CIA Paid for Thank-You Notes to Nixon Backers, Documents Show

[deminks]

Source: Bloomberg

June 26 (Bloomberg) -- The CIA surreptitiously paid more than $33,000 in 1970 to cover the cost of White House thank-you notes to supporters of President Richard Nixon's decision to invade Cambodia, newly released agency documents show.

The secret financing of the notes, done at White House request, was one part of a complex relationship between the Nixon White House and the Central Intelligence Agency that eventually drew the agency into the Watergate scandal.

CIA officials were aware that paying for the thank-you notes could be controversial and took steps to conceal the true purpose of the expenditure from government auditors outside the agency, the records show.

``Think we can go ahead and do this. Have to be careful as to way this is documented -- that's the only thing,'' said Warren Magnusson, the CIA's deputy director for liaison and planning, in a telephone conversation with White House Staff Secretary John Brown on May 26, 1970, according to a transcript of the call.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20070626/pl_bloomberg/adr1egpkkeo0

[aquart]

1. Thank you notes?

Dear sweet lord.

Make them pay it back NOW.

[deminks]

2. That's what I thought.

If thank you notes are part of the "family jewels" that we have been waiting for all week, then I have wasted some anticipation on them.

[Ian David]

3. We need Rep. Dan Burton to comment on this

Socks (cat)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Socks (born c. 1991) was the pet cat of Bill Clinton and the Clinton family. After the Clintons left the White House, Socks was given to Clinton's secretary, Betty Currie.



Investigation

In one of the Congressional investigations on the Clinton administration, the use of White House staff, postage, and stationery to answer mail addressed to the cat was probed by Rep. Dan Burton.<3>

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socks_(cat)

[PATRICK]

4. More relevantly

Is the NSA spying on Dems for political purposes. Today. Now. That is a much bigger issue.

However, if one wants to make it interesting...name the NAMES of the operatives and CIA officials involved...and where they are now. You might find some interesting second careers...just like the old careers.