GOP URGED NOT TO RUSH '88 DECEISION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00587R000100600017-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 18, 2011
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: August 22, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/18: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100600017-9
ARTICLE D
ON PM1GE 41 -
WASHINGTON POST
22 August 1985
... denies siti-Buck intentions
GOP Urged -
Not to Rush
'88 Decision
Ex-CIA Man Extols
`Reagan Revolution'
By Dale Russakoff
Washington Poet Staff Writer
Former CIA deputy director Max
Hu el steppe c k into the Polit-
ical spotlight yesterday to announce
that he is organizing a national
grass-roots campaign to dissuade
Republicans from making an ear y
commitment to any of the. 1988
.
presidential hopefuls
Denying that his effort is direc-
ted against Vice President Bush,
who has raised more money than
any other GOP contender, Hugel
said at a news conference that he
aims simply to rally support for
President Reagan's conservative
agenda and "to see that the next
president is a true soldier of the
Reagan revolution."
"I'm a good friend of George
Bush. I was in the CI , he was in
the CUL In my o inion' he's. an ex-
ce ent vice resi ent u e sai .
"In no way should this be construed
as a stop-anyone campaign."
Hu el a millionaire businessman
in 1981 as director of t e
iA'Y covert operations a ter two
former associates made allegations
?o improper stock-trading practices.
4o federal or state authorities
,Ear im wit wron doin .
iaaison for Reagan in 1980 with
ass-roots groups, Hugel has
niiaintained close ties with organize
)rs of grass-roots conservatives,
-and his "Project 88" received warm
welcomes yesterday from two of
them-the National Conservative
Political Action Committee
(NCPAC), which plans a similar
campaign, and direct mail consul-
tant Richard Viguerie, a vocal op-
ponent of Bush.
Viguerie, who questions Bush's
conservatism, said he discussed
Project 88 with Hugel and sees it as
a vehicle for keeping the nomina-
tion from Bush.
A Republican consultant said
Hugel appears to be working on his
own and described him as "a very
wealthy man trying to find a niche
for himself in the political spec-
trum."
Another Republican, Ron Kauf-
man, director of Bush's political
action committee, said, "I really
believe in his heart and soul that
Max Hugel means exactly what he
says. He doesn't want to see pres-
idential politics interfere with the
objectives of Ronald Reagan, and
we're totally in synch with that."
Hugel said he expects the cam-
paign to cost $785,000, but de-
clined to say where or how he
would raise the money.
He said he plans to take his ef-
fort, which he has already begun in
his home state of New Hampshire,
to 15 major primary-election states.
His ultimate goal, he said, is to build
an organization that will endorse a
candidate in 1988.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/18: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100600017-9