MORE ON WIRETAPPING STORY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-260-2-4-6
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: February 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: May 18, 1974
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/02/22: LOC-HAK-260-2-4-6
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DE~ #2687 1381840
O MAY 74 ZFF-.1 ZFF-4 ZYH
FM THE SITUATION ROOM
TO AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
UNCLAS
WH41398
TOHAK 239
F I E D*******S COPY
STAT
STAT
ON-FILE NSC
RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS
APPLY
MAY 18s 1974
PLEASE DELIVER TO BREMER/RODMAN FOR THE SECRETARY
REF: TOHAK 236 AND 238
SUBJECT: MORE ON. WIRETAPPING STORY
MIAMI HERALD CARRIED LONG-ER VERSION OF KNIGHT NEWS SERVICE
WIRETAPPING STORY THAN THAT SENT TO YOU FROM BALTIMORE SUN'. HERALD
VERSION SAME AS SUN BUT CARRIES FOLOWING ADDITIONAL PARAGRAPHS:
BEGIN TEXT:
BY THIS TIME ELLIOT RICHARDSON HAD BECOME ATTORNEY GENERAL AND
WILLIAM RUCKELSHAUS TEMPORARY HEAD OF THE FBI..
THE TWO MADE AN INTENSIVE STUDY OF THE WIRETAP PROGRAM AND DISCUS-
SED IT IN DETAIL BEFORE THE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE IN CONNECTION
WITH KISSINGER'S CONFIRMATION. THIS WAS BEFORE BOTH WERE FIRED BY'
NIXON IN THE FAMOUS SATURDAY NIGHT MASSACRE OF OCTOBER.
IN THEIR TESTIMONY THEY APPEARED TO GIVE KISSINGER A CLEAN BILL OF
HEALTH ON THE WIRETAPS,, ALTHOUGH RICHARDSON?SAIDAT ONE POINT THAT HE
HAD HAD TO RELY ON DR.KISSINGER'S OWN RECOLLECTION OF WHAT OCCURREDs
AS TO WHICH OF COURSE, HE IS A BETTER WITNESS THAN WE ARE.,,
RICHARDSON TOLD THE COMMITTEES "AS BEST CAN BE DETERMINED FROM FBI
RECORDS, OR. KISSINGER'S ROLE INCLUDED EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER LEAKS
OF SENSITIVE MATERIAL AND WHEN THIS CONCERN WAS COUPLED WITH
THAT OF THE PRESIDENT AND TRANSMITTED TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE
FBI , IT LED TO EFFORTS TO STEM THE LEAKS,
WHICH EFFORTS INCLUDED SOME WIRETAPS OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND
NEWSMEN.
"HIS ROLE FURTHER INVOLVED THE SUPPLYING TO THE FBI OF NAMES OF IN
DIVIDUALS IN THE GOVERNMENT WHO HAD ACCESS TO SENSITIVE INFORMATION
AND OCCASIONAL REVIEW OF INFORMATION GENERATED BY THE PROGRAM TO
DETERMINE ITS USEFULNESS.,
HE SAID ANY FURTHER ELABORATION OF KISSINGER'S ROLE WOULD HAVE TO
COME FROM KISSINGER. .
RICHARDSON WAS ASKED BY SEN. J. WILLIAM FULBRIGT (D. ARK.)
PSN:045768 PAGE 01
TOR:138/1705Z DTG:181840Z MAY 74
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/02/22 : LOC-HAK-260-2-4-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/02/22: LOC-HAK-260-2-4-6
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CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE: "DOES IT APPEAR THAT OR. KISSINGER WENT
TO THE PRESIDENT AND ASKED FOR-THESE TAPS?"
RIHARDSON REPLIED: "NO."
FULBRIGHT: "HE DID NOT INITIATE THE IDEA OF ASKING FOR THE
TAPS?"
RICHARDSON: "NO, UNLESS IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE
TOGET-HER THE (FBI) REPORT WHICH UNDERTAKES TO REFLECT WHAT THE
RECORDS SHOW, AND DR. KISSINGER'S OWN RECOLLECTION OF WHAT
OCCURED.
RICHARDSON SAID THAT THERE WERE "REQUESTS FOR WIRETAPS OF
IDENTIFIED INDIVIDUALS, IN ONE CASE BY DR. KISSINGERAND N
TWO INSTANCES BY HIS DEPUTY THEN COL. (ALEXANDER) HAIG."
(HAIG IS NOW WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF.)
THE CONTEXT OF THIS STATEMENT BY RICHARDSN WAS THAT KISSINGER
AND HAIG WERE SUPPLYING NAMES OF PERSONS WHn WERE KNOWN TO.HAVE
ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN A PROGRAM THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY OUT OF
THEIR HANDS.
THE WHITE HOUSE HAS SAID THAT MATERIAL DELETED FROM TRANSCRIPTS
MADE PUBLIC BY NIXON WAS MATERIAL NOT RELATED TO WATERGATE.
JUDGE JOHN SIRICA HOWEVER APPARENTLY BELIEVED THAT THESE
PARAGRAPHS WERE RELATED TO WATERGATE IN A BROAD SENSE BECAUSE
IT WAS HE WHO SENT THE TAPE OF THE FEB. 28 CONVERSATION TO THE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
JUDGE SIRICA ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD REMOVED EVERYTHING FROM THE
TAPES SENT TO THE COMMITTEE THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE WAS RELEVANT
TO THE WATERGATE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
END OF TEXT.
574,
PSN:048768 PAGE 02 OF 02 TOR:138/17:05Z DTG:1818401 MAY 74
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/02/22: LOC-HAK-260-2-4-6