Documents / FOIA release
This is a Central Intelligence Agency release dated 2025-06-12 under the JFK Act. It collects 1975 newspaper and magazine clippings. They include Mark Harris's New York Times Magazine essay on a UCLA "Conspiracy in America" conference and the conspiracy-theory mindset, a Jack Anderson column on stalled CIA reform, and wire reports of Richard Helms calling CBS newsman Daniel Schorr "Killer" after he testified to the Rockefeller Commission. There is also an essay on power and a publishing item about Philip Agee's book.
“The Iron Skeptic”1 page
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## Helms Denies Assassination Plots by CLA ## By William Greider Former Central Intelligence Agency Director Richard Hines anxiously denied yesterday that the agency was responsible for any foreign assassinations and vented his personal hatterness toward a CBS television correspondent. Helms, now U. S. ambassador to Iran, displayed his strong resentment when he emerged from 32 hours of private questioning by the Rocketelier Commission, which is investigating alleged domestic transgressions by the CIA. CBS correspondent Daniel Schorr, who has broadcast several stories on CIA involvement with assassination plots, was waiting outside the hearing room with other reporters. When Schorr extended his hand, Heims brushed him aside and uttered several insults, "son-of-a-bitch", "killer Schorr" and a sexual epithet. Standing before TV cameras, a few moments later, Helins made it clear that he found the subject of assassinations I am of my Sir Schurge, School did not report that the CTA had carried out assassinations of foreign leaders but that the White House was concerned about possible agency involvement in assassination plots. Another reporter asked if there had been any discussions within the CIA of launching an assassination attempt. Helins' oblique reply suggested that there had. "I don't know whether I stopped beating my wife or you stopped beating your wife." Helms snapped. "In government, there are always discussions of everything under the sun." "Of everything under the sun!" Helms repeated emphatically. "Of assassinations?" the reporter asked again. "You didn't answer my question," the reporter said. Yesterday was Helms' third and longest appearance before the eight-member commission chaired by Vice President Rockefeller. He was also questioned in private for two days last week by the commission's investigative staff. "I'm not trying to answer your question," Helms replied. Secretary of State, Henry A. Sanger, who oversees the CIA as the President's national security adviser, added to appear before the group before it completes its investigation and prepares a final report. Helms denied to reporters did not necessarily rule out the possibility that the CIA had actually considered had actively considered launching assassination attempts or that the agency had launched an attempt that was not successful, such as the altered attempts to kill Cuban Premier Fidel Castro. When reporters pressed him further. Helms replied: "I do not know of any foreign leader that was ever assassinated by the CIA. That's a very simple, direct statement. It's my honest belief and conviction." Were there "discussions of assassination?" "But this government discusses every conceivable matter over the years of every kind of context." Helms protested. "I can't for the life of me understand why it is a matter of great interest to the American public that two men may have sat in the State Department or the Defense Department or somewhere and discussed things that may be unacceptable to the American public."
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 83 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.