Event

Destruction of the MKULTRA records

January 1973 destruction of most of the CIA's MKULTRA files.

2 links, 2 backed by primary records

Connections 2

Sidney Gottlieb ordered the destruction, by his own testimony carrying out Helms's verbal order Primary record 1
Richard Helms gave the verbal order, by Gottlieb's and his own confirmation Primary record 1

Timeline 1 date

Proof 1 source

Project MKULTRA, the CIA's Program of Research in Behavioral Modification: Joint Hearing, U.S. Senate, Select Committee on Intelligence and Subcommittee on Health and Scientific Research, 3 Aug 1977. Primary record
Dr. Gottlieb has testified, and former Director Helms has confirmed, that in ordering the records destroyed, Dr. Gottlieb was carrying out the verbal order of then DCI Helms.
Present practice is to maintain no records of the planning and approval of test programs.
In sum, the agency failed to uncover these particular documents in 1973, in the process of attempting to destroy them.
The records of all these activities were destroyed in January 1973, at the instruction of then CIA Director Richard Helms.

Page history 1 change