Two Oaths of Richard Helms
In 1973, former CIA director Richard Helms was called to testify before
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as a follow-up to hearings
confirming Helms' nomination as ambassador to Iran. However, the
primary issue of these sessions became the CIA's involvement, under
Helms' leadership, in the 1970 Chilean presidential election, when the
US spent over $800,000 in covert operations, primarily on anti-Allende
propaganda. The questions about Chile presented Helms with an
unforeseen dilemma: by his CIA oath of secrecy Helms was forbidden to
disclose information on covert operations without authorization, but
his testimony before the Foreign Relations Committee was also under an
oath, this one to answer questions presented to him. Which oath took
precedence? If Helms refused to answer questions about Chile, then
guilt on the part of the CIA would be implied. If he did not answer
truthfully, then he risked being convicted of perjury. If he answered
openly, he would violate his oath and his loyalty to the CIA, and could
endanger CIA individuals in Chile. This case raises the issue of both
the committee's and Helms' authority and changes in their authorizing
environments. Is it within the jurisdiction of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee to inquire about the CIA's involvement in Chile?
Does the public have a right to know what the CIA's role was in the
1970 Chilean election? When Helms had served as director of the CIA,
the public had generally not been concerned with CIA covert operations,
and Helms had been accountable only to a joint subcommittee of the
Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, which had
oversight responsibility for covert intelligence operations. But
times--and public opinion regarding covert operations--had changed, and
Helms found himself expected to answer to a new authority. The case
thus demonstrates the need for an acute awareness of shifts in the
authorizing environment and the subsequent revisions that must be made
in the way a job is defined and understood.
Two Oaths of Richard Helms, 5pp+, (C14-83-525.0)
