ABSTRACT
Liberal members of Congress condemned Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) intervention, and then went ahead arid approved the $9 million for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in exchange for a loosely worded agreement that the CIA would refrain from covertly influencing the elections inside Nicaragua. Many lawmakers were opposed to admit CIA involvement simply because they believed that the covert route would do more damage than good to the opposition in Nicaragua. The United States never had any intention of renouncing CIA covert activities "in exchange for" congressional approval of, and Nicaraguan acquiescence to, overt NED intervention. In October 1989, Carmen officials met with the NED's deputy director of programs, Barbara Haig, to discuss coordination of the Nicaragua project with the NED. The press release was actually prepared by a Washington public relations firm, the Carmen Group, which was founded in 1982 by David Carmen; his father, Gerald Carmen; and Max Hugel.
