HELMS, AIDE PROBED ON SECURITY LEAKE WASHINGTON POST 5 AUG 1986

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP91-00561R000100160044-6
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
7
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
February 23, 2012
Sequence Number: 
44
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
August 5, 1986
Content Type: 
MEMO
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PDF icon CIA-RDP91-00561R000100160044-6.pdf761.73 KB
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Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6 Helms, Aide Probed on Security Leak Intelligence Panel Sought FBI Inquiry; Senator. Denies Charge By Joanne Omang Washington Post Staff Writer The FBI, at the request of the Senate Select Committee on Intel- ligence, is, investigating "a potential violation" of national security se- crets by either an aide to Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) or the senator him- self regarding U.S. intelligence- gathering capability in Chile, com mittee officials said yesterday. A State Department spokesman quoted Elliott Abrams, assistant secretary of state for inter-Amer- ican affairs, as saying there was "no indication Helms was personally responsible for any breach of secu- rity, or even that he was aware of it, but that's why you investigate." Two sources close to the probe said it has focused principally on Christopher Manion, Helms' aide on the Foreign Relations Committee. The sources added that Helms had not been ruled out as a suspect. Helms heatedly denied the charge, telling reporters it was "a smear campaign" by the State De- partment and the Central Intelli- gence Agency. He accused Abrams of "a deliberate falsehood" in spark- ing the probe. Manion, the brother of Daniel A. Manion, recently con- firmed as a federal appeals court judge, could not be reached for comment last night. In a formal statement, Sens. Da- vid R. Durenberger (R-Minn.) and Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), respec- tively chairman and vice chairman of the intelligence committee, said the committee had "received infor- mation that there had been a poten- tial violation" of the law that bars disclosure of classified information held by a senator or Senate em- ploye or officer. Abrams' spokesman said Abrams had "mentioned" the alleged secu- rity violation to Durenberger dur- ing "a chance encounter at a social event." Without mentioning Helms or Chile, the statement said the coin- mittee had asked the Justice De- partment to investigate and that the results would be turned over to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. The Justice Department refused to comment. See CHILE, A16, Col. 3 Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6 SEN. JESSE HELMS CHRISTOPHER MANION ... accuses Abrams of "falsehood" ... said to be focus of FBI inquiry. , CHILE, From Al the dead ..of night and made those charges I am, saying Elliott An'- intelligence'. committee Abrams committed a :deliberate spokesman said the statement had, falsehood, knowing it to be a lie," been issued in response to a report; Abrams' spokesman. said Abrams in Sunday's New York. Times about' had neither lied nor leaked anything a probe involving Helms and Chile. to the news media. Sources close to_ the investigation Helms said the State Department said the alleged security leak in- and the CIA "want to silence me, volved a U.S.-ability to monitor in- they want to intimidate me, they sternal communications of thewant to harass me, and it's not go- Chilean armed forces, through ing to'work," He has long claimed which officials had.., reportedly ( that independent fact-finding mis- learned unreported details of the sions.by. him and his staff have pro- July 6 burning death of a: Washing- . duced better information than dip- ton resident, Rodrigo Rojas,, 19, in lomats or--agents normally obtain, ? an antigovernment demonstration. and that they feel threatened by his Government troops have been ac criticisms of their performance. cused of Rojas' murder. "Is -it a smear campaign? -Of The technology had also allowed course it is. If they can't beat you unspecified contact with the grow- into the ground, they smear you ing opposition to President Augusto into the ground," Helms said.. "I Pinochet within the Chilean armed don't know anything about any, co- forces, the sources said. The FBI , vert . mission and Elliott Abrams began its , inquiry July' '18, the'_ ,knows that sources added. Intelligence sources said CIA. Di- Helms visited Chile and met with rector ,William J. Casey . had been Pinochet- the week after Rojas' angered.,: by, the. reported security death, taking along his wife and per- breach but did not want to clash sonar- -'aides Deborah DeMoss; "directly with Helms by ordering his James Lucier and Clifford A. , own investigation. Kiracofe Jr. Manion, who was not They said Secretary of State on the trip, has traveled. to Chile George P. Shultz had been "furious" many . times in the past. One staff when Helms praised Pinochet's member said the five-day visit was government during his visit. there financed . by, the .-Chilean. National and criticized U.S.. Ambassador Agriculture Society and not by U.S. Harry G. Barnes. Jr.:for' attending taxpayers. of us [on the trip], includ- Rojas' funeral.,. Abrams told a House subcommit- ing the senator, had access to any . tee hearing that Helms' remarks classified information on Chile. were "indefensible" :and said later There was no hearing, no briefing, that Helms was "completely iso- no documents, no nothing. We had . lated" in his defense of Pinochet. He nothing to leak, period," the staff had previously criticized Helms' member said. ;. charges that. the governments of Helms made a surprise visit to Mexico and Panama are involved in the Senate press gallery yesterday' .corruption and drug traffic. to deny he had leaked anything to the Chileans. "It was Elliott Ab Staff writers Mary Thornton and rams" , who . started the - probe, Patrick E. Tyler contributed to this Helms said. "He crept q here in report Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6 Helms, Aide Pr~bed.on Leak Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100160044-6 toe?t5oy "F ~g ?^o~wo o m ~cc0oy7 `' ,,~5.y ~t77' p~R'4~a:R~ v ?- ~ Ai y cD '., ~ D.~ ~ r. fD ?~~ fo fD 0 w Gt7 Xi 'n ~ SL ~~r? c Hao ~~?' ? coo y xvwi c?o n~ y y.? y`~ y z 5 0 C10 y ?p;~AOyy7a~ oo.^o?.~?a^ano t o7i?S.~ oVO~ c^m mw oo o~c Iwo wm`~ ~~?^aYwb^ra0?tom 0 0 0 2.:3 ID afD ~o ~ ID" ~ ???a o to ^ av~^ a o,.,oI-ya9 c~~~ goo^^~i ~l0?rf ~ 8 o ' 'r8 >r~a8 UU ^ ~-^ CDcDCOS'oCa ~ o47oKo Sa~(o"Jb''YCND"?+.0~ ywr" ~~~;~~~` R ~f?DtD^O.W~DC~O o