11 March 1996
President Clinton
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Fax 202 456 2461

Mr. John Deutch
Director of CIA
Washington, D.C. 20505
Fax 703 482 6790

Herndon Town Council
P.O. Box 427
Herndon, VA 22070

My name is Ralph McGehee and I am a twenty-five year decorated veteran of the CIA and a critic. My primary effort in this regard is a computer data base, CIABASE. The below letter was posted on Internet today - a measure I reluctantly take in order to defend myself from efforts by local police, especially the Herndon Police, to apparently implicate me in some crime. The level of effort directed at me has increased substantially in the last few weeks -- and I ask that these actions be halted.

I over the last few years have made similar appeals with no action taken in my defense. I appealed to Mary Pecora, of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (File no. MA-95-2196), only to be advised that she believed me but the CIA was exempt from the Counsel's authority.

In October of last year there was an effort at Fair Oaks Mall to "catch me" as the exit door alarm sounded just as I entered the exit area. I veered away fearing to exit, only to be confronted by an angry, apparent security officer.

Due to a medical problem, I have in the last couple of weeks availed myself of the Jacuzzi at the Herndon Community Center. On my second visit a Herndon policeman came into the locker room and advised me that he would, "catch me later." Yesterday shortly after I entered the center two apparent plain clothes police (one forgot to turn off his portable radio that began broadcasting) entered the area and focused their attentions on me and probably set a trap. A number of recent incidents in the local K Mart have made me avoid that establishment.

It is impossible to enter commercial establishments in Fairfax and Loudon Counties without being the subject immediate interest by the store security services. In my defense I have begun -- just as I enter an establishment - to explain to the spotter that I am a critic of the CIA and that it is slandering me and this is the reason for (whatever) notice that have re me. For bona fides, I hand them a brochure of CIABASE.

In the past I have addressed letters to both you Mr. President and to you Mr. Deutch about this situation. I was advised by Lee S. Stickland, Chief Information, Privacy and Classification Review of the CIA, that his office would conduct an FOIA search but that I would have to wait my turn. From others I know that it takes around three years for action on a request. In any case it is extremely doubtful that the responsible Agency office(s) would make a written record of its illegal operations.

The actions against me began in the summer of 1993, shortly after a review of CIABASE appeared in the journals of AFIO and NMIA. It soon thereafter became obvious that my phone was tapped and that local commercial establishments had been warned about me. When I made my knowledge of the tap obvious, the tap was used as much for harassment as monitoring. I have also received an implicit phone threat and was surveilled on a trip to Maine.

Since I have the written approval of the CIA to distribute my data base -- it uses only non-classified material -- the actions taken against me by the CIA are in violation of United States law.

Do you Mr. Deutch wish to be the medium for violations of law? Has not your Agency disgraced itself enough without adding this crime to its record? Do you Mr. President allow your executive branch to operate illegally without taking action? Do you members of the Herndon Town Council, allow your police force to act as vigilantes and are you willing to accept the consequences of its actions?

I request that addressees take appropriate action and advise me of the results.

Ralph McGehee
422 Arkansas Avenue
Herndon, VA, 22070
 

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The below is from a posting of 15 July 1995 in response to a number of requests for specific details of the actions taken against me.

Ralph McGehee 3/16/96

A number of people have contacted me about my postings re harassment and have asked for specific examples. Below I provide that information. Please note that I list specific individuals and organizations -- all of which are checkable.

My name is Ralph W. McGehee and I am a 25 year veteran of the CIA and a severe critic of the CIA and compiler of the data base - CIABASE. I live in Herndon, Virginia, a bedroom community for the CIA's Headquarters as well as the location of several CIA office buildings. Following comprehensive reviews of my computer data base on the CIA in "The Intelligence," a publication of the pro-CIA veterans lobbying group - Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO); and, the magazine of the National Military Intelligence Association, "NMIA Newsletter," an organization of generally retired military intelligence officers, in July 1993, I have been subjected to an investigation/harassment operation.

Over the last two years I wrote a number of letters to the FBI and the CIA complaining of harassment. The FBI responded a few weeks ago and said they were not investigating or harassing me and that I should direct my enquiries to another government agency.

The first observable event happened in August 1993 just after the two aforementioned reviews of CIABASE had been published. (This incident was followed in rapid succession by a series of other harassments). In early August 1993, I entered the super market at Reston's Lake Anne area, gathered a few things and went to the check out counter. The two female checkout clerks were not there but soon arrived. I tried to pay for the food but the clerks kept stalling until apparently the manager and another male came and stood by the checkout clerk focusing their attention on me. When finally permitted to pay for the food and as I started to leave the manager stepped directly in front of me as if to confront me. I thought this was quite strange but thought they may have suspected me of being a shoplifter and were checking me out. About a year later I went back to the supermarket (now closed) and asked the same cashier why they acted as they did. She denied any such action.

A day or so after that, I was in Staples in Herndon and the store was nearly void of customers. As I entered Aisle 3 the loudspeaker told an employee to go to aisle 3. As I went to check out two employees apparently from the manager's office stood and watched me. The reason for this I could not fathom except again that they may have suspected me of shoplifting. There have been two or three similar incidents in this store over the next two years. The manager and other employees of this store are a checkable resource. I did confront the manager in about May this year but he denied my accusations.

On about the first week of September, I went to Giant's supermarket in Herndon, bought a few things and as I tried to check out a Giant employee came up immediately behind me in the two-person line. By now becoming upset at this procedure I left the line and went to the next one. As I was driving on the road in front of Giant's, a car in a parking aisle that was facing front sped out of the space and came directly towards my truck. I had to swerve to avoid being hit. Later I saw that Giant employee park his vehicle in the same spot as the threatening vehicle - it appeared to be the same vehicle.

Again in September on a Sunday, I went in to Super Fresh in Herndon, bought two items and went to the checkout counter. The manager came immediately to stand beside the cashier who told him to go away as she could "handle this." This latter employee I believe still works a Super Fresh.

On the 23th of September 1993, I planned to go with a friend to the afternoon showing of "Demolition Man," at Worldgate in Herndon. I went to the ticket window and a male came up and said they were closed, I could not fathom this as the theater was operating at full capacity. I stood there and he repeated that they were closed. Finally as I stood there and as the line behind me began to grow, he deigned to sell me a ticket. I entered and handed my ticket to a ticket-collector who seemed upset to see me and asked "what is your name." As the film ended and the viewers exited we had to walk through a narrow cordon of velvet ropes where a number of theater employees were standing eyeing those leaving including a large black man wearing a police or security-type jacket. This type of cordon is the first time this has ever happened to me in that theater. What is particularly upsetting about this event is that the employees all seemed to have been prepared in advance for my appearance. This of course is a very checkable event. All that needs to be done is to get the work sheets for that day and interview those on duty at the time.

From mid-October to mid-December 1993, I went bicycling about six times on the bike trail and parked my truck in the small parking lot across the street from the Herndon Golf Course. I went biking for approximately two and a half hours on each occasion. On three of the occasions when I returned, an occupied Herndon police car was the only other vehicle in the parking lot. The police car was facing the empty ball field - not the street. On one other occasion there was an occupied car next to the police car - I could not determine if this was an unmarked police car.

In Manassas at about this time I went with my wife, Norma, to get some glasses. The manager - after we went back to pick up the glasses - said nastily "Why don't you go home." He loudly proclaimed uncomplimentary information about my wife. We were both quite upset. Manassas is some 15 to 20 miles from Herndon - apparently word on me was wide-spread or was being disseminated based on phone taps or house bugs.

In about mid-December 1993, I went to the Book Alcove in Hunters Woods Plaza in Reston where I have often gone and purchased many used books from their excellent collection of books on intelligence. I spent a lot of time looking over their collection on intelligence and more on their art collection. When I turned around I saw immediately outside the window near where I was looking over the Art books, a person wearing a "police" or "security" jacket who was eyeing me. As I left he made sure to enter the door as I opened it and made a point of addressing me.

On Saturday the 7th of January 1994, I went with a friend to a clothing store - Nachman's - on its announced last day of operation. A car with an older black man was sitting across the rear of cars pulled into a convenience store next to Nachman's. I parked across the street and as I and my friend crossed in front of the apparently parked car - it leaped forward and struck me a glancing blow. The car had stopped just before it would have struck my friend. I did not report it as I was not hurt and I feared that the Herndon police who also had been harassing me would not be objective. My friend can attest to this incident. I am not suggesting that this was part of the harassment - merely a consequence of the distribution of derogatory information about me in the general geographic area of Herndon/Reston and Tysons Corner.

On 16 January 1994, about 3 p.m., I entered the nearly empty Jamesway Store at Herndon Junction. I shopped for about 10 minutes when the loud speaker announced that security should go to section 2 - an employee came hurrying up behind me, made a comment in my ear, and then went down an adjacent aisle. As I continued toward the front of the store - the loud speaker announcement said security should go to Section 5.

In about July 1994, after making telephone arrangements, two members of the Covert Action Working Group, visited my home. Just prior to their arrival at about 12 noon, two Herndon police cars pulled up and double-parked on the narrow street in front of my house. The two cars sat there for 20 minutes to a half hour and the police in the cars seemed to be looking in through my picture window. The two members of the group remember seeing the police cars there - this is a checkable resource.

I later speculated on the arrival of the two police cars just minutes before the two members were scheduled to arrive. We had discussed meeting arrangements over the phone - this and a number of other events led me to the conclusion that my phone was tapped.

About two weeks after the visit by the two Herndon Police cars, another Herndon police car sat across from my house as I installed a bike rack on the back of my truck. After finishing, I put the bike on the rack and just as I opened the door to get in the truck the police car started his motor. After this obvious warning I wrote letters to the Town Council and police harassment stopped for some time. I asked the Town Council to advise me of their determination re the police harassment - they have never responded - this is an easy-to-check resource.

After the Herndon Police temporarily stopped their harassments, civilians in a number of vehicles and situations apparently assumed their task. Since the various Faixfax County police forces work in close coordination with the CI and receive training and support from the CIA - I suspect they had been used by the Agency and when the Herndon police were ordered to stop by the Town Council - then the CIA's Office of Security stepped up the "investigation."

On several occasions as I biked on the nearby bike trail, I suspected surveillance - once especially when I approached Partlow's store in Ashburn, a man on a bike with a radio-phone reported my position as I passed by. On a number of other occasions persons on the trail whom I was not really looking at - shouted at me as if to draw attention to the fact that I was their target. A number of what appeared to be surveillance vehicles also parked in the golf course parking lot across the street from the small parking lot I use.

I speculated on how I was being harassed at various stores when I had only announced to my wife where I was going - and was alert for vehicular surveillance and noticed none. To test my theory that the house was bugged I shouted out that I was going to Kmart and instead went to Caldors across town. I shopped unmolested for about a half an hour and left. As I left, a well-dressed young white male in a discreetly marked yet obvious commercial van, sped up jumped out and recorded obvious and visible dismay when he saw me. I repeated this process a number of times with occasionally similar results.

I believe that the harassment developed a process wherein store managers or personnel when they saw me, called a number - either of the CIA's Office of Security and/or the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and that a person or persons are frequently dispatched to try and arrange for a harassment action. If that is not possible, then the store personnel -- who have obviously been provided derogatory information about me, on occasion take action on their own.

A number of incidents in the local Kmart - all initiated by supposed Kmart personnel - and my confronting the manager over them forced me to avoid that store for about a year. A number of unpleasant incidents at the nearby McDonalds, and 7/11 has forced me to stop going to those stores.

On 2 October 1994, I went to COMP USA on Route 7 near Vienna, Virginia. As I finished making my purchases the security man at the door walked toward me militantly and pulled my cart away from me. This special treatment seemed to apply only to me.

On 23 October 1994, at Computer City in Vienna, Va, as I approached the cash register, a young female rushed to the register and to the consternation of the cashier told the cashier to get away, leave. I then moved to a second cash register - the same woman rushed to that register but the transaction was completed before she could effectively intervene. Similar later incidents like this also happened in the same store. About three months ago to blunt the action I went up to the man standing watching those entering and told him I was a critic of the CIA and that it had initiated a defamation action against me and therefore asked that they assign a security person to accompany me. The manager was advised and he said I would have to exit though their security system and it was not necessary to send a security guard around with me. On this occasion I was overcharged about thirty dollars. I noticed the difference, objected, the security man or manager was summoned and the price was reduced to its regular price. Store personnel and managers are an easy-to-check resource.

About six to eight months ago I took my truck in for servicing at the near by Shell station where I have done business for years. As I went to pick up the truck one of the two owners/mechanics pointed and yelled at me and screamed at his employees to park their vehicles (across the exit route via the 7/11). I normally exit from the station using this exit. They did this and this was the only time I have ever seen that entrance blocked. The owner is an easy checkable source.

On 13 November 1994, at Crown Books at Herndon Junction as I was scanning the book racks - a large man came close and stood facing directly at me. He stayed the entire time I was there. As I left, a man with a radio-phone was outside the store looking in. I had a number of other confrontations at this store - this is an easy to check resource.

When I returned from a Christmas visit to my daughters family out of state - within hours I received a phone call from a person claiming to be her friend asking her address - but the caller in monotone recited all the details of where she lived - the town, how many children she had, where she lived previously, etc. I tried to talk to the individual but he was not interested in a conversation. The caller created the strong impression that this was a threatening phone call.

On 23 April 1995 my wife noticed our shed door lock's hasp was sheared and the shed opened - nothing appeared to be taken. I did not report this to the police and I suspect they might have provided assistance to those conducting the break in. At about the same time a Herndon Police car tail-gated my wife's car through town.

In about late June 1995 as I and a friend were returning from Walmart in Loundon County, I turned right on the Herndon Parkway about 50 yards behind a Herndon Police car. I was driving in the middle lane and the police car had pulled into the left turn lane - as my vehicle drew along side the police vehicle, it swerved widely out into my lane forcing me to swerve to avoid hitting being hit by the police car - my friend can attest to this occurrence.

The June 19, 1995 issue of "The New Yorker," carried an article that mentions me and may or may not be part of the harassment effort - I do not suggest that the purpose of the article was to get me, but since it involved a group I had participated in - it was convenient to discredit me by calling me paranoid because of my comments re the harassment.

The above is a list of some of the more recordable incidents - representing perhaps about one half to one third of all that seemed to me to be harassments. Please note that I list specific incidents, specific stores and specific individuals - many can be checked - particularly the Herndon Mayor and Town Council, the Herndon Police, my friend, two members of the Covert Action Working Group, the reporter who wrote the article in The New Yorker, managers and employees of the named stores, theater personnel and a number of other sources and individuals.

What cannot be checked is the numerous sometimes daily "wrong number" phone calls seemingly by the same individual, the several identical recorded phone messages to re-schedule a visit by the "septic field" clean-up truck. What also cannot be checked without official government action are the past various incidents of vehicle surveillance, surveillance on or around the bike trail and of course the bugging and wire-tapping operation.

To help me determine the responsible parties I am filing a Freedom of Information Request and a Privacy request with the CIA. I doubt that I will receive any admissions of guilt but if I receive redacted documents dated the last two years I will have some substantiating material.

Ralph McGehee
Herndon, VA