LETTER TO THE HONORABLE WALTER D. HUDDLESTON FROM STANSFIELD TURNER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• 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
• Publication Date: September 1, 1977
• Content Type: LETTER

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;.
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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
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Approved For Release 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP80M00165A000700020050-1