Sorry, no offense

Electronic News, Sept 14, 1992 by Jack Robertson

WASHINGTON -- The Feds have closed separate probes of two former Hughes Aircraft chief executives without taking any action, but that doesn't clear the "guilt by innuendo" smear of two imminent industry leaders.

Former Hughes Chairman Malcolm Currie weathered out a political hatchet job over false accusations of countenancing the heisting of Pentagon budget documents. At the time the charges didn't make sense: opportunists tried to nail Mr. Currie by citing a security control system he personally had set up precisely to guard against such document trafficking.

Mr. Currie's tighter controls did result in a lower-level Hughes manager being convicted. Instead of thanks, Mr. Currie got only grief from agitators who falsely tried to connect him with the infraction his control system had uncovered.

It took the Justice Department two years to come to the same conclusion of false inferences against Mr. Currie. Naturally, there was no publicity when the case was closed--as any small restitution for the headlined damage of the leaked "investigation" two years ago.

Albert Whelon, the predecessor Hughes chairman, wasn't as fortunate. When the whisper campaign started in 1988 that Mr. Whelon might be connected to Intelsat bribery for sale of communication satellites, the former chief executive was asked to resign by the parent General Motors Corp.

Despite pervasive probing by the FBI and Justice attorneys over four years, the Feds never came up with anything to justify the rumor figments. The probe did result in convictions of former Intelsat and Hughes officials--and may have supported any allegations against Mr. Whelon had there been anything of substance to the innuendoes.

The real truth is that Uncle Sam can play executive witch hunter and get away with it--despite smearing, and sometimes, destroying the reputations and national service of dedicated citizens and leaders.

It isn't the first time that the Justice Department Heavies have besmirched reputable industry officials only to quietly back off years later when they can't come up with any substance behind the leaked smear charges. The Justice Department even apologized--long after the damage had been done--for false charges against former NASA Administrator James Beggs, who was forced to resign and run a needless year-long legal gauntlet to clear his name.

Walter Edgington, former GTE Government Systems vice-president of marketing, got no apology, when Justice quietly dropped charges after a five-year legal agony over handling of DOD budget documents. It was scant consolation for a ruined career, damaged health and loss of invaluable public service.

These are the injustices suffered by high industry officials at the hands of their government. Who knows what character assassinations of lesser contractor workers are buried in the legal archives? Many don't have the resources to battle unjust charges, and simply plea-bargain to save what they can of careers and reputation.

Now scores of guilty contractors have been properly uncovered and convicted by diligent public investigators--and this is commendable. But these successful probes are tarnished when the same forces allow witch hunts to go unchecked. Government officials should be just as vigilant in protecting the Constitutional rights of citizens, as in seeking out the guilty. That is their oath of office--and Americans have the right to expect their public servants to honor their sacred pledge.

It is small comfort that the political word has gone out that suddenly contractors are good guys after all: they provide desperately needed jobs in a shaky economy. For the time being, the vendettas against defense firms are likely to be back-pedaled--at least as long as the politicos sense they need the industry.

But citizen rights against trumped-up charges and for guarantees of fair and speedy justice exist solidly in the Constitution--in good times and bad. The recent legal travesties of innocent executives demands Jefferson's eternal vigilance to prevent future injustices.

And that is the duty of every one of us in government, industry, press, and all walks of life. Almost no one in these institutions came forth to defend the rights of these pilloried citizens. That is the greatest indictment of all.