- mum?I

ME OijeetIohI to DIeclassification in Full 2010/05/21. LOC- 281- 1 -2- 6 I I

THE 

WASHENG TONI 

I 

I CONVERSATIQN 

PARTICIPANTS?I-Preaident FordRichard A?lb?I?SAador Iran
II former CIA Director I

I- John O. Marsh,Ceunee11eIr to the President I
- I Philip W. B11ehen,Couneei to the President 
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE INSTRIUICTIONISIAPPILYII I ?Lt' Gen. Brent Scowero-ft. 1:)er Assistant - 
- to. the President for National Seenrity 11.11111 I

 

 

TIME1 I I I'I'SatIurdIay January 1975 I
1237-100p.m._
II I . I. I The Oval Off1ceThe White II-IqueIe
SUBJECT: jI I. I I Allegations of. CIA. De111ee-tie Aet1v1t1ee

- 1Pree1de11t1ID1ek,ye11 and I have known each otheIrI a long time. I have only

the most admiration for you and for year work. Frankly, We are in a mess.

I want you to tell me whatever you want. I believe the CIA '13 essential to
the country. It has to exist and perform itI'e functions. We will have a; I 
Blne Ribbon Panel look into these charges. I It will inVeeti-gate the domestic-I 
activities of the CIA.Hem?? not add They overlap, 'and you Imy as well get to 
thebottomofit I . I- ..

Preeident: I wiil eene1der it.Seeo11d1y, Iaa?gh. the eon?111115111011 1:111 1130}:

at the Colby report and; thirdly, make recommendations to me. I11: 13 gem'dI II
(1011111113 men. I hope they W111 stay Within their charter; 11111: in 1:111:11 climate, I

we can?t guarantee it. It Would be tragic if I11: went beyond it, the
CIA. needs to remain a strong and viable agency. It would be a ehame if I I I
the peblio uproar forced 1113 to go beyond and to dareag'e the mtegnty automatically aheun'ie what yen did was ??ght unless it's
proved otherwisei125 CijI?Ictibn 26

 

I No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/05/21: LOC?Ihave been in the service 32 years. 'Atthe end all one'IIhas is a

5111111931131? airePuWi-OD 49- if any: I testified'in Watergate: I'didn't I

I dump on President Nixon and I stuck to the truth intend to fight this 
matter. I welcome a Biue Ribbon PanIe1-.' I I 

Al: the base is Congressional oversight No Cengress wants I I
to join hands with the Bay of Pigs, etce?tera: it's bad politicsItheI President's creature.

allegations have been ?made to .Iustice, a lot of dead cats. A A A

.. II Iwill con-1e. out. I intend to. defend myself. don't know eve r?y'thin?g which I

went on in the Agency; maybe no one really does. But I know enough. to
say that if the dead cats Come out, I will participate. I think the mood of 
the country is ghastly..1 feel deeply for you-,- Mr. President. am a i 
.mernber of your team and I don?t intend to IfoulI the nest if I can avoid it.

I The basic allegation that we spied on dissidents stemmed
from the charge to me to discover if there was any foreign connection to
the dissidents. II never permitted any spying on any Congressmen. The

business of the files is ridiculous: if you get a name, of course you make I I

a record and open a file in case it is relevant thereafter.

President: I1 have no. doubt about your?total integrity, and, in fact you did
a good job running the Agency. What we are trying to do is look ?iutodthe
charges and protect the functions of the Agency With a Blue Ribbon group
which will operate responsibly. I hope you understand my position. I You
have my pledge that everything I. do will be straightforward I plan no
witch hunt, but in this env1ronment II don't knew if I can control it. --

Helms: I will help m, Mr. President. I believe in the'Agency .na its I .

miesiori. .. -

?scamixoos 

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