PROPOSED U.S. LETTER OF APOLOGY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-01208R000100230077-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 22, 2011
• Sequence Number: 77
• Publication Date: August 18, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/22 : CIA-RDP9O-01208ROO0100230077-4
THE NEW YORK TIMES
18 August 1977
STAT
Proposed U. S. Letter, of Apology
Following is the Department of to prosecute certain individuals en-
Justice's proposed apology to plaintiffs gaged in mail-opening activities, that
whose, mail had been opened by the the opening of mail, such as yours,
Central Intelligence Agency in, a would be unlawful and would be vigor-
1953-73 domestic project,, as sent yes- ously prosecuted. if undertaken today.
terday to Federal Judge Jack B. Wein- This finding, which is set forth in a
stein in Brooklyn: public document continues to be the
Dear position of the Department of Justice
regard, I can assure you that adequate And, as you can understand, any
expressed distress at this intrusion into from 1953 to 1973 is, of course, a ques-
your private correspondence. In this lion for the courts to decide
result of the interference with your
mail.
We .understand 'that, as a result of
these mail-opening activities, you have
The purpose of this letter is to ex today,
tend, to you -the sincerest regrets of the The. Attorney General also concluded
United States Government for any that it cannot be said with any certain-
the future.
As you may know, Executive- Oiler
11905 withdrew any prior authoriza-
tion for C.I.A. mail-opening programs
and expressly prohibits the `opening of
mail or examination of covers of mail
statement by the Government- concern-
-ing this issue could be expected to serf
ously color the outcome of a number
of law suits which are currently pend-
ing against the United States as well
as present and former Government offi-
-cials who may have- been connected
with. the program.
It -is our hone however that the ef-
except in accordance with applicable - - forts 'of the Government to preclude
statutes and regulations.' No statute the possibility of a repetition of this
or regulation -authorizes the C.I.A. to conduct will, to some extent, restore
open-mail. your. trust in the integrity. of our free
In addition, the ; Attorney? Geperal ? -. institutions.. , ; , 3, ; ,
found in, arriving at his decision not ' Very truly yours.
in the United States postal channels,
ty at. at the time the mail-opening
activities were undertaken, they were
performed under any legal authority.
. The ultimate legality or illegality of
the mail-opening program as it existed
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/22 : CIA-RDP9O-01208ROO0100230077-4