University of Virginia Library

FBI - Xerox Becomes A Demi - Government

By Jim Massey
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The Xerox Corporation is trying
to locate the source of Xerox
copies of stolen FBI files which
have embarrasses the F.B.I. and
caused public controversy over
F.B.I. activities.

Xerox servicemen, appearing at
the sites of their regular customers
have run off four copies on papers
with specially designed markings.
The copier drum leaves incidental
markings on each copy that passes
through the machine. It is not
believed that the copy drums are
designed to leave planned patterns;
rather the markings are the normal
result of the copying process.

When a Xerox serviceman
appeared at a customers site in
Northern Virginia the renter
suggested that the purpose for the
'routine check' was so the F.B.I.
could test the markings on the
papers and trace documents, Xerox
copied, which have been sent to
public sources for public disclosure
within the last month. The
serviceman remarked that such was
the case however that information
was confidential. He stated that he
had been cheeking each of his
clients machines for this purpose
since April 1st.

Withheld Information

Placing a phone call to the
Washington D.C. service office of
the Xerox Corporation this reporter
stated that his serviceman had just
checked 'his' machine and wouldn't
explain why when asked. The
Conversation went as follows

X: "Sir, I think he didn't
explain because he couldn't."

R: "Would you explain what he
was checking, please?"

X: "Just a moment, Sir."

Several minutes later,

X: "Sir, it was a drum survey on
the machine."

R: "Why would they take a
drum survey?"

X: "Just a minute."

Several minutes later,

X: "The drum survey was to
check the machine."

R: "What is a drum survey?"

X: "Just a moment."

Several minutes later,

X: "Did it hurt your machine?"

R: "No, but it might hurt me. I
would like to know why the
machine was checked. What was the
purpose for the Check?"

X: "Thats all I know, Sir. Wait
just a minute."

Many more minutes later,

X: "It was for the technician,
ir."

R: "Why does the technician
want to test the machine?"

X: "Can you talk with the
General Manager? Would you leave
your name and phone number,
please?"

R: No thank you. But thank
you very much."

It cannot be definitely
concluded that the Service Office
consciously withheld information
concerning the nature of the service
check, however two days later, April
14, a Jack Anderson column,
syndicated in over 550 papers
across the country, appeared with
an article entitled "FBI and
Xerox".

Jack Anderson's lead paragraph
stated "The FBI has tried
unsuccessfully to get the Xerox
Corporation to provide a sample
copy from thousands of its clients
machines so the FBI can find out
who duplicated its recently stolen
documents."

Xerox spokesman Gerard
Mulligan admitted to Jack
Anderson that Xerox had given the
FBI a list of clients who own or
rent the "660" copier but
emphasized that Xerox would not
aid the FBI in clandestine tracing
efforts.

Demi-Government

The column continued,
"However, Mulligan said the top
management considered the request
and decided against it. What it came
down to was the ethical
responsibilities of the business." "If
we were to do this," he added," we
had a responsibility to inform our
customers it was being done and
this would have defeated the FBI's
whole purpose."

Saturday, April 17, Peter
McCulugh, Xerox President and the
chief executive officer, publicly
commented on Xerox's
involvement with the F.B.I. The
Washington Post quoted him as
saying "Despite public reports to
the contrary, Xerox is cooperating
fully with the FBI as we would
with any government law
enforcement agency now and in the
future."

The Washington Post National
News Desk stated that Mr.
McCulugh refused to say what type
of activities Xerox would engage in
for the F.B.I.

The statement that Xerox would
cooperate with 'any government
enforcement agency' leads us to
some chilling questions.

Would Xerox assist the
Securities and Exchange
Commission in secretly
investigating brokerage firms,
mutual funds and portfolio
accountants?

Would Xerox assist the Federal
government in breaking state and
local opposition to desegregation? Be
it noted that by tracing the flow of
information a person or group can
detect who is aiding their
opposition.

If Congress were to investigate
the FBI and the FBI had something
they were going to hide who would
Xerox side with?

The importance of
communication and information
flow rises exponentially with the
advancement of technology. The
'power' of communication and
information flow already
overshadows the power of money
and men in many parts of our
society.

If the Xerox Corporation's
business becomes that of a
'selective' law enforcement agency
in a necessarily technological
society then the determination of
operative ethics and the
enforcement of these ethics will fall
out of the hands of the
government, business and the
public into the hands of a new
demi-government.