▁the ▁government . ▁It ▁was ▁necessary ▁in ▁the ▁conduct ▁of ▁both ▁sur re pt it ious ▁information ▁gather ing , ▁i . e ., ▁esp ion age , ▁and ▁in ▁cover t ▁operations , ▁i . e ., ▁the ▁re put ed ▁ability ▁to ▁directly ▁interven e ▁by ▁ste alth ▁in ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁political ▁events . ▁Con sequently , ▁Hel ms ▁became ▁utter ly ▁dis may ed ▁at ▁the ▁various ▁investig ations ▁of ▁US G ▁intelligence ▁ag encies , ▁especially ▁when ▁they ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁publication ▁or ▁broadcast ▁of ▁class ified ▁information , ▁highly ▁sensitive , ▁that ▁had ▁previously ▁remained ▁secret . ▁For ▁example , ▁among ▁the ▁information ▁div ul ged ▁were ▁facts ▁that ▁exposed ▁Richard ▁Wel ch , ▁the ▁C IA ▁station ▁chief ▁in ▁Ath ens , ▁who ▁subsequently ▁was ▁murder ed . R anel agh ▁( 1 9 8 6 ) ▁p . ▁ 4 7 2 ▁( de ath ▁of ▁agent ▁Richard ▁Wel ch ▁in ▁Ath ens ). ▁At ▁points ▁during ▁the ▁many ▁hours ▁of ▁testim ony ▁given ▁by ▁Hel ms ▁before ▁Congress , ▁his ▁fr ustration ▁and ▁ir rit ation ▁with ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁proceed ings ▁are ▁clearly ▁disc ern ible . ▁ ▁In ▁test ifying ▁before ▁Congress , ▁both ▁former ▁DC Is ▁John ▁McC one ▁and ▁Richard ▁Hel ms ▁were ▁informed ▁before hand ▁by ▁a ▁C IA ▁officer ▁as ▁to ▁what ▁documents ▁Congress ▁had ▁been ▁given ▁and ▁hence ▁the ▁probable ▁cont ours ▁of ▁its ▁knowledge . ▁According ▁to ▁author ▁Thomas ▁Pow ers , ▁both ▁McC one