An apol
S Examiner
)c 8
I
—
MAY 9
1976
from the FBI
Examiner News Services
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Clarence
Kelley
issued his first public apology yesterda
y
for
FBI
misdeeds under J. Edgar Hoover.
"We are truly sorry we were responsi
ble for
instances which now are subject to such
criti
cism,"
Kelley said of Hoover's once-secret effo
harass and discredit thousands of Ame rt to watch.
ricans whose
politics he opposed.
"Some of those
ities were clearly wrong- and
qt e indefensible. Weactiv
moSeeert€:finly must ne■ erallow
them to be repeated."
/-\ rage 14
His apology came in the text of
Westminster College at Fulton, Mo., whe a lecture at
re commencement speaker Winston Churc41.
said in 1947 that an
iron curtain, has descended" across Cent
ral Europe.
—Turn to Page 23, Col. 5
—From Page 1
"Many of the activities being
Kelley used his subject, the condemned were, considering the
responsibilities of power, to discuss times in which they occurred — the
the issue of COINTELPRO — the violent '60s — good-faith efforts to
"counter-intelligence program"' of prevent bloodshed and wanton dedirty tricks against U.S. dissidents struction of property," Kelley said.
from the late 1950s to the early
"Nevertheless, there were
1970s.
wrongful uses of power."
"Power abuses perhaps can be
He
explained and possibly even be abuses softened this by saying the
excused," he said, "but only when the twili"occurred chiefly during
the explanation is truthful, contrite istration.ght of Mr. Hoover's admin"
and is accompanied by a well
defined plan to prevent a recurrBefore that, he said Hoover
ence.
built the bureau into an admired
"It will avail the FBI or the institution "through genuine invespeople we serve nothing if we lash tigative successes.
back at our critics."
"But around these successes,"
Kelley had been reluctant to he said, "was built an almost
renounce any part of the FBI's past superhuman image — an image
because of the impact such an greatly influenced by the news
apology could have on the bureau's media."
morale. Many career FBI officials
He said a New York newspaper
opposed any statement of contriproclaimed Hoover "Public Hero
tion.
No. 1" in the gangbusters era of
Kelley's speech came as the 1938 and this image was "ent
Senate Intelligence Committee con- astically abetted by the new husitinued issuing reports detailing the dia, willingly indulged by Cons meextent of improper FBI conduct, and warmly embraced by a gress
grateful
primarily in the methods of gather- public."
ing intelligence about domestic
political organizations.
"We do not hold that the FBI is
the last and only bulwark of
Perhaps Kelley's most difficult democra
personal decision was to place the do beli cy," Kelley said, "but we
blame on Hoover, whom he deeply effectiveeve liberty will lose an
and diligent defender if
admired.
the FBI is destroyed."