FORMER CIA OFFICIAL CLAIR GEORGE INDICTED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-01448R000401910001-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 22, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 6, 1991
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP99-01448R000401910001-3
RADIO N REPORTS, INC.
4701 WILLARD AVENUE, CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND 20815 [phone]
PROGRAM The Ten O'Clock News STATION WTTG-TV
DATE September 6, 1991 10:00 P.M. CITY Washington, D.C.
SUBJECT Former CIA Official Clair George Indicted
RON GARDNER: Here in Washington, a federal grand jury
has charged a former top official of the CIA with lying about his
agency's role in the Iran-Contra scandal. Clair George is
calling himself a pawn of political exploitation. And as Channel
5's Ron Talley reports, the indictment comes just one week before
Senate hearings are scheduled on a new Director for the CIA.
RON TALLEY: Clair George, now retired from the CIA
after 33 years, was the spy agency's Deputy Director of Oper-
ations during the sale of arms to Iran and the diversion of those
profits to the Nicaraguan rebels. The grand jury indictment
claims he knew about Oliver North's secret operation to arm the
Contras and lied to both Congress and a grand jury about that, as
well as the CIA's involvement.
CRAIG GILLEN [prosecutor]: The obstruction-of-justice
counts apply to congressional hearings in the fall and winter of
1986, as well as to an obstruction of this grand jury. The false
statements apply to statements made to congressional hearings in
October and December of 1986. And there are perjury charges
charging perjury in December of 1986, as well as in this grand
jury.
TALLEY: From his Bethesda, Maryland home, George
responded cautiously to the charges, leaving all legal questions
to his attorney.
CLAIR GEORGE: My family and I see this as another in a
host of crises which we have had to confront during my years with
the CIA. We prevailed, however, because we knew we were always
pursuing our nation's best interests.
OFFICES IN WASHINGTON D.C ? NEW YORK ? LOS ANGELES ? CHICAGO ? DETROIT ? AND C)THFP PPINC IPAI. CITIES
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP99-01448R000401910001-3
 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP99-01448R000401910001-3
This crisis, this indictment merely makes me a pawn in a
continuous drama of political exploitation. My conscience in
this situation, as in my 33 years of CIA service, is clear. In
the end, I and my service to my country will be vindicated.
TALLEY: George, the CIA's number three man at the time,
served right below Robert Gates, the President's controversial
nominee to be CIA Director. The indictment comes at a bad time
for Gates and the White House, a week before confirmation
hearings, already delayed by charges of a CIA cover-up from
another agency official who's been given immunity. Senators on
the Intelligence Committee and sources within say they expect
George will be called to testify in the Gates confirmation
hearings. They also expect, however, that he'll plead the Fifth
Amendment unless he's offered immunity. And that, we are told,
is not likely to happen.
Gates has repeatedly said that while CIA officials above
him and below him may have known about the Iran-Contra scandal,
he did not.
As for George, if convicted on the ten grand jury
charges, he faces up to 40 years in prison and over $60,000 in
fines.
In Washington, Ron Talley, Fox News.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP99-01448R000401910001-3