CIA WON'T BE ALLOWED TO STUDY FRANK CHURCH PAPERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-00058R000200210016-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2012
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: December 29, 1984
• Content Type: MISC

Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/26 :CIA-RDP87-000588000200210016-4
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Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/26 :CIA-RDP87-000588000200210016-4
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/26 :CIA-RDP87-000588000200210016-4
CIA ~?ON'T BE ALLOWED TO STUDY FRANK CHURCH PAPERS
s`_ STEVE GREEN
t;OISE, IDAHO
Bcise State University has shunned a Reagan administration suggestion that
federal officials look for sensitive information in the papers of the late Idaho
Sin, Frank Church, a school official said Friday.
Church -- whose Senate Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committees
uncovered CIA plots to assassinate Fidel Castro and overthrow the government
of Chile -- donated his private papers to Boise State before he died of cancer
in April.
University Librarian Tim Brown denied a Newsweek report that the school had
f?atly denied a CIA request to study Church's documents to ensure national
security secrets won't be made public.
" No request came so there was no request refused, " Brown said. " No one has
sho~-n any sensitive information is there.
"The Newsweek story makes news where there is none, it is substantially
inaccurate, " he said. " It was never clear that the CIA had much
involvement. "
The Newsweek story, in the magazine's Dec. 31 issue, said the university
balked at the request, and said the CIA and the Reagan Administration are
looking for other ways to gain access to the files.
Brown said Steven Garfinkel, director of the Information Security Oversight
Office -- are arm of the General Services Administration - suggested this fall
that federal agents review the documents to ensure national security information
is not made public. ~
Brown said he did not know if Garfinkel was acting in behalf of the CIA,
and no formal request was made for access to the documents.
The librarian said he told Garfinkel there probably is no sensitive
information in Church's documents, which have yet to be cataloged,
And Erown said he told Garfinkel Boise State would protect the
confidentiality of sensitive documents, if any are found.
" I haven't heard from him since, " he said, adding " I occasionally hear a
rumor that the CIA' is still interested. "
The university could not have allowed federal officials to review the files,
even if the school agreed to the suggestion, Brown said.
" It is not my place to say yea or nea, it will not be for a couple of years,
if people want to look at the papers it IS up to Mrs. (Bethine) Church, who
retains the right to give permission to examine the papers, " he said.
Brawn said he was not aware of any requests from the gavernment to Mrs.
Church for permission to look at the documents.
Continued
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/26 :CIA-RDP87-000588000200210016-4
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/26 :CIA-RDP87-000588000200210016-4
Brown said Senate Historian Richard Baker also is confident no sensitive
information will be found among the estimated two million documents, stored in
-15f~ boxes .
But if sensitive information is discovered, it will be kept secret, he said.
" It is our desire to comply with law and to respect confidential
information, " he said.
He said the university is bound by the agreement under which it received the
papers not to allow the public access to classified information, if any is
found.
Brown also said he has heard the GIA has referred the matter to the
Senate Intelligence Committee.
The boxes -- which are secured in a locked room -- contain speeches,
correspondence, campaign literature and documents on issues ranging from
wilderness to water issues.
The papers will not be cataloged until funds from institutions and
individuals are available to finance the job, Brown said.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/26 :CIA-RDP87-000588000200210016-4