A remark by L. Patrick Gray III during his testimony before the Senate Watergate Committee has perplexed many Jews and non-Jews. The former acting director of the FBI, asked whether he was aware of any agents involved in “dirty tricks,” replied on Monday: “I don’t know what you mean by ‘dirty tricks.’ I have told you that I authorized a surreptitious entry on one occasion solely to protect the. lives of innocent Jewish men, women and children and I would do it again. But this was in the course of national security and domestic peace and tranquility but I know of no agents of mine engaging in dirty tricks.”
In an effort to discover the details and meaning of Gray’s remark, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency contacted several members of the Watergate Committee and was told by an assistant to Sen. Herman Talmadge (D.Ga.) that Gray had, elaborated on the incident in executive session and that the transcript is privileged information. The assistant said that he could not reveal the details of the matter. The JTA called Gray three times in two days at his law office in Stonington, Conn. but was told each time by a secretary that he was either on the phone or not available, after the JTA told the secretary the reason for the calls.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
