Attorney General Kennedy Rebuts Accusers on News Management

WASHINGTON--Speaking to Harvard Young Democrats last week, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy challenged charges of news management which recently have been levelled against the Administration. Calling the charges "a joke, the height of ridiculousness," Kennedy scoffed at the idea that reporters could be manipulated by administration leaders.

However, Kennedy stated, "there is nothing wrong with the President calling editors or reporters and telling them what he does or does not like about an article." The Attorney General stated that he was disturbed about news leaks which constitute a violation of national security.

Defends Wiretapping Bill

Kennedy strongly defended his controversial Wiretapping Bill; "most criticism of it has come from those who have not read it," he said. The Attorney General praised the bill both as an aid to law enforcement and as a protection of the individual's right of privacy. The bill would, he explained, tighten restrictions on wiretapping, which is not presently illegal unless information obtained through tapping is disclosed.

Kennedy pointed out that as Attorney General "I have the authority to tap telephones in cases involving national security; the bill limits this authority."

Kennedy stated, "The bill is the most stringent attempt to control wiretapping in the last 30 years. It establishes standards which do not now exist." In part, the Wiretapping Bill would define wiretapping procedure for major criminal cases, such as kidnapings, narcotics, and international gambling.

Problems in the South

Speaking on the Federal Judiciary in the South, Kennedy admitted that "there are judicial opinions with which I may not agree," but he explained the difficulties involved in judicial appointments. "We cannot take a New York judge and place him in Mississippi," said Kennedy. He added that federal judges are recommended by the Senators of the state in which they are to serve. In reply to a question on partisanship in judicial appointments, Kennedy declared that the Administration has appointed 12 Republican judges out of 128 appointments, in contrast to eight in 180 by the Eisenhower administration.

Hoffa

Asked about Teamster Union President Jimmy Hoffa, Kennedy stated, "What I think of him and he thinks of me in immaterial." Kennedy denied Hoffa's charges of a "personal vendetta" against the Teamsters and their leader. The Attorney General said that 117 Teamster officials and close Hoffa associates have been indicted and 55 convicted during the last two years.

Kennedy was finally asked about his future plans. "I plan to stay right here," he said.