LETTER TO MR. LYLE MILLER FROM ADAM BENJAMIN, JR.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R001200010013-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 13
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2006/11/20: CIA-RDP81M00980R001200010013-4
ADP.M BENJAMIN, JR.
1ST DISTRICT, INDIANA
COMMITTEE:
APPROPRIATIONS
18013 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDINO
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515
TGLEPIIONE: [phone]
ongre 5 of the niteb tatel
ou a of AepreantatibO
DISTRICT OFFICES:
FEDERAL BUILDING
507 STATE STHELT
HAMMOND, INDIANA 46320
[phone] EXT. 281
FEDERAL BUILDING
610 CONNECTICUT STREET
GARY, INDIANA 46402
[phone] PxT. 308
1601 NORTH INDIANA AVENUE
GRIFFITH, INDIANA 46319
~ty
d tttgton, y~+. ?C. 20515 [phone]
November 27, 1978 ?EQ
Mr. Lyle Miller
Acting Legislative Counsel
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C. 20505
Enclosed please find an article from the Gary Post Tribune
concerning the Kampiles espionage trial. The article mentions
the fact that the government is missing top-secret satellite
manuals, besides the one Kampiles allegedly sold to the Russian
officials.
I am requesting that an immediate investigation. be conducted
to ascertain the exact location of the missing booklets and to
determine how such a mistake could be made in the first place.
I am sure you are aware of the impact such an.error has on our
citizen's already frustrated view of the federal government and
its agencies. I would, therefore, appreciate a prompt and exten-
sive clarification of this matter.
Your prompt attention and cooperation is greatly appreciated.
ABJ/bs
Appr v dr.RQJe e Q AU2(2; 0013-4
 3y GARY GALLOWAY
Post?TrIbune Staff Reporter
it yi MND - Unite: States inteilg?
ce flunked out Monday when it was
veaiea i3 top-secret CIA
:tha?sky satellite manuals are
,lag,
ne startling revelation came on the
ing dal,, of the William Peter
;lies spy trial in federal court
ore.
iKmpi;es, 2.3, a former CIA employ.
is accused o' espionage, for alleg-
:diy selling one of those missing man-
Approved For Release 2006/11/20: CIA-RDP81 M00980R001 200010013-4
uais, No. 155 out of 350 printed, to a
Russian agent earlier this year in Ath-
ens,; Gr ece.
if convicted, Kampiles, the son of
Greek immigranrs to this country,
faces a possiuie life. Sentence.
"Last week," Michael Monica, Kam-
piles' lawyer, said in his opening
statement to the court and jury,
"there were 17 of those manuals miss-
ing, Now there are 13. Maybe they'll
find number 155' and we can all go
home."
The government dropped the
bombshell about the missing docu-
ments on itself during the opening ed to Kampiles are unttue and areyoung client carried out" earlier this 'ing in Athens after leaving
statcrneht by U.S. Attorney David T. the product of intimidation and threats year in Athens. because of dissa?slaction
Ready, South Bend, who preceded ' ? by the federal agents against, his ,.cli? Monico,, said the fantasy fulfilled dom with his do-nothing, lore !
Y anico. ent, Kampiles' desire to be involved in in `
of reading mostly meaning!e
Ready is co-prosecutor in the case ternational travel and intrigue and to releases and newspaper clipp:
frith James Richmond, an assistant' i tit isknot a tractor, Monico said do something meaningful and 'ox ';around the world.
ci
in
l
i
mood office, Richmond 'formerly
served as an agent, for the FBI and
federal Internal Revenue Service.
Ready also said the government has
no eyewitnesses against.'Kampiles,
only his self-incriminating ' statements
to CIA and FBI agents.
Ytonico says the statements attribut
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t
g
Monico said Kan;piies hay
tn
dress was an apartment in Munster he Monico said Kampiles acted out his the CIA with the idea of t
shared with a town policeman. "He's fantasy one beautiful Ihight in Athens undercover agent but heat
a young, patrotic,boy with a bizarre .;when he walked into a garden cafe would be years'
ears before he we
notion." and heard-the sounds of music coming be considered."
torney in Chicego, told the court and at the Russian embassy in` Athens,
jury of nine women and three men of'. Monico said.
a wild acrd unfortunate fantasy his ` Monico said Kampiles'was vacation
Standing outside the Ruz;ia7sy. in Athens, Monica said,
Continued on A2, col. 5
 Continued from Page 1
moment" in compliance with the Strategic Arms
was faced with the "key
his life.
His words sounding as if he were
readuig a Harold Robbins best-seller,
Monico continued:
"Bill had this crazy, dizzy, wild and
unbelievable notion to test his dreams
of being an agent. He went in (the
embassy). It was the worst decision
he ever made.
"But his brain was pounding' with
the excitement of the hroment. 'Do it,
run with it, here is your chance.'
"And he did. He pretended he was a
government worker, what he had
imagined himself to be when he was a
watch -officer.
"He thought he could: return to the
U.S. and tell them what he 'had
learned and-be accepted, become an
agent."-
Monico said Kampiles told a Rus-
sian military attache later learned to
be Mike Zavali that he'..could pass on
information. Eventually, Monico said,
a deal was made and Kampiles was
giv i _ 3,000 for some "harmless infor-
Monico said Kampiles went away
with the feeling he "had defeated the
Russians at their own game."
The government contends the 53,000
represented payment for the manual
on the KH-11 (Big Bird) satellite, a
highly developed spacecraft used to
monitor Russian troop movements and
Limitation Treaty. The government
contends Kampiles sold the manual to
the Soviets and has his confession to
back it up.
Monico said the '"confession" . came
'that unless he changed his story
theI one. in which he lived out his
fantasy- - his mother and cousin in::
Greece would be implicated in the
Monico said Kampiles had been with
the CIA long enough to know it would
that a "mole" had infiltrated its intel
ligence network. He described a mold.
before% undertaking his espionage
duties.
Monico said Kampiles had "violated
the "number 1 rule of the intelligence,
-community; people outside the, com-:
munity don't get involved, especially
_ Monico said the"people assigned to,
the CIA and FBI "Russian squads"
decided to-'make an example" of.
Kampiles.
According to Monico, the manual
Kampiles allegedly sold the Russians
would be "worth millions," not
mere$AOJO.