Halperin v. Kissinger

Halperin v. Kissinger was a court case filed by Morton Halperin against National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, who approved wiretapping Halperin's home and White House office, starting in 1969. Halperin dropped the case after Kissinger publicly apologized on November 13, 1992.

The tap was illegal, as it was performed without the required court order. When Kissinger's apology was made public he said he had "acquiesed" to a tap suggested by others. Halperin had been one of Kissinger's aides and was suspected of leaking The Pentagon Papers. The taps remained in place for 21 months.

Halperin filed the case in 1973, when he learned of the taps. He sued Kissinger, Richard Nixon, Attorney General John N. Mitchell and H.R. (Bob) Haldeman, and other officials, but the suit only went forward against those four. Initially a Washington Court ruled that the officials acted in "good faith", so they couldn't be sued. This ruling was overturned upon an appeal to the Washington DC court of appeals. Eventually the United States Supreme Court endorsed the ruling of the appeals court.

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