math ▁An ▁especially ▁th orn y ▁issue ▁concerned ▁the ▁interpretation ▁of ▁the ▁secre cy ▁which ▁the ▁C IA ▁had ▁previously ▁enjoyed . ▁According ▁to ▁its ▁officers , ▁the ▁C IA ' s ▁mand ate ▁included ▁not ▁only ▁access ▁to ▁state ▁secre ts , ▁but ▁also ▁the ▁commission ▁of ▁cover t ▁action ▁in ▁further ance ▁of ▁US G ▁policy , ▁as ▁ordered ▁from ▁time ▁to ▁time ▁by ▁the ▁President . ▁Con sequently , ▁the ▁C IA ▁had ▁a ▁primary ▁duty ▁to ▁protect ▁such ▁secre ts ▁and ▁to ▁ref rain ▁from ▁public ▁discussion ▁of ▁any ▁cover t ▁or ▁c land est ine ▁activity . ▁An ▁area ▁of ▁conflict ▁arose ▁when ▁this ▁C IA ▁duty ▁of ▁confident ial ity ▁to ▁the ▁President ▁came ▁into ▁direct ▁conflict ▁with ▁the ▁Agency ' s ▁duty ▁to ▁respond ▁honest ly ▁to ▁legisl ative ▁investig ations ▁of ▁the ▁executive ▁branch ▁author ized ▁by ▁the ▁Constitution . ▁Up ▁until ▁then , ▁such ▁potential ▁conflict ▁had ▁been ▁negoti ated ▁by ▁quiet ▁understand ings ▁between ▁Congress ▁and ▁the ▁C IA . ▁ ▁For ▁Hel ms , ▁the ▁potential ▁conflict ▁became ▁manifest ▁with ▁regard ▁to ▁his ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁testim ony ▁about ▁secret ▁C IA ▁activity ▁during ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁in ▁Chile , ▁ordered ▁by ▁President ▁N ixon . ▁At ▁some ▁point , ▁the ▁recorded ▁facts ▁of ▁Hel ms ' s ▁testim ony ▁ost ens ibly ▁moved ▁to ▁territory ▁outside ▁the ▁per im eters ▁of ▁the ▁previously ▁prev ail ing ▁quiet ▁and ▁confident ial ▁understand ings ▁with ▁Congress , ▁and ▁entered