Memo to South Dakota Delegation

U.S. Senator Tim Johnson and U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin of South Dakota are cosponsors of legislation, in their respective chambers (S. 1089 and H.R. 1737), that would facilitate the issuance of visas to Castro regime officials seeking to travel to agricultural states, such as South Dakota, for the "inspection" of production facilities. Cuban law prohibits private citizens from engaging in any business activities, so these visas would solely benefit Castro regime officials.

The Sioux Fall Argus Leader and other South Dakota media outlets have amply reported that:

(AP) A couple charged with spying for Cuba over the last 30 years lived in South Dakota.

Retired State Department worker Walter Kendall Myers and his wife, Gwendolyn Steingraber Myers, are charged with passing U.S. secrets to the communist government.

An indictment says Walter Myers disclosed that he traveled to Cuba for two weeks in 1978, saying the trip was for personal and academic purposes.

The next year, a Cuban government official visited the couple in South Dakota and recruited them to be spies.

Gwendolyn Steingraber worked as a legislative aide for former U.S. Sen. Jim Abourezk before going to Pierre and serving as the Public Utilities Commission's deputy director for fixed utilities from early 1979 to December 1980.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Senator Johnson and Congresswoman Herseth should reconsider their co-sponsorship of S. 1089 and H.R. 1737 until the provisions facilitating U.S. visas for Castro regime officials are removed or until the Executive Branch concludes a complete damage assessment of the Myers' espionage activities.