Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Robert Odle.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Robert Odle.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Robert Odle. United States Senate Caucus Room, Washington, DC
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Robert Odle.
Mr. Robert Odle's testimony continues. (Audio is very hard to hear) Mr. ODLE. ..... his desk had been opened by Mr. Reisner I assume. Senator JOSEPH MONTOYA (D-NM). So, was that desk opened most of the time? Mr. ODLE. No, I don't believe it was. It probably was when he was there. Senator MONTOYA. Well, how do you know that it was opened by Mr. Reisner? Mr. ODLE. I don't, I said I suppose. I know I didn't open it because I don't have a key. Senator MONTOYA. Did you have keys on some of the file cabinets? Mr. ODLE. I had keys to my own file cabinets. Senator MONTOYA. Did the others? Mr. ODLE. Other people would have keys to their file cabinets, yes. Senator MONTOYA. Where were the secret documents filed and in whose office? Mr. ODLE. Sir, I didn't know that there were secret documents. Senator MONTOYA. You did procure a secret document for the FBI didn't you? Mr. ODLE. No, no they wanted things.... Senator MONTOYA. There were certain documents, stated documents and you were told where those documents were. Is that it? Mr. ODLE. They asked me to produce certain documents as the senate committee has done, and I went around and tried to find them for them. Senator MONTOYA. Well, then you had availability to most of the files if you went... Mr. ODLE. I went to the people who had custody of the files and asked them if I might have, if they did have this. Senator MONTOYA. Alright, alright. Now, what kind of arrangement did you have with Mr. McCord and what was his job classification? Mr. ODLE. Mr. McCord was hired as the security consultant to the committee, beginning in October of 1971, he was part-time. And he was to be a part-time security consultant, he then became... Senator MONTOYA. What did you conceive to be his duty as security consultant? Mr. ODLE. Um, in the broad range from the time that he began until, well he would have of course you know, stayed on, a number of areas. To go through them, the physical security of the building, we were concerned..... Senator MONTOYA. Was that his prime duty? Mr. ODLE. Oh, it was his only duty. Senator MONTOYA. Alright. Mr. ODLE. The physical security of the building and the people in it. Senator MONTOYA. And uh, did you ever pay him any, uh any money for uh, by way of reimbursement for travel out of Washington? Mr. ODLE. Um, once he went to New York to inspect the offices of November Group and once I believe he went to Chicago to look at out direct mail warehouse. Uh, when he came back I believe he submitted expense vouchers, a weekly expense form. I initialed those, signed them, to reimburse him for his plane fare, and then he would have been paid, yes. That was customary. Senator MONTOYA. Did you authorize him to go to those places, for that specific purpose? Mr. ODLE. Yes sir. I authorized him to go to um to New York to inspect offices of November Group, to Chicago to inspect our direct mail warehouse. Senator MONTOYA. Did he go anywhere else for which he received reimbursement from the committee? Mr. ODLE. Um, he went to Miami to look at the hotel Doral (?) and I suspect that he would received imbursement for that, yes. Senator MONTOYA. You had to ok all his reimbursements, did you not? Mr. ODLE. Theoretically. Senator MONTOYA. Unless he was baiting cash by some other individual, who had available cash for that purpose. Did anyone have such cash available? Mr. ODLE. Not that I knew of. Never. Senator MONTOYA. Are you aware that any of them, any employee of the CRZ, or CRP could have dispersed funds for Mr. McCord's travel to other places other than the ones which you have named? Mr. ODLE. No, I was not, and when I read in the newspapers that he had cash, I was very surprised, because the way that the system was set up, those things were to go through me.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Robert Odle.
Senator MONTOYA. What kind of work or consultation transpired when Mr. Colson would visit the particular offices. And on how many occasions did he visit? Mr. ODLE. I don't remember seeing Mr. Colson at the committee sir. Senator MONTOYA. Well, are you aware that anyone was in touch with him at the white house, at any time? Mr. ODLE. Yes sir, people at out committee met with him. Senator MONTOYA. Did you ever see Mr. Howard Hunt, in that particular building? Mr. ODLE. Sir I've never seen Mr. Howard Hunt to this day. Senator MONTOYA. Are you aware that he was in touch with any individuals in the building or employees of the committee? Mr. ODLE. I never heard his name even until after June 17. Senator MONTOYA. How long did you keep Mr. McCord on the payroll after the Watergate bugging? Mr. ODLE. About 1 minute (courtroom laughs, funny) Senator MONTOYA. How were you employed to go to the CRP? Mr. ODLE. I was asked by Mr. Magruder. Senator MONTOYA. What were you doing at that time? Mr. ODLE. I was a staff assistant at the White House. Senator MONTOYA. And where are you now employed? Mr. ODLE. I'm a consultant at the committee. Senator MONTOYA. Where you employed in any other position after the election? Mr. ODLE. Yes, from May 1 until May 7 I was a consultant at the Department of Agriculture. Senator MONTOYA. Who recommended you for this job? Mr. ODLE. Um, people at the white house. Senator MONTOYA. Who specifically? Mr. ODLE. I'm not exactly certain who initiated the call over there. I suspect the white house personnel office which is, which would have done it. Senator MONTOYA. Did you receive any communications tapes or any other memoranda, (Mr. Odle looks to his right, and scratches his face) which were taken as a result of the bugging of Watergate and the democratic national committee? Mr. ODLE. Never. Senator MONTOYA. Were you aware that any of this might of been stored in the building over which you were the administrator? Mr. ODLE. No sir, I was not. Senator MONTOYA. Did you ever discuss with Sally Harmony any of the memos which she typed for Mr. Liddy related directly from the wire taps? Mr. ODLE. No sir, I did not, and have not. Senator MONTOYA. Now, you mentioned a few minutes ago that there was communications between the CRP and the Republican national committee. Mr. ODLE. Yes sir there was co-operation and communication. Senator MONTOYA. What kind of liaison went on between the two committees? Mr. ODLE. Well sir, I would say for example, that the people in our political division would work with the people in the RNC's (republican national committee) field operations division. The people in our press office would work with people in their communications office, that sort of thing. I worked with the administrative guy there. Senator MONTOYA. Did you have people going back and forth between the two? Mr. ODLE. Back and forth between payrolls, or visiting? Senator MONTOYA. No, no not on payrolls, communication between peoples. Did you have people going back and forth between the Republican national committee and the CRP? Mr. ODLE. Yes. Senator MONTOYA. And how close were you to each other? Mr. ODLE. They were here on capitol hill, and we're at 17th and Pennsylvania.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Robert Odle.
Senator MONTOYA. Now, you mentioned also that some of the major decisions were made by attorney general Mitchell while he was at the Justice department. Mr. ODLE. I presumed they were, decision memorandums were sent to Mr. Mitchell, from time to time. Senator MONTOYA. What kind of memoranda was sent to Mr. Mitchell, and what kind of major decisions did you have in mind that he made? Mr. ODLE. Well, it was not I who had them in mind sir, 'cause I wasn't at that level of the campaign, but for example, we were involved in that point in staffing and some of the decisions were who should we bring aboard to do this job or that job and things like that. It's hard to think back, that's almost two years ago. But, I would say the major campaign decisions. Senator MONTOYA. I'll read you this memorandum and ask you if you know anything about it. It's from the citizens for the re-election of the president, Washington, July 3rd, 1971. Styled Confidential. Memorandum for the Attorney General, Subject Grantsmanship. Mr. ODLE. Subject what? Senator MONTOYA. Grantsmanship. Do you know what that means? Mr. ODLE. I'm not certain. Senator MONTOYA. That means the business of making grants in government for political consideration and for political credit. Mr. ODLE. No, I .... (Mr. Odle takes a drink of water) Senator MONTOYA. And it reads as follows, enclosed is a copy of a proposal to insure that the president and his congressional supporters, get proper credit for federal government programs. This proposal was written by Bill Horton and Fred Malek's office with the assistance of Bill Gifford OMB and Peter (unclear) in Harry Dents office. If implemented, this should be an effective method of insuring that political considerations are taken into account. Signed Jeb S. Magruder, with his initials, and the enclosure is the memorandum. Mr. DASH. (speaking about memorandum - unclear) Senator MONTOYA. You will now be presented with the memorandum. Mr. ODLE. Um, I recognize the form sir, of the memorandum. Our stationary of course, I don't recognize this exact memorandum. I don't believe I've seen this one, but this is, this is I don't mean the subject matter is a similar subject matter, but this the kind of way that which memorandums might have been transmitted to Mr. Mitchell. Senator MONTOYA. Did you send, or did you see similar memoranda going out of the office, of which you were in charge of administration? Mr. ODLE. Um, my memorandums for example, would have asked Mr. Mitchell if it would have been proper to take more office space. I remember one time when we found that none of our people could find cabs very easily in the streets, if it would be alright we leased a car or something like that, yes. Senator MONTOYA. Well how far back was the committee or it's administrator sending memoranda or memorandums to Mr. Mitchell at the department of justice? Mr. ODLE. I believe after it was there for awhile, after it had been staffed up, I would say May of 1971. Senator MONTOYA. And you still presume that he was making some major decisions in the department of justice, prior to the time he resigned as attorney general? Mr. ODLE. Of course, yes. Senator MONTOYA. That is all, thank you. Mr. DASH. Can we have that exhibit back, and can we have it entered for the record.