C.LA. chief named in ‘crime’ report

Press, 25 May 1984, Page 6

C.LA. chief named in ‘crime’ report

NZPA-AP Washiiigton A briefing book prepared for the then President, Jimmy Carter, had reached Ronald Reagan’s Presidential campaign through William Casey, now director of the C.1.A., and the book’s use in helping Mr Reagan prepare to debate with Mr Carter was specific evidence of a Federal crime, a House sub-committee concluded yesterday. The panel, capping its year-long probe with a 2400page report recommending the appointment of a special prosecutor, said that it had found no evidence that Mr Reagan was implicated in the unauthorised transfer of the briefing book and other Carter Administration documents. The report said that the panel, faced with not-candid statements by people from the Reagan and Carter camps, had been unable to discover who on the Carter side had provided the materials. But the panel did point its finger directly at Mr Casey as the recipient of. the material. Mr Casey, gthen

Mr Reagan’s campaign director, has repeatedly said that he does not recall seeing any such documents during the campaign. The Post Office and Civil Service Human Resources sub-committee said that Mr Casey had given the briefing materials to James Baker, “as stated by Baker, whose testimony is corroborated by a credible witness.” Mr Baker, now White House Chief-of-Staff, told the sub-committee last year that he had received the debate papers from Mr Casey. The report said that the Democratic-controlled subcommittee did not agree with the Justice Department’s “surprising conclusion” earlier this year that any seeming inconsistencies (in witness statements) could be explained by differences in recollection and interpretation. The Attorney-General, Mr William French Smith, said then that he did not feel available evidence warranted the appointment of a special prosecutor. But United States District Judge Harold Greene — in an

order later stayed pending department appeals — ruled that Mr Smith should seek a special prosecutor. The panel said that it also disagreed with the Justice Department’s contention that there was no specific, credible evidence of a Federal crime.

The report said that the use of those materials by the Reagan-Bush campaign was specific, credible evidence that some crime had occurred.