(foa-tovta-toats - [ress] _ at t ¢ Pd ete Chief, Fmployee Activity Branctt/P3D/0S 3 October 1956 John F, Meredith [frees - Clearance of Affidavit 1. Reference is made to Subject's memorandum dated 17 September 1956 informing this Office that she intended to submit an affidavit in connection with a divorce suit instituted by ; it cien Conein against his present wife, Mrs. Carmen Conein. Subject attac @ Copy of the substarce of the information which she would provide in her affidavit in support of Mrs. Conein's action in contesting the divorce. 2. It was ascertained from Mr. Rarrison, Clearance Branch, Personnel Security Division, that there is a current security action concerning Subject under Fxecutive Order 10450, the ques= tionable information which brought about F. 0. 10450 processing being concerned with Subject's sister's associations, rather than her own. 3. A review of Major Conein's file (#5025) discloses that Conein is a regular Army officer who has been assigned to this Agency for a number of years. He is presently on home leave after a Far Fastern tour and the Office of Security has been advised that Coreir will probably be returned to the Army in October, 1956, in order to serve two years to complete twenty years service. After his A-~y retirement, there is a possibility that he will be con- sidered for assignment to this Agency as a staff esployee. Conein's file contains no record of his most recent marriage, i.e., his mactisge to Carmen Conein, It is noted that Mr. Myers, Clearance Braze:, Personnel Security Division, has been instructed to develop infa~ration concerning Conein's present spouse inasmuch as it was lea>-ed indirectly that Conein is married at present. &~ A search of Office of Security indices in the name of Cam=ex Conein revealed that this person who is Major Conein's wil, is the subject of File #28995 and was a CIA employee until her ==signation in October, 1951. Her file reflects that she mas—.ai Major Conein in Germany in December, 1948. =. On 28 September 1956 I contacted Subject intending to ady=.se her that there would be no security objection to her sub= mitatmg an affidavit in support of Mrs. Conein's contesting of the ==vorce action brought by her husband provided that she does CONFIDENTIAL
14-00000 an CONFIDENTIAL not indicate her employment as CIA in the affidavit. I learned , from Subject that she had already subaitted an affidavit and that she had not ment r present employment therein. Subject stated thes[omurdty Officer, FI Staff, had inforned her that she could subsit the affidavit, but that she should advise the Office of Security as a matter of information. Subject described Kajor Conein es a very unscrypulous-persen-enmd mentioned that Conecin wants to prove that his wife, Carmen, has established reaidence elsewhere and will not live with him. He will try te deny that he has resided in the Washington area, although she and other persons, including a realty agent who sold their present home to the “Major and his wife, can testify toe the contrary, Sub- ject mentioned that Carmen Conein is now employed by the National ' Security Agency. 6. I instructed Subject to contact this Office for appropriate briefing in the event that she is called upon to appear in court in connection with the Conein divorce matter, She agreed to do this, but expressed the opinion that there would be no need for her to appear in this case. 7. It should be noted that technically speaking Major Conein should kave-notified the Office of Security relative to his intention to file suit for divorce, however, circumstances indicate that he has not returned to Headquarters since completion of his recent Far Eastern tour and that the divorce action apparently was initiated within the past month or two during the Major's home leave. In view of the fact treat Conein has natural cover as an Army officer so that no publicity te CIA would result from his divorce action, and in view of the probability that he will return to the Army this month for a tvo year tour, it ia believed that no further action is necessary by this Branch. In view of the current interest by the Clearance Branch, Personnel Security Division in regard to the identity of Subject's spouse, it is suggested that this memorandum be forwarded to the attention of John Myers of Clearance Branch. John F, Meredith 0S/JFM mab Distributions Original & 2 — OS Files 1 = FAB File 1 — Chrono, CORFIDENTIAL