TRANSCRIPT OF ERVIN HEARING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-00818R000100030007-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 1, 2006
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: July 30, 1969
• Content Type: MF

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30 July 1969
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT: Transcript of Ervin Hearing
1. This memorandum contains a recommendation in
paragraph 5 for approval by the Director of Central Intelligence.
2. We have gone through the transcript of your 22 July
1969 appearance before Senator Ervin's Subcommittee, with
special attention to Senator Ervin's request that the transcript
be printed. You said, "I think it would be a very difficult text
to edit in these terms, Mr. Chairman. I would like to simply
ask your indulgence and not have it printed up. " (Page 91. )
Senator Ervin later said, "I am going to at least ask to let us
submit a copy of the transcript to you and if you can indicate
the parts that would not jeopardize the national security, leave
that, and then have the other not printed, " You replied, "All
right, sir. " (Page 93.) We think this answer was taken by
Senator Ervin as agreeing to deletions and publication.
3. It is quite true that there are many individual state-
ments which do not involve security. On the other hand, there
are specific answers to questions which I would consider classi-
fied. The trouble is they are all part of one theme. If we print
the portion which contains our most specific and serious objections
to the Ervin bill, we thereby publish a blueprint for future har-
assment of the Agency. If we eliminate those portions we
thereby lose any forceful grounds for exemption from the bill.
~EKei ?,; ;- .
MORI/CDF Pages 1,2 & 5.
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4. I believe our position should be that we foresaw this
situation when we said we could testify only in executive session
and we understood that the Chairman's offer of the executive
session was based on this position. Therefore, we believe the
transcript should not be published in any part.
5. Before replying to Senator Ervin along this line, I
recommend that the Legislative Counsel alert Senator Stennis
to the problem and that you personally see Senator Eastland,
not only to give him our position on the transcript, but also to
discuss possible action in the full committee for exemption of
the intelligence community.
General Counsel
Attachment
Hearing Transcript
The recommendation in
paragraph 5 is approved
3 1 J U L 1969
Director of Central Intelligence Date
Distribution:
O-Legislative Counsel
1-The Director
1-DDCI
1-Executive Director
1--ER
1-General Counsel
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AND DOTTOM
SENDER WILL CH
ECK CLASSIFICATION TOP
SECRET
UNCLASSIFIED
CONFIDENTIAL
OFFICIAL ROUTING SLIP
TO
NAME AND ADDRESS
DATE
INITIALS
1
Mr. Houston
2
3
4
5
6
ACTION
DIRECT REPLY
PREPARE REPLY
APPROVAL
DISPATCH
RECOMMENDATION
COMMENT
FILE
RETURN
CONCURRENCE
INFORMATION
SIGNATURE
Remarks t
I have attached a copy of the Journal item
relating to my conversations with Mr. Baskir.
As you will note, no deadline was established
for return of our corrections and he and I are
operating on the assumption that this copy may
be retained by the Agency. He will provide two
additional copies for our use if possible later in
the week.
25X1
FOLD HERE TO RETURN TO SENDER
FROM: NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NO.
DATE
OLC 7D35
J
---
7-24-69
UNCLASSIFIED
1
ONFI
AL
F
SECRET
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N"IN AL
EXCERPT FROM JOURNAL
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL
23 July 1969
13.1 Met with Lawrence Baskir, Staff Director,
Senator Ervin's Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights, and received from
him a copy of the transcript of the Director's appearance before the Subcom-
mittee on Tuesday, 22 July. It was agreed, unless other considerations are
interposed later by Chairman Ervin, that this copy will be retained by the
Agency and at such time as corrections are completed they will be transferred
to tie Subcommittee's master copy. No deadline was set for return of Agency
corrections. On the matter of deadline, Mr. Baskir noted partially in jest
that "since the Agency is obviously reluctant to publish the hearing" he would
not set a date on his own authority.
I talked to Mr. Baskir later in the day concerning the classification of
the transcript. Mr. Baskir advised that he would stamp the Subcommittee's
copy "Confidential" and treat it as classified material. He also advised that
he is ordering additional copies for . the Subcommittee and will try to provide
two additional cuptes for Agency use
CONFIDENTIAL
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