CIA MK-Ultra 'Operation Midnight Climax' Brothel Drug Experiments — SF Examiner (Aug 5, 1977)
This document is a clipping from the San Francisco Examiner (Page 3, Friday, August 5, 1977), preserved in the CIA's CREST archive. It reports that CIA Director Adm. Stansfield Turner, in San Francisco for a Commonwealth Club speaking engagement, denounced the agency's past brothel drug experiments, stating they had ended some 12 years earlier and that no such operations continued. The article describes 'Operation Midnight Climax,' an elaborately decorated brothel run in San Francisco under which $100 prostitutes brought private citizens to the location and drugged them without their knowledge, usually with LSD, while CIA researchers filmed through a two-way mirror to study thought control and sexual behavior. The article ties the program to the MKULTRA program headed by Dr. Sidney Gottlieb, and reports that four former CIA-connected individuals—Robert Lashbrook, Walter Pasternak, and consultant Dr. Charles Geschickter—refused to testify before a Senate Health and Intelligence committee inquiry headed by Sen. Edward Kennedy, prompting subpoenas for a September 2 appearance. The Geschickter Fund for Medical Research is described as a conduit for CIA research money. The documents underlying the story were released by the CIA under the Freedom of Information Act.
Description
A San Francisco Examiner news clipping dated August 5, 1977, archived in the CIA CREST reading room, reporting CIA Director Adm. Stansfield Turner's denunciation of the MKULTRA-related 'Operation Midnight Climax' brothel drug experiments, in which private citizens were lured to a San Francisco brothel and unwittingly drugged with LSD while observed through a two-way mirror. It also covers the refusal of four former CIA personnel to testify before a Senate inquiry.
Claims
The Geschickter Fund for Medical Research was used as a conduit for CIA research money.
90%Dr. Sidney Gottlieb headed the MKULTRA program.
90%CIA Director Adm. Stansfield Turner stated the brothel drug experiments ended some 12 years earlier and that no such operations continue.
90%The operation was code-named Operation Midnight Climax under the MK-Ultra program headed by Dr. Sidney Gottlieb.
90%Four former CIA personnel refused to testify voluntarily before the Senate inquiry, prompting subpoenas.
90%Four former CIA-connected individuals refused to testify before the Senate inquiry and were subpoenaed to appear September 2.
88%CIA lured private citizens to a San Francisco brothel and unwittingly drugged them, usually with LSD, filming them through a two-way mirror to study thought control and sexual behavior.
85%Private citizens were lured to a San Francisco brothel and unwittingly drugged, usually with LSD, while CIA researchers observed through a two-way mirror.
85%The brothel drug experiments ended some 12 years before 1977 and no such operations continued, according to CIA Director Stansfield Turner.
80%The stated purpose of the research was to learn about thought control and sexual behavior.
80%
Events
Aug 4, 1977
Stansfield Turner denounces CIA brothel drug experiments
CIA Director Turner publicly denounced the brothel drug experiments during a San Francisco visit for a Commonwealth Club engagement.
Operation Midnight Climax brothel experiments
CIA ran a San Francisco brothel where private citizens were unwittingly drugged with LSD and observed; reportedly ended some 12 years before 1977 (circa 1965).
Sep 1, 1977
Refusal to testify and issuance of subpoenas
Four former CIA-connected individuals refused to testify voluntarily; subpoenas were issued for a September 2 appearance before the Senate committee.
CIA document release under FOIA
Documents disclosing the operation were released by the CIA under the Freedom of Information Act, prompting the inquiry.
Jan 10, 2005
CREST approval for release
The clipping was approved for release in the CIA CREST archive.
Aug 4, 1977
SF Examiner publishes report on CIA brothel drug experiments
Article reports Adm. Turner's denunciation of MKULTRA-linked drug tests and the refusal of four former CIA personnel to testify.
Aug 4, 1977
Four witnesses refuse to testify before Senate inquiry
Three former CIA employees and a former consultant independently refused to appear voluntarily before Senate committees.
Sep 1, 1977
Subpoenas issued for Sept. 2 appearance
After refusals, subpoenas were issued for the witnesses to appear September 2.
Jan 10, 2005
CIA declassification release
Document approved for release under CIA reading room review.
Dates mentioned
Keywords
Entities
Organizations
Extracted text (OCR)
Approved For Release 2005/01/11 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000200230007-4 _ Fri. . Aug. 5, 1977 | . iad * SF EXAMINER Page 3 A CIA: dperation’” ‘in: “Which sprivate citizens were lured to a San Francisco brothel and unwittingly drugged was denounced today, by” Mhe director’ of the CIA: ; Adm. “ Stanstield Turner said :, ithe brothel. drug ‘ experiments — ended some 12 years ago and that gero”, such T bordellos are being” ;Dperated n now’: otPhey are ‘all’ ‘past “ior,” said: “Turner.who is in San Francisco for-: Lar. Commonwealth Club: speaking an . made‘ the decision not to testify - engagement... Le “th; tg-epi on ur, The’ most: inexplicable ‘part s'was ‘simply that here in San’ Fran: Seisco and some other places in the ::: (eountry, in the’ name’ of ‘under.’ ” standing the potential use of drugs’: “to be used against our‘ people and +" “against our intelligence’ ‘activities, .” ed by athere were apparently: tests con: "Mass sducted: ‘on individuals without thei dees: chert, abhorrent: to” you: ‘and! to: ‘me “and I can assure all of you that this activity is not and will not. be . tolerated in our- intelligence sys- tems.” . in Washington, “meanwhile, three former CIA employes and a former CLA consultant refused to \ testify before a Senate inquiry into : "the drug and bordello operation. .” Turner ‘said that the four had . independently and that the agency . «had not bsen in touch with the four since documents disclosing the op: - erating were discovered... - The four had beer’ expected to ‘and Intelligence’ committees head- - When the committees ‘investi _. gators’ were notified. of the ur . Tefusal to testify, ‘subpoenas’..were < issued for the appearance Sept. 2 One of those’ subpoenaed was! Dr. Sidney Gottleib who headed the ' MEK-Ultra program; according’: to’ ~ : P eC . employes identified in the subpoe- Midnight Climax." en: appear -before the Senate Health’. Sen. Edward Kennedy, F De documents. released. by -the CIA under the Freedom of Information Act. | ; The program ran an elaborate- ly decorated brothel in San Francis- co under the code name Operation Documents made publi¢ by the -CIA indicate private citizens were taken to the ‘bordello by‘ $100 prostitutes and drugged without their knowledge, usually with LSD. . _, CIA researchers then watched through a two-way mirror, filming what happened when’ the subjects went into the bedroom’ with, the | prostitutes, according to documents and testimony. siven to the Senate probers.. : Senate investigators were told, was “The purpose of the research,’ to learn about thought. egntrol and... sexual behavior. - “ The: two wig haat CIA’ nas were Robert Lashbrook. and Walter Pasternak. “The consultant is Dr. Charles Geschickter, a highly ‘respected . former Georgetown University pro- fessor, who headed the Geschickter Fund for Medical Research. Documents obtained by the committee from the CIA indicate that the fund was used as a conduit :: _ for research money from the CIA. .. The committee met in closed | session’ this morning after being | ‘notified that the four witnesses had _ refused to appear voluntarily. cece SLA oS ae em, Approved For Release 2005/01/11; CIA-RDP88-01315R000200230007-4
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Connected through the network
SF-2026-000994
News Coverage of CIA Director Turner's San Francisco Remarks on Operation Midnight Climax (August 1977)
SF-2026-000709