‘404-10103-10042 , £6 Fiuls (2, fee TE 21 February 1974 os MEMORANDUM EOR THE RECORD SUBJECT: Watergate~-Frank A. O'Malley “41. At-3 p.m. on the afternoon of 19 February L974, 0 Mr. Frederick N. Evans and Lawrence J. Howe interviewed. Mr. Frank A. O'Malley at his residence, 6419 Lakeview ‘ Drive, Falls Church, Virginia. . Mr. O'Malley retired .. > from this Agency in June of 1972. Prior to retirement .. _ Mr. O'Malley was an officer in the External Employment ’ Assistance Branch, Retirement Activities Division of ae the Office cf Personnel. It was Mr. O'Malley's function | to assist personnel retiring from this Agency in finding - / post-retirement employment. In this capacity Mr. O'Malley ~—. had been instrumental in the placement of Mr. E. Howard. © Hunt in the Robert R. Mullen public relations firm. The purpose of this interview was to attempt to. determine if additional information could be developed from Mr. O'Malley with regard to the placement of Mr. Hunt with the Mullen - 2. Mr. O'Malley began the interview by recalling , the nature of his past Agency associations both with Mr. Hunt and the Mullen.Company. Mr. O'Malley stated that . . prior to assuming his responsibilities in the Office of Personnel he had served with Central Cover Staff in the area dealing with the funding of covert action projects. — In this capacity he had become familiar with the acti-~ vities of Mr. Hunt while Mr. Hunt functioned on the Covert Activities Staff primarily in the propaganda field. Mr. O'Malley stated that he first came in contact with, the Mullen Company when he was attempting to find an organi- - zation to handle the public relations effort of a covert Agency activity known as the Free Cuba Committee. Mr. O'Malley related that he had arranged this cover through the Christianform Organization and that his duties in- volved all aspects of the funding of this activity. Mr. . - O'Malley described the nature of his working relationship =. | RETURN To CIA. ackground Use Only Do Not Reproduce
14-00000 a rs oe : . . a . Oo with Mr. Robert R. Mullen as being close and cordial. Mr. O'Malley stated that. Mr. Mullen was in the habit — of confiding to him information concerning other Mullen business contacts and projects. In response to a specific question, Mr. O'Malley stated that during the period of his contact with the Mullen Company dealing with the Free Cuba Committee, Mr. Mullen told him the | Howard Hughes Organization was a client of the concern. 3. Mr. O'Malley reiterated his previous statements a that Mr. Hunt was referred to his office for placement . assistance through the Office of the Executive Director, °.. then Colonel L. K. White. mr. O'Malley stated that in oF view of Mr. Hunt’s interests in the public relations field, it was thought advisable to put Mr. Hunt in touch - with Mr. Robert Mullen for the purpose of gaining the —. benefit of Mr. Mullen's guidance.: Mr. O'Malley recalled, after the initial meeting, Mr. Mullen mentioned having 'met Mr. Hunt some years previously in Paris, France. Mr. O'Malley's office arranged interviews with various: _ Organizations including Reader's Digest and the Kennecott ' Copper Company. Through the offices of the Mullen Company _ an interview was arranged with the General Foods Corpora- tion, a Mullen client. Mr. O'Malley stated there was — disappointment that Mr. Hunt had been unsuccessful in. "selling himself during any of these interviews. and that no job offers had resulted. In response to a question as to whether or not executive level interest was still being shown in Mr.:- Hunt's post-employment placement, . Mr. O'Malley recalled that Mr. Richard Helms, then Director of Central Intelligence, was listed as a charac-. = .- ter reference on Mr. Hunt's resume and that Mr. Helms © Signed a letter of recommendation to the Kennecott Copper Company on Mr. Hunt's behalf. Mr. O'Malley recalled being contacted in the last month of Mr. Hunt's Agency service by . Mr. Mullen, who stated that a decision had been. made to 7 .€xpand their operations. In view of this expansion, Mr. Mullen had decided he would himself offer Mr. Hunt a job. Mr. Mullen had stated that he was interested in having Mr. . Hunt begin work immediately. However, Mr. O'Malley re- called that Mr. Hunt completed retirement formalities and actually started work for the Mellen Company approximately a week to 10 days later. .
14-00000 0% 4. Mr. O'Malley stated that contact was maintained © with Mr. Hunt while at the Mullen Company on a continuing basis, because Mr. O'Malley was interested in Mr. Hunt for possible referral of other’Agency retirees. Mr. : O'Malley also understood that there was Cover and Con- mercial Staff interest in the’ Mullen Company, and that Mr. Hunt became instrumental in discussing several aspects of the cover operations in his capacity as.an officer of ‘the company. Mr. O'Malley recalled referring various . Agency officers to Mr. Hunt for guidance when these indi- viduals: expressed an interest in entering the public Co relations field. Mr. O'Malley did recail disappointment. in feeling Mr. Hunt had generally been less helpful on .. these occasions. an | he 5. Mr. Hunt contacted Mr. O'Malley on several occasions ~~: requesting referral of retiring Agency employees with | mo, specific qualifications. These instances occurred apparent~ ly after Mr. Hunt had assumed his responsibilities with the White House. In one instance Mr. Hunt requested re- - . ferral of a recently retired Agency secretary. As in previous memoranda and discussions, Mr. O'Malley was unable to recall the name of this individual. He did, however, - State that he is quite certain Mr. Hunt turned down the individual whom he referred. As a point of clarification, Mr. O'Malley said that this individual had not previously been known to Mr. Hunt, nor had she previously worked for him in any capacity. Mr. O'Malley also recalled a request from Mr. Hunt for an individual having skills in the area d surreptitious entry. A resume of - ; Mr. | was provided to Mr. Hunt at that time. -- it is Mr. O'Malley's recollection that Mr. Hunt specifically ~ Stated that a person with Mr. qualifications was needed in connection with a requiremént of the Howard | Hughes Organization in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr. O'Malley stated the opinion that it was his impression that the cuties involved would include the monitoring of a listening device in an undisclosed location.. Mr. O'Malley reiterated “his understanding that Mr.[ aia not dccept Mr. Hunt's effer of employment. | a 6. Mr. O'Malley then recalled request from Mr. Hunt . for .a recommendation of a security service organization — to carry out an electronic countermeasures "sweep." Mr. O'Malley recommended the Wackenhut Corporation. Mr. . és ¢ # Gl
14-00000 ‘O'Malley recalled that Mr. Hunt expressed dissatisfaction with that suggestion in part because of what Mr. Hunt Viewed as that firm's political orientation. Mr. O'Malley did not elaborate further on that remark. Mr. O'Malley then suggested the use of Anderson Security Consultants % Incorporated, Mr. O'Malley stated that insofar as this organization was advertised in the yellow pages and that -Mr. Hunt could be assured of the reliability of the ser- vices, he felt this to be a reasonable suggestion. - Mr. O'Malley stated that during a subsequent phone call when _ _Mr. O'Malley asked how his suggestion had worked out,” Mr. Hunt responded, "Yes, they had done a fine job."  ° .. At this point Mr. O'Malley was asked whether or not fron .- his associations with Mr. Hunt he felt Mr. Hunt was in — the habit of making glib comments which were not neces- sarily accurate in order to pass over a subject. Mri}. - O'Malley stated that this was categorically so. He said | he was sure that Mr. Hunt had lied to him on a number of .. occasions and that,therefore, he was in no position to -be sure that Mr. Hunt had actually, in fact, used the oo services of Anderson Security Consultants. Mr. O'Malley volunteered the opinion that he suspected the électronic on countermeasures "sweep" was to be carried out in the offices.’ of the Committee to. Re-elect the President... - | : #: -In response to a question das to whether he had — ever referred anyone to McCord Associates, Mr. O'Malley ; replied that he remembered having referred Walter Brayden, °: Mr. Brayden for a time acted as bodyguard to Mrs. Martha ~~ Mitchell. As an aside Mr. O'Malley mentioned that Mr.- Brayden had refused to carry a firearm in spite of the - _ fact that Mr. McCord told him he could do.so on the author- ity of the Attorney General. Asked specifically if he had - ever referred either William Shea or Teresa Shea to Mr... ~ McCord, Mr. O'Malley stated that he did not recall. specif£- ically referring Teresa Shea and that he was sure that he had not referred William Shea to him. So, contrary to - previous statements, it is now Mr. O'Malley's belief that in all probability Mrs. Shea was not referred by this Agency to Mr. McCord. ot
14-00000 vo s. 1 ning to wr. o'ariey's Bhious responsibilities | in coordinating funding for the covert action activities | of Nr. E. Howard Hunt, the issue was raised as to whether ‘or not the funding of Mr. Hunt's projects continued between July 1965 and September 1966 while Mr. Hunt was a contract employee stationed at Madrid, Spain. Mr.: O'Malley recalled that at the time of Mr. Hunt's assignment to Madrid the statement disseminated for consumption within the Agency was that Mr. Hunt was retiring. Mr. O'Malley stated that this was not generally believed. Mr. O'Malley was quite - certain that during this period his office handled no project funding for Mr. Hunt. In response to Specific — question Mr. O'Malley stated that on Mr. Hunt's return to Lee staff employment the projects and funding which stopped in -. July 1965 were again resumed. Mr. O'Malley was not aware | - of any project names. or funding mechanisms or post-assignment— - accountings in connection with Mr. Hunt's activities in : ee Madrid. , , ne oo \ Mic Frederick N. / Lawrenéd J. Howe Ry gee