HOWARD HUNT'S LETTER TO GENE FODOR
Originator: CIA
From: CHIEF, CCS/COB
To: MFR
Document date: 01/24/1975
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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104-10105-10298

2023 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 19925-056/

$9275.0316

Executta Regist?

35-4/70

24 January 1975

MEMORANDUM FOR: THE RECORD

SUBJECT

: Howard Hunt's Letter to Gene Fodor

To

Attached hereto is a notestrom Gene fodor submitting a copy

ot a letter he received from Howard

Hunt relative to the New York Times

story which identified Gene Fodor as a CIA agent.

2.

In a telephone conversation during the week of 13 January

1975 with CCS/COB, Gene Fodor reported receipt of the letter and

expressed his desire to write an answer to Mr. nunt.

It is Mr. Fodor's

opinion that the answer should point out to Mr. Hunt that the release

of such information could do great harm to Mr. Fodor's relatives in

Czechoslovakia.

This same theme is repeated in Mr. Fodor's trans-

mittal letter where he asks for an Agency opinion on how to proceed.

3. In answer to Mr. Fodor, CCS/COB telephoned him on 23 January

and gave the opinion that a simple acknowledgment letter was the best

course of action if he insisted upon giving some type of answer to

Mr. Hunt.

CCS/COB discouraged Mr. Fodor in his answer to Mr. Hunt

from dealing with any of the subjects raised in Mr. Hunt's letter,

and Mr. Fodor made the comment that perhaps a simple sterile acknow-

ledgment would suffice. It is CCS/COB's opinion that he will proceed

along those lines.

4. Mr. Fodor is concerned about possible testimony before a

Senate committee, as suggested in Mr. Hunt's letter.

He says that

he has forgotten a number of facts about his Agency relationship,

and wonders if he will have an opportunity to review files or receive

a briefing in the event that he must testify. Ces/cob sald that we

would have to deal with that whole problem at such time as he was

called to testify.

5. Mr. Fodor has received inquiries from many places in the

world where his books are read and sold, and he claims that his

cooperation with the Agency has already been announced on the radio

in Czechoslovakia.

This latter fact is of great concern to him

because he fears. that something will happen to his relatives in

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that country. One favorable note is that the British owners of his

company do not seem to be exercised or upset about the news release.

William H. Koehler

Chief, CCS/COB

Attachment: h/w.

13 Jan 75 letter from

Howard Hunt & Fodor's note

CCS/COB/WHKoehler:db

Distribution:

Orig - DDO then return to C/CCS and CCS/COB

1 - FODOR File (201-234047)

1 - Chrono

1 - Reading Board

2

SUGALL

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80X 784

LITCHFIELD, CONNECTICUT 06759

OFFICE OF THE EDITOR

(203) 407-3784

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HOWARD HUNT

13 January 1975

Mr. Eugene Fodor

Litchfield, Connecticut

Dear Mr. Fodor:

I want you to know that I greatly regret the em-

barrassment caused you by the New York Times' revelation

of my executive session testimony given in confidence to

the Ervin Committee more than a year ago. Senator Baker

and Minority Counsel Thompson gave me assurances that I

was authorized to reveal classified CIA matters to the

Select Committee, and I did so on the assumption that the

testimony would not be publicly revealed.

A UPI story of today's date quotes you as stating

that you and I never met, or had any dealings, and that of

course is not accurate.

Unless the Agency has destroyed the files of all CIA

projects with which I was involved there should be a re-

cord of at least one meeting between you and me at a CIA

safe office in Washington's Barr Building'. I mention this

by way of refreshing your memory, for I expect that both of

us may be summoned before the CIA Investigating Committee

within the near future.

Again, it was not my desire that you suffer in any

way because of your relationship with CIA and our late

mutual friend, Charlie. Leaking classified information is

both illegal and reprehensible whether done by Daniel

Ellsberg or a Senate Committee staff member; it also seems

to be a non-prosecutable offense, particularly when the

recipient is the New York Times.

sincerely.

CC :

William A. Snyder, JI., Esq.

Baltimore, Maryland

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