RESEARCH FIRM USED AS CIA FRONT

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP90-00552R000303520010-9
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
1
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
July 23, 2010
Sequence Number: 
10
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
February 4, 1982
Content Type: 
OPEN SOURCE
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PDF icon CIA-RDP90-00552R000303520010-9.pdf46.24 KB
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R0003 A} TIG L APPEAREDr THE FAIRFAX JOURNAL ON Pn~ 4 February 1982 Around the State 03520010-9 Research Firm Use cis CIA Front A former Richmond city council- man and,FBI agent confirms he set up ?a hon business research firm in thp. 1950,9 -that was used by the CIA as a fr it as a patriotic citizen," John E. -Lawler, a former Richmond coun- cilman, told The Richmond News Leader in a story published Tuesday. . Lawler said he began accepting CIA assignments when he retired as spe- cial agent in charge of the Richmond FBI office in 1950 and became an exec- utive of an insurance company. He was on the council from 1956-60. He said he. set up CIA-backed con- cerns iaAfrica, including an airline in Libya: He told the newspaper he was paid only for his expenses. , . Lawler, 73,. ran a phony research or- ganization dubbed the Old Dominion Research Co. that was a ron for a CI remand payroll operation, the newspaper said. The firm, which Lawler operated -during the four years he was a council- man?,--_ fit, the pattern of other CIA- ba-cked-organizations that posed as foundations to pay students and schol- ars abroad to collect intelligence. , , Lawler agreed to the interview after he'donated a large collection of per- sonal papers and documents to Virgin- ia Commonwealth University. One folder in the collection includes applications for overseas research grants or letters from Lawler approv- ing research projects in the Middle- East and Europe,.the paper said.. . Lawler. maintained he never knew much about what went one in the re- .search corporation and what he did-. know he has since forgotten. ~ r "It just vanishes in time," he said. The CIA declined to confirm or deny the News Leader's report.:. Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303520010-9