNER Distribution: Orig Addle w/encl. 1 - DCI w/encl. 1 - A/DDCI w/encl. ER w/encl. 1 - DDA w/encl. 1 - OGC w/encl. 1 - DD/Personnel, w/encl. 1 - OLC Subject w/encl. 1 - O LC Chrono OLC:LLM:ndl (1Sept77) Approved For Release 2004/07/08 CIA-RDP80M00165A000700020050-1 T -I. A 25X1 Approved For Release 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP80M00165A000700020050-1 Approved For Release 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP80M00165A000700020050-1