| Show I I Biddle Finds No Violations of U. U S. S St Statutes In CI CIO C i 0 Political Action Committee Activities I WASHINGTON April 7 UP- UP Attorney General Biddle BiddIe said Friday Friday Friday Fri Fri- Fri Fri- day an investigation of activities of the C CI I Os O's political action committee committee committee com com- disclosed no violation of criminal provisions of the federal corrupt practices act or of laws limiting the amount of election campaign contributions Biddles Biddle's statement was made In Ina Ina Ina a letter Jetter to Representative Smith D. D Va chairman of a house committee committee to investigate executive executive executive tive agencies The Virginian had charged in a aletter aletter letter to the justice department that a flagrant violation of the i corrupt practices act was disclosed by an article by C CIO I 0 President Philip Murray in the February is issue issue issue is- is sue of the Magazine The article article- Smith contended described ed the political action committe committee com corn mitte and stated that various C CIO I 0 u unions ions had made an initial contribution of to the work of the committee Biddle said he had directed the FBI to investigate not only possible possible pos pos- sible violations of the corrupt practices practices practices tices act but to look also for any violation of the Hatch act limiting limiting limiting limit limit- ing contributions contributions' in connection with elections for federal office e. e It appears that to date there has been discovered no violation by the political action committee of the criminal provisions of the federal corrupt practices act as amended or of the federal statute limiting the amount which may maybe maybe maybe be contributed in connection with an election Biddle wrote Smith Certain expressions in the article article article ar ar- in the American Magazine to which your letter referred might be subject to the construction construction construction tion that in the future action might be taken by the committee which which would not conform to the provisions provi provI- provisions provIsions of the federal statute but no such illegal action has been dis dis- dis- dis covered If future acts by the committee commit commit- tee of a nature prohibited by the act should occur I can assure you that appropriate action will betaken be betaken be betaken taken by this department The F FBI B I inquiry showed the committee has received o 0 which was in lump sums of each appropriated appropriated appropriated by three of the International unions of th the C CIO I O. O The balance came principally from other national national na na- national na- na unions union On January 31 the committee I had spent about of which I j was contributed for a state campaign in New v Jersey and the remainder used for current office expenses salary and travel Biddle said the only contribution discovered was the spent in inthe inthe inthe the campaign for feu a candidate for governor in New Jersey I |
