U.S. CLOSES PROBE OF CIA CRITIC AGEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100080006-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 17, 2007
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: March 22, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

,tUZ7-ICL1APPTmARLF~5r Release 2007/04/17: CIA-RDP99-00498R00 100080006-0 STAT
ON 1'AGX3 --/ ~ ' THE WASHINGTON POST
22 March 1977
The Justice Department has closed Its iri esti;a-
tlon of former Central Intelligence Agency em-_
ployee Philip B. F. Agee and told him -lie-is free to
return from England without facing prosecution for,
disclosing CIA secrets, a department -spokesman
said yesterday.'
The decision was made Friday by the new head of
the Criminal Division, Benjamin I:..Civiletti, a. day
after he conferred with Agee's=attorneys: Several
weeks ago Civiletti's predecessor, Richard L. Thorn- -
burgh, had informed Agee that he might be charged--
for disclosure- of classified material _in his boot.
"Inside the Company: CI.,. Diary. =
The book was highly critical of.the--CIA'and're-
vealed much detail. about its Latin American pro-
j ects.
Civiletti said his decision reflected*no chance inj
policy regarding enforcement of the espionage act.
Rather, he said, the investigation had reached a log -
ical end without producing .,round for prosecution..
Agee,. 41, has been living. in..England since 11472
but faces possible deportation from- that country for
unspecified reasons of national security.
Agee's attorneys said it was not certain whether
he would return.to live in the United States, but he
would like to lecture here-and "take part in the de-
bate over the future role of intelligence agencies."
Agee is said to be working on a second book critical
of the CIA.
A CIA spokesman said the agency was -"upset"at
the Justice Department's decision because it consti-
tutes evidence that the nation does not have ade-
quate laws to prevent the disclosure of secret infor-.
oration..
CIA,.Director Stansfield Turn'er'saiid in =a- CBS
television interview Sunday that` he is weighing
steps to curb such disclosures, including a possible
campaign for new laws.
Some CIA figures have claimed that Agee's book
jeopardized not only the agency's' projects- but the
Itves of. operatives in Latin-America. Agce count-.-
ered that he was providing a public service by alert-
ing the nation to clandestine activities that were it
legal or improper. ?. r,