. ▁Im medi ately , ▁sharp ly , ▁Hel ms ▁turned ▁aside ▁this ▁g amb it . ▁ ▁By ▁claim ing ▁then ▁a ▁secre cy ▁privile ge ▁for ▁national ▁security , ▁Hel ms ▁could ▁have ▁stopped ▁the ▁F BI ▁investigation ▁cold . ▁Yet ▁soon ▁Hel ms ▁decis ively ▁refused ▁the ▁President ' s ▁repeated ▁request ▁for ▁cover . ▁St ans field ▁Turner ▁( D CI ▁under ▁Carter ) ▁called ▁this ▁" per haps ▁the ▁best ▁and ▁most ▁courage ous ▁decision ▁of ▁his ▁career ". ▁N ixon ' s ▁fundamental ▁dis ple asure ▁with ▁Hel ms ▁and ▁the ▁C IA ▁increased . ▁Yet ▁" CI A ▁profession als ▁remember " ▁that ▁Hel ms ▁" stood ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁president ▁when ▁asked ▁to ▁employ ▁the ▁C IA ▁in ▁a ▁cover - up ." ▁ ▁John ▁Dean , ▁N ixon ' s ▁White ▁House ▁Coun sel , ▁reported ly ▁asked ▁for ▁$ 1 ▁million ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁silence ▁of ▁the ▁ja iled ▁Water gate ▁burg l ars . ▁Hel ms ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁interview ▁stated : ▁ ▁" We ▁could ▁get ▁the ▁money . ▁... ▁We ▁didn ' t ▁need ▁to ▁la under ▁money — ever ." ▁But ▁" the ▁end ▁result ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ag ency . ▁Not ▁only ▁would ▁I ▁have ▁gone ▁to ▁j ail ▁if ▁I ▁had ▁gone ▁along ▁with ▁what ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁wanted ▁us ▁to ▁do , ▁but ▁the ▁ag ency ' s ▁cred ibility ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁ru ined ▁forever ." ▁