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Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 5, 1973
[00.36.56] Mr. THOMPSON. On the Monday following the break-in at the Democratic National Committee, the Watergate, did you not shred a file yourself? Mr. REISNER. Yes. I did. The nature of that as I think just to understand the idea of shredding a file would I go through my mind, I think- you have to go into the nature of why files were shredded, there was a tremendous amount of paper in our committee. Part of my responsibility, giving Mr. Mitchell papers, documents, was to make five copies of each document that went to the campaign director. Senator ERVIN. I regret to say there is a signal for a vote in the Senate. 'We will come back as quickly as we can. [00.37.53--MacNEILL in studio] MacNEILL states that the while the Senators vote on an energy bill, there is time to mull over more information about a cash fund in Porter's Safe, much of which went to LIDDY. Solicits viewer response. NETWORK ID [Title Screen "SENATE HEARINGS ON CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES"] MacNEILL introduces more questioning about the CRP cash fund [00.41.32--in to shot of Sen. ERVIN] Senator ERVIN. The committee will come to order. I do not know whether Mr. Thompson finished his examination or not. Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I just have one other question. I have already exceeded my time and I apologize, but I do have one question. If I remember Mrs. Harmony's testimony correctly, she referred to a belief, I believe, that there were possible plants inside the Committee To Re-Elect. Do you have any knowledge or belief, was there any opinion as to that at of fact? Mr. REISNER. No, I did not. I know that there was a great deal of effort expended on finding such plants and we never found any. [00.42.44]
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 5, 1973
[00.42.44] Mr. THOMPSON, Why Was there a belief that there were such plants? Mr. REISNER. There were a number of occasions on which articles appeared in the newspaper in a way I think would have lent to great suspicion that there was material being fed out of our committee into the newspapers or possibly to other candidates. There was such a wire story the week prior to June 17, according -to my best recollection, and there were such occasions. Mr. Anderson, Jack Anderson, on several occasions had information that seemed that could only have, come from inside of our committee. Mr. THOMPSON. Prinitng Of internal committee documents? Mr. Reisner I do not believe there were any documents themselves but I do-- Mr. THOMPSON. References to what? Memorandums, letters? Mr. REISNER. To information and to activity and that sort of thing which was going on in our committee which I think could only have gotten into the newspaper if someone had fed it out of our committee. It was just a feeling. Mr. THOMPSON. Thank you. That is all, Mr. Chairman, Senator ERVIN. You stated that you kept some sort of a log. Mr. Reisner Exactly what was the log? Senator ERVIN. Yes. Mr. REISNER. My log was a sort of a daily report, of activity that was going on. I would be interrupted frequently and I might make a notation someone had come to me. Senator ERVIN. As I understand, you reported that your log shows prior to February 4, that there was a meeting at the White House attended by Magruder, Liddy, and Dean. Mr. Reisner Yes, sir. Senator ERVIN. Is that correct? Mr. Reisner Yes, sir. Senator ERVIN. And then, your log shows that on February 4, there Was a meeting Of Liddy, John Mitchell, Jeb Stuart Magruder, and John W. Dean III? Mr. REISNER. Yes; in the other notebook that was kept by Vicki Chern, Mr. Dean's name appears. It does not appear in mine. Senator ERVIN. Where did this meeting of February 4 take place? Mr. REISNER. Where was their disagreement? Senator ERVIN. Where did it take place? Mr. REISNER. That, meeting would have taken place in Mr. Mitchell's office at the Justice Departement. Senator ERVIN. At, the Justice Department,? Mr. REISNER. Yes, Sir. Senator ERVIN. Then--- Mr. REISNER. I believe. Senator ERVIN. YOU stated that In March that Mr. Magruder went to Key Biscayne in Florida for the purpose of meeting with Mr. Mitchell? Mr. REISNER. Yes, sir. Senator ERVIN-. And it was after he came back from Key Biscayne that Mr. Magruder told You to call Liddy and tell Liddy that it, was arranged? Mr. REISNER. Mr. Chairman to be precise, my recollection is that on one occasion I was asked to Call Mr. Liddy and to make such a statement. My recollection is that it was', could have occurred shortly after that trip because the time seems correct. I cannot be absolutely certain. Senator ERVIN. To whom did Magruder report at the Committee To Re-Elect the President? Mr. REISNER. Mr. Magruder worked for Mr. Mitchell. Senator ERVIN. Did Mr. Magruder send many memorandums to Mr. Mitchell? I Mr. REISNER. Yes. sir; he did. And also memorandums that would have been Prepared by senior staff members, at the committee would have been sent, through Mr. Magruder to Mr. Mitchell, Senator ERVIN. Now, how frequently did Mr. Magruder send Memorandums to Mr. Mitchell? Mr. REISNER. Mr. Magruder would have been unlikely to have met with Mr. Mitchell if he did not have some matters worthy of Mr. Mitchell's attention. He met with Mr. Mitchell virtually every day when Mr. Mitchell was campaign director and every day therefore, would probably have had memorandums. Senator ERVIN. And I understand from your testimony that Mr. Magruder had a file called the Mitchell file in which he placed documents which related to matters he wished to discuss with -Mr. Mitchell? Mr. REISNER. Yes, sir. Senator ERVIN. According to your best recollection, the file contained some Gemstone reports and was in those file papers on one occasion? Mr. Reisner Yes, Sir. Senator ERVIN. Now, you spoke about the time -Mr. Odle took out the blue file. Mr. REISNER. Yes, Senator Ervin. Which I understand contained Gemstone information and other information. Mr. REISNER. Yes, sir, Senator ERVIN. to as this the kind of a file the Gemstone file was In. Mr. REISNER. It Was, I believe, if that has my initials on it, it is the file that I gave to your staff in order to-- Senator ERVIN. It has your initials on it and dated 5/21/73, Mr. REISNER. Yes, sir; I gave it to your staff to indicate the kind of file it was. Senator ERVIN. Let that be marked appropriately as all exhibit and received in evidence as such. Senator ERVIN. Did anyone else receive copies of memos that Mr. Magruder sent to Mr. Mitchell? Mr. REISNER. Yes, sir; each document to Mr. Mitchell went through me, would have been a formal document to Mr. Mitchell, a duplicate copy was sent to Mr. Haldeman's office. [00.48.16]
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 5, 1973
[00.48.16] Senator ERVIN. Mr. Haldeman was Chief of Staff in the White House? Mr. REISNER. That is correct. In fairness to the nature of what we, were doing there, we were working for the President who was the candidate and, therefore, we were providing him the, opportunity I , if he wished, or if Mr. Haldeman wished to see any documents that were taking place in his campaign. Senator ERVIN. Do you know whether anyone on the Committee To Re-Elect the President ever received any communications from Mr. Haldeman? Mr. Reisner Yes, sir; I would imagine that a number of people--to be precise--Mr. Haldeman had working for him a man named Mr. Gordon Strachan. It was my impression that Mr. Strachan communicated frequently with many members in the committee. Mr. Haldeman himself may have communicated directly with other senior staff members. 1 do not imagine that it was frequent. Senator ERVIN. Would it be proper to describe Mr. Strachan. 's activities as something in the nature of liaison between the Committee To Re-Elect the President and Mr. Haldeman? Mr. REISNER. Yes,sir. Senator ERVIN. Have you had any conversation with Mr. Magruder since June 17? Mr. REISNER. Yes, sir; I have on a number of occasions. You mean Conversations related to the concerns of your committee? Senator ERVIN. Yes. Mr. Reisner I have subsequent to June 17, there took place a' conversation in which I asked Mr, Magruder about some of the things which I have described previously. I think I asked him by my Of raising some suspicion, just what was going on, and I think I asked him on that occasion what Gemstone was, because I did not know what Gemstone was, and he indicated to me that he did not know what Gemstone was either. Now, at that time I was asking him are we involved in thi's thing, are we connected to this thing, because it looks a little suspicious, and he indicated to me that we were not. There was another conversation in which Mr. Magruder, I had volunteered to be helpful to another member of the committee and it would have, I think, involved me getting involved in subsequent activities, and he indicated to me that I should not. Senator ERVIN. Now, in Your conversation with Mr. -Magruder in Which You asked Mr. Magruder what the Gemstone file meant or was-- did that occur after he had called from California and asked That it, be removed from the. committee headquarters over the weekend? Mr. REISNER. Yes, sir; the conversation I am describing took place in his office.. I think he may have initiated it; by calling me. into his office and saying you know, how are things going or something like that. Senator ERVIN. After that, he told you he did not know what, the Gemstone file was? Mr. REISNER. That is correct. Senator ERVIN. He told you and Mr. Odle the night when be called from California that, it was very sensitive, did he. not,? Mr. REISNER. Yes, he did. Senator ERVIN. Please remove it, from the office over the weekend? Mr. Reisner Yes, he did. Senator ERVIN. How many times did Mr. Magruder Meet with John Mitchell before John Mitchell became the, campaign director? Mr. REISNER. Prior to 'March 1, 1 can only Speak of the times between November and March when I knew Mr. Magruder. He met with him several times a week, I would say, on the, average. That, is indicated in the notebook that by have described and Vicki Chern kept. Senator ERVIN. And that was while Mr. Mitchell was still Attorney General and had offices in the Justice Department? Mr. REISNER. Yes, Sir; he went down to meet -Mr. Mitchell, that, is right. Senator ERVIN. 'Now, how many times did Mr, 'Magruder meet with Mr. Mitchell after Mr. Mitchell resigned, ceased to be Attorney General and took up offices in the headquarters of the Committee To Re-Elect the President? MI REISNER. I Would say 'Mr. Magruder perhaps early in March, when Mr. Mitchell also was concerned with the hearings concerning ITT, it may not have had this frequency, but certainly with the exception of those days it was my impression that Mr. -Magruder met with Mr. Mitchell every day. Senator ERVIN. When was your first conversation With Mr. Magruder on June 19 1972? Mr. Reisner On June 19, 1972? That was on the Monday morning When Mr. Magruder returned' from California. I believe I just saw him when he came in and did not have an opportunity to talk to him, Senator ERVIN. Did -Mr. -Magruder have meetings from time to time with members of the White House staff? MR. REISNER. Yes, sir. Senator ERVIN. How frequently? Mr. REISNER. I -would say that. I would say that be, met, with different members of the White House staff who were concerned with different aspects of the campaign practically every day, certainly as the campaign he heated up and became more active he did, but that could have, that would have to be verified in the calendar, I cannot Speak precisely. Senator ERVIN. Where did the meetings take place" Mr. REISNER. It depended on the individual. If it Was a Senior member of the White House staff I Would say that it probably took place at the White House or in the Executive Office Building. if it was a member, more junior member of the staff, it probably took place in our office. [00.54.02]
Plane in the air - a park
African scenics
Scenic Africa
Africa scenic
Africa scenics TRANSFERRED TO PREVIEW CASSETTE #98554
ON PREVIEW CASSETTE 95519 Waterfalls - Africa - natives
Victoria Falls
On preview cassette 222220 Victoria Falls, Africa - MS African boy carrying (piggy back) another younger, smaller African child.
Waterfall - Africa
Africa - panning shot of lake
Africa - spring/small bridge
Sun through tropical jungle
Africa plains (by air)
African jungle
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Scenic tree
Aerial over jungle - jungle river
Cows on the field - Africa
Africa zebra or zeba?? (No idea what animals - very breif clip)
River - background tower
Africa - boat - pov boat
Africa - sailing boat - lake