Elias P. Demetracopoulos
Encyclopedia
Elias P. Demetracopoulos is a Greek
journalist
and dissident
during the Greek military junta of 1967–1974 ("Regime of the Colonels"). During the dictatorship, Demetracopoulos lived in exile
in Washington, D.C.
, where he lobbied against the Greek junta. In June 1970, the Greek dictatorship revoked his citizenship
.
In 1968 Demetracopoulos uncovered illegal campaign donations of $549,000 given by the Greek military dictatorship to the Richard Nixon
/Spiro Agnew
1968 presidential campaign
. He gave the information to Larry O'Brian, then chairman of the Democratic National Committee
who issued a call for an inquiry into the activities of Thomas Pappas
.
Through suits against the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) Demetracopoulos found out that he had been under extensive surveillance by those agenciesfrom November 9, 1967 to October 2, 1969, August 25, 1971 to March 14, 1973, and February 19, to October 24, 1974.
After 1974, he gained access to secret police files in Athens
out of which he learned that there had been several attempts by the Greek junta to kidnap
and kill him.
In 1967, Demetracopoulos engaged attorney William A. Dobrovir to investigating the involvement of the United States. Dobrovir uncovered hundreds of documents from the FBI, CIA, Department of State
, Department of Justice
, and Department of Defense
via the Freedom of Information Act.
Some of the documents indicated that copies were sent to the National Security Council
, headed by Henry Kissinger
at the time.
It was not before March 1977 that the NSC agreed to release skeletal computer indices of these documents. In the computer indices Demetracopoulos found a reference to a document referring to his death in a prison in Athens on 18 December 1970. For the next seven years Dobrovir wrote letters to Kissinger asking for copies of the document. Kissinger eventually replied that he could not find such a copy.
Demetracopoulos is a personal friend of Louise Gore
and Senators Frank E. Moss, Quentin N. Burdick
and Mike Gravel
.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and dissident
Dissident
A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....
during the Greek military junta of 1967–1974 ("Regime of the Colonels"). During the dictatorship, Demetracopoulos lived in exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he lobbied against the Greek junta. In June 1970, the Greek dictatorship revoked his citizenship
Greek nationality law
right|200pxNationality law of Greece is based on the principle of jus sanguinis. Greek citizenship may be acquired by descent or through naturalization. Greek law permits Dual citizenship...
.
In 1968 Demetracopoulos uncovered illegal campaign donations of $549,000 given by the Greek military dictatorship to the Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
/Spiro Agnew
Spiro Agnew
Spiro Theodore Agnew was the 39th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Richard Nixon, and the 55th Governor of Maryland...
1968 presidential campaign
United States presidential election, 1968
The United States presidential election of 1968 was the 46th quadrennial United States presidential election. Coming four years after Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson won in a historic landslide, it saw Johnson forced out of the race and Republican Richard Nixon elected...
. He gave the information to Larry O'Brian, then chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
who issued a call for an inquiry into the activities of Thomas Pappas
Thomas Pappas
Thomas M. Pappas is a former United States Army colonel and is currently a high level, civilian intelligence officer with the Army's Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Virginia. He was the Brigade Commander of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade in Iraq during the Abu Ghraib prisoner...
.
Through suits against the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(CIA) Demetracopoulos found out that he had been under extensive surveillance by those agenciesfrom November 9, 1967 to October 2, 1969, August 25, 1971 to March 14, 1973, and February 19, to October 24, 1974.
After 1974, he gained access to secret police files in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
out of which he learned that there had been several attempts by the Greek junta to kidnap
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and kill him.
In 1967, Demetracopoulos engaged attorney William A. Dobrovir to investigating the involvement of the United States. Dobrovir uncovered hundreds of documents from the FBI, CIA, Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
, Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, and Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
via the Freedom of Information Act.
Some of the documents indicated that copies were sent to the National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
, headed by Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
at the time.
It was not before March 1977 that the NSC agreed to release skeletal computer indices of these documents. In the computer indices Demetracopoulos found a reference to a document referring to his death in a prison in Athens on 18 December 1970. For the next seven years Dobrovir wrote letters to Kissinger asking for copies of the document. Kissinger eventually replied that he could not find such a copy.
Demetracopoulos is a personal friend of Louise Gore
Louise Gore
Beatrice Louise Gore was an American Republican politician from Maryland.Born in Leesburg, Maryland, Gore was a prominent Maryland political heavy weight and daughter of lawyer and real estate investor H. Grady Gore. She served as a member of the Maryland's General Assembly from 1963 to 1969...
and Senators Frank E. Moss, Quentin N. Burdick
Quentin N. Burdick
Quentin Northrup Burdick was a United States Senator from North Dakota from August 8, 1960 until his death in 1992. Prior to that he had served in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1959 to August 8, 1960. He was the son of NPL North Dakota Congressman Usher L...
and Mike Gravel
Mike Gravel
Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a former candidate in the 2008 presidential election....
.
External links
- G. Robert Blakey, Elias Demetracopoulos, Paul Hoch, Jim Hougan, Jim Lesar, Norman Mailer: JFK'S ASSASSINATION The New York Review of Books, Volume 50, Number 20, 18 December 2003
- Scott Armstrong, G. Robert Blakey, Vincent Bugliosi, Don DeLillo, Elias Demetracopoulos, Stephen Dorril: BLOCKED The New York Review of Books, Volume 52, Number 13, 11 August 2005