STATE DEPT. FIRES AIDE WHO LEAKED CABLE TO PRESS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100130008-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 7, 2012
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: May 17, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100130008-9
BALTIMORE SUN
17 May 1986
State Dept. fires
aide who leaked
cable to press
By Stephens Broening
Washington Bureau of The Sun
WASHINGTON - In a step to
stanch what the secretary of state
calls a "gusher" of government leaks,
the State Department announced
yesterday the firing of an official
who had disclosed classified infor-
mation to the press.
Spokesman Charles Redman said
the leak "involved matters related to
our diplomatic relations. It did not
involve defense secrets." He would
not reveal the name of the offender
or the story he said had been leaked.
Later, administration officials
said the man fired was Spencer C.
Warren, a speech-writer on Secre-
tary of State George P. Shultz's poli-
cy planning staff. Mr. Warren was
not immediately available for com-
ment.
The dismissal followed an inter-
nal State Department investigation
into a leak last month of a diplomat-
ic cable from Frank Ortiz, U.S. am-
bassador to Argentina. In the cable
to the State Department, the ambas-
sador reportedly complained that
FILE OR v,
House Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill
Jr., D-Mass., and other members of
a traveling congressional delegation
had urged Argentine political leadeia
to condemn Reagan administration
policies in Central America.
In the past, Mr. Redman said, of-
ficials have been fired for leaks. But
diplomats and reporters could recall
no previous case where such a dis-
missal had been made public. Mr'
-
Redman also said he knew of none.
The action yesterday followed by
less than 48 hours a statement by.
Mr. Shultz that "as far as our government is concerned, it's a gusher.
It's disgusting the way stuff leaks
out, and we've got to find the people
who are doing it and fire them."
It appeared to some officials that
the public announcement of the fir
ing was intended to chill relations
between diplomats and reporters.
"The point to be made" by the an-.
nouncement. Mr. Redman said, "is
that he [the dismissed official] made
an unauthorized disclosure of classi-
fied information, and the depart-.
ment intends to deal strictly with:
those kinds of unauthorized disclo-
sures.
Mr. Redman said the official ad-
mitted the leak and apologized to the'
secretary of state for it. He also said"
the departing official did not take a
lie detector test.
Last month a Defense Depart-
ment official. Michael E. Pillsbury,
who was under suspicion for disclos-._
ing classified information to the-
press, was fired after he failed- a
polygraph test, Pentagon officials
said.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100130008-9-