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. Ate teg. ec. AD-Adm, Exec. AD-LES____ Asst. Dir: Adm. Servs, Crim. Inv. Went. Inteil. Laberstory __. Lega! Coun... Plan & insp. Rec. Mgnt, Tech. Servs. Training Public Affs. Off. Telephone Rm. Director's Sec’y__ } : ; ‘ we ey ae 3 pees 4" . a Sd 2 oy + Dy ane Fai f i : . Nest . ~ a - ’ _ 2 te, ae . : S z 4 - i Director | William H. Webster bail a res _ Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington, D.C. ; _ February 7) 1980 Attorney-General Benjamin R. civizetts ca a—uer a ee Department of Justice ee aL , . Dear 1 Mr, “cae 2 FL Ve pashan a | Recent public: reports of Federal Bureau of Investigation exploits 8 in “the so-called | a jj Abseam" affair leave me both incredulous and deeply disturbed. If the charges are = -- ° . -itrue, they constitute a serioue and confidence-shattering indictment of several. jot our elected officials. I am outraged by "influence peddling for cash" en- . gaged in by public offieials. Of eourse, such charges must be proved and past press allegations make me less than certain that they will hoid up ins an un- rejudiced court of Law. St lo e eeu ~ x pr 2 anaes a. Pe. ~ My letter, however, comes s not to discuss the alleged ‘crimes which have been de=" ‘tailed in the press. My outrage today concerns the scandalous behavior of the |Federal Bureau of Investigation. (To be fair, I probably should say "the scan- aan, idalous behavior of some Bureau personnel or units*® but, unless those persons or fe | units are properly and publicly identified, Teprimanded and punished, the whole - Bureau stands condemned. ) ‘The Bureau's methods seem to me to be clearly illegal “entrapment,” worthy of ,°~ ‘the worat of the McCarthy era's belief that our government organs need to be, ; '[111ega and unfair to fight illegality and unfairness, The American Civil a Herties Union seems to be entirely correct in its Allegations c of . entrapment ., Sffair, in question, | bee Boat Bes So J wo | _ ‘Further, the trial by” press, the ‘divulging of favebtigatory: information to the _ {public media, reminds me of the F.B.I. excesses during the latter years of the ..”.. "3, Edgar Hoover suzerainty. Those days were often marked by what appeared to be — ja greater concern for the welfare, reputation and public adulation of the Bureau ° jthan with any regard for the best interests of the country and the protection of . - ‘jthe United States principles of justice such ag “innocent until proven guilty." ‘|I am, indeed, outraged at the “trial by press." Our traditions and laws do not. - grant the Bureau any such right even in the face of. the. acknowledged reluctance. ; & the ‘legislative bodies .to police. their own menbers” oF to guarantee that they ehave jecally and ethtoally. ; 7 - : “Blected officiate 7 ‘are ‘terribly _yyinerable 6 pbugeyy « aired allegations as Sen ‘ator Joseph R. McCarthy 8o ably fllustrated. © A-politic 18 geareer can be * |: : destroyed by Phin _ charges from official quarters even ix ‘¢hos¢: icharges do not: ihave a single scintillaiof $rut fH jte. theme. . Such may be the result of the trial. -. | “by press in the “ ‘Abacam affair. oe | So ap DERO 05-128 aly mG ; Pa 1960 bleed ainerene ener emerpprmnarm~iting sen oor 200 —mrranret er etme 7 eat Te 2 ee eee i a a a a a SN A a RT TE AS see peer eee ae ow