Helms Wants to Know if CIA Was Watching Him
Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) has asked the FBI to investigate whether the CIA tapped his telephone or put him under surveillance during his trip to Chile last month, it was disclosed today.
Helms released a letter, dated Aug. 5, in which he formally asked Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III to order the investigation of the CIA and the National Security Agency.
A Justice Department spokesman confirmed Meese had received the letter but said the Justice Department, which oversees the FBI, has no authority to investigate overseas.
The Wall Street Journal reported today that Helms’ staff believes it was “bugged” as recently as last week, and staff members were reported to have turned up a listening device in Helms’ office.
Helms and his staff are under investigation of allegations that they leaked classified information to officials of the Chilean government.
The leak allegedly concerned a report given to the Senate Intelligence Committee on the burning death of a permanent U.S. resident visiting in Santiago.
Helms called the charges against him a “frivolous and false indictment” and said some recent newspaper reports included conversations he had had in Chile and were not classified.
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