THE ART OF THE LEAK

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100070039-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 9, 2012
• Sequence Number: 39
• Publication Date: July 1, 1979
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/09: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100070039-2
THE \VASHI\GTO\ MONTHLY
July/August 1979
by Joseph Nocera
When Irwin Arieff first came. to his sensibilities, and he thought that a
Washington nearly six years ago lot of FEO regulations were rigged to
looking for work, the only thing he help the companies at the expense of
could find was a position in the press the consumer. So after a few months, :
office of the newly-created Federal Arieff forgot about playing the loyal
Energy Office. Arieff is now a reporter; press agent, and instead assumed a role
for Congressional Quarterly, and had he felt much more comfortable in: he
wanted a reporting job then, but none began to leak.
was available, so he took the job at the As a minor press officer, Arieff
FEO, figuring he could learn some- wasn't privy to much of what went on
thing about energy and make enough in the upper echelons of the agency, but
contacts in the process to find a job he he did his best with what he had. When
preferred. a friend on Capitol Hill would call to !
Asa press officer, the bulk of Arieff's get some facts and figures for an
work was supposed to be writing, press' upcoming hearing, Arieff would sup-
releases. But because energy was such a ply him with what he wanted, and then
new issue, so poorly understood by just volunteer a little nugget intended to,
about everyone, he spent most of his embarrass FEO at the hearing. Other;
time on the phone, talking to reporters, times he would leak proposed regula-
congressional aides, and lobbyists of tions. Once he wrote a lengthy press
various persuasions, helping them release explaining how a whole series;
decipher FEO regulations and explain- of new regulations would mean a
ing how FEO decisions would affect substantial increase in the price of oil.
things like the price of crude oil and the The press release was killed by Simon,
supply of natural gas. and Arieff was told that nothing was to
At first, Arieff performed his job the! be put out on the new rules. That
way he thought his superiors wanted angered him, so on his lunch break,
him to. He wrote-releases that accentu-i Arieff took a copy of the release to a
ated the upbeat and buried the nega-; friend at The Wall Street Journal.
tive, and in his dealings on the phone, Washington is a place full of people,
he answered questions truthfully but; like Arieff, who leak-and full of!
cautiously, never volunteering infor-' reporters who encourage them. Leak-;
mation that reflected poorly on the ' ing, of course, goes on anywhere there:
FEO unless he had to. But before too is a newspaper and a city hall, but in.
Iona he began to have second thoughts Washington the volume of leaks is
about his role in the FEO press office. ! immense, and the course of govern-;
He started to see the agency, and ment business is regularly influenced as
particularly its head, William Simon, a_result of leaks. Every day stories are,
as pro-oil company, which offended, written in Washington containing;
information attributed to "sources" or
Joseph Nocera is an editor of The "informed Washing Washington Monthly. He was assisted in sources" or .~administration
the research for this article by Walter i officials" or "critics." Oftentimes, there
Jacob. are stories based on "documents;
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/09: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100070039-2