SAC Barger re Mike Wallace/CBS contacts on NORJAK, with addenda

OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10 JULY 1973 EDITION GSA FPMR (41 CFR) 101-11.6 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

Memorandum

TO : FILE (164-41) DATE: 4/27/78

FROM : SAC ARTHUR G. BARGER

SUBJECT: NORJAK

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At approximately 12:31 p.m., PST, 4/27/78, a telephone call was received in the Portland Division from MIKE WALLACE, CBS, New York.

By way of background, WALLACE called for SA [REDACTED] on 4/25/78, at 10:37 a.m. and again on the morning of 4/26/78. [REDACTED] was engaged in a police school which prevented a return of either of these telephone calls. On the occasion of the second call, I was informed of the receipt of the telephone calls in the absence of SA [REDACTED] Having had previous knowledge of the interest of MIKE WALLACE of "60 Minutes" in the D. B. COOPER matter and the story which was being prepared for "60 Minutes," I had discussions with SAC, Seattle, and FBIHQ Press Office, [REDACTED] During these conversations, I learned of WALLACE's attempt to get information from the FBI with respect to his story. [REDACTED] informed me that TOM COLL had handled the inquiry and had, for all practical purposes, declined to furnish information to WALLACE.

Upon receipt of advice of WALLACE's attempts to reach [REDACTED] I concluded that WALLACE's interest obviously related to the "60 Minutes" program. I therefore contacted TOM COLL directly and discussed my intentions with respect to WALLACE's inquiry at Portland, advising COLL that I felt it was necessary from a business and professional point of view to return WALLACE's call but that WALLACE would not be permitted to ask any questions of [REDACTED] if it related to [REDACTED] [REDACTED] COLL was in agreement and it was also decided that if WALLACE was persistent, he should be referred to TOM COLL in Washington.

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ASAC

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At 8:30 a.m., 4/27/78, with SA [REDACTED] in my office, I placed a telephone call to MIKE WALLACE through the New York Office, NY telephone 975-2997. Upon talking to Mr. WALLACE's assistant, I was informed that WALLACE was unavailable, and he would return my call within two hours. I asked that WALLACE call me direct, identifying myself by name and title. When WALLACE called at approximately 12:31 p.m., he asked for [REDACTED] was at that time busy on another telephone call and the switchboard, having had been previously alerted to the call from WALLACE's office, routed the call to me. When I was connected with WALLACE, he advised initially that he had determined that the [REDACTED] was a complete hoax, that he had quite a bit of television footage shot on this story, and they had quite a bit of information but wanted to talk to the FBI to get answers to several other questions. I asked him specifically if it related to [REDACTED] and he obliquely deferred, suggesting to the contrary; however, he did not definitely disavow that this was his intentions. I then informed him that I had been apprised of his detailed conversation with TOM COLL at Headquarters, and I had personally talked to Mr. COLL of his impending interest in the Portland Office, and since it all had been discussed with COLL, no further contact would be made by the Portland Division. He then asked if it were therefore impossible for him to talk on the telephone with SA [REDACTED] and I advised him that was the case. He then became belligerent making remarks such as, "This sounds like the old Bureau, not the new Bureau, that we were in a police state," etc. I told WALLACE that he knew better than that and that the Bureau had cooperated, but if he felt that further discussion was necessary on this matter, he should direct his inquiries to TOM COLL in Washington. At his request, I gave him the telephone number 324-3691 which was Mr. COLL's extension at Bureau Headquarters.

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A few minutes after termination of this call I tried to telephone Mr. COLL only to discover that he was at that moment on the telephone with MIKE WALLACE. The party answering the telephone in Mr. COLL's office said he did overhear COLL saying on the telephone, "MIKE, we have been through all of that, let's not rehash it." When I asked if I could hold for COLL, the person said that he was in a listening mode at that time and it might be some time before he would be free to talk to me. COLL will return my call as soon as he completes his conversation with MIKE WALLACE.

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TOM COLL returned my call advising that he had finished having an extensive conversation with WALLACE in which they regurgitated the conversation that they had previously, with WALLACE also advising him that he was satisfied that the original story was a hoax.

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Bureau has decided as a consequence of a series of telephone calls and previous interviews granted to members of the media by [REDACTED] (with Bureau concurrence) that MIKE WALLACE or one of his staff will be permitted to interview [REDACTED] as background only. The interview will not be conducted over the telephone and will not be conducted on camera. COLL said that the information furnished by [REDACTED] would be background in nature concerning the investigation and was to be used by WALLACE only as background and [illegible] retribution. I told him we had only minor reservations with respect to this in that the office of origin has not kept us informed of the full extent of the investigation, particularly with respect to the outcome of numerous suspects. COLL said that would be no particular problem, that should [REDACTED] get to a position where he does not have the information being sought, that he could merely state that in all likelihood the information would be known to the Seattle Office, who was coordinating the whole investigation. I pointed out that this reservation was accompanied by the overall reservations we had considering the treatment afforded to the FBI by "60 Minutes" on an earlier matter. In this regard, I desired a copy of the recording of the interview so that we would be in a position to dispel any slanted or perverse reporting. COLL responded by saying that the interview by WALLACE or his associate was not to be recorded by WALLACE or his associate except in note-taking form. He concluded by saying that he would telephone WALLACE and inform him that the interview was approved; however, that all arrangements must be made through the SAC of the Portland Division personally.

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ADDENDUM: 4/28/78

[REDACTED] called today, identifying himself as being associated with MIKE WALLACE's "60 Minutes," and advised that he is currently in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. He advised that he had talked to TOM COLL this morning and COLL had OK'd his coming to Portland to conduct a general background interview in the NORJAK case. He said he expects to finish his present assignment on Monday or Tuesday of next week, anticipates coming to Portland perhaps Tuesday and will be in the office Wednesday to conduct the interview. He said he would call on Tuesday to

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confirm his arrival. I informed him I may be out of town at that time; however, he can confirm his arrival and the availability of [REDACTED] through ASAC [REDACTED] or my [REDACTED]

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Addendum 5/5/78 by SAC:

[REDACTED] did appear at SAC's office at 8:28 [guess: am] 5/4/78 and after introductory ground rules were discussed, [REDACTED] was permitted to interview SA [REDACTED]. [REDACTED] was denied identif[ying] [guess: of] any witnesses and no mention was made by [REDACTED] re any heretofore unreleased evidence and certainly no mention was made of any by SA [REDACTED] [guess: specific] [guess: Likewise] no discussion was had concerning specific [guess: suspects] developed. Although [REDACTED] did allude to the speculat[ive] [guess: theories] advanced by others he did not press any [REDACTED] for [illegible] responses.

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