Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Sergeant Paul Leeper
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Sergeant Paul Leeper
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Sergeant Paul William Leeper, Metropolitan Police Department United States Senate Caucus Room, Washington DC
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Sergeant Paul Leeper
Senator Howard BAKER (R-TN). Mr. Chairman might I impose on my colleagues just for one minute, there's one question I meant to ask him, but I overlooked, and it won't take but just a second, You testified sergeant that I recall that no telephone calls were made by the prisoners. Sergeant Paul LEEPER. That's affirmative sir. Senator BAKER. And at the next morning at nine something or other, two lawyers appeared. Sergeant LEEPER. Yes sir. Senator BAKER. Now did anyone else besides lawyers appear? Sergeant LEEPER. No, other than Mr. Stanley Greg ? who we brought down to the station in order to, he was used as the complainant on the 251 which is a police report, and of course there was a lot of police, you mean other than police personnel? Senator BAKER. Yes, other than police personnel, anybody appear to make bond for them or to talk to them or to represent them whether they were lawyers or anybody else? Sergeant LEEPER. No sir not to my knowledge. Senator BAKER. Who would know that? Sergeant LEEPER. Well I was there from the time of the arrest till seven o'clock Saturday night, and I had no occasion to meet anyone, you know other than the two lawyers who had came in and in fact I didn't talk to them, they talked to assistant chief ..... Senator BAKER. So, we can be safe in assuming that no one else talked to these prisoners from the time you took them to the station house until seven o'clock the evening of June 17th, except the two lawyers that you've identified, other than police officials..... Sergeant LEEPER. Yes sir. Senator BAKER. FBI officials, anybody else? Sergeant LEEPER. No sir. Senator BAKER. Thank you, thank you.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Sergeant Paul Leeper
Senator Ed GURNEY (R-Florida) Sergeant did you or any of the other police in the station house find out how these lawyers knew these people were there, under your custody? Sergeant LEEPER. No sir, I believe when they came in, I didn't talk to them when they came in, but I understand they said to the station clerk, the first police officer they had contact with, "We're here to represent the five men that are locked up". Senator GURNEY. But no one asked them who advised them? Sergeant LEEPER. No, the officer didn't, he should have asked them at that time, what are their names, but he didn't, he just referred them to assistant chief Wright ?, who talked to them on. Senator GURNEY. Did you ever find out who did call them? Sergeant LEEPER. No sir. Senator GURNEY. No further questions Mr. Chairman.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Sergeant Paul Leeper
Senator Daniel INOUYE (D-Hawaii). Thank you. Sergeant Leeper you've indicated that the men you arrested all gave false names. Sergeant LEEPER. Yes sir. Senator INOUYE. In your search of the, in your physical search did you come across any identity papers or papers to identify these men? Sergeant LEEPER. Well, senator Mr. Sturgess, Frank Sturgess who used the name of Hamilton, he had a visa from Mexico in an alias name. Mr. McCord, I'm not sure on the drivers license (turns back, talks to officer Barrett seated behind him) also Mr. Sturgess had a drivers license, I believe either from New York State or Massachusetts. Senator INOUYE. Was it made out in their real names? Sergeant LEEPER. No, he also used the name of Frank Fiorini, he had about three of four different alias'. Senator INOUYE. So all of these identity papers were in their false names? Sergeant LEEPER. Yes sir. Senator INOUYE. Did you check to see where they got these identity papers? Sergeant LEEPER. No senator, after the arrests were made and the defendants booked, a lot of the leg work so to speak, the investigative work was picked up by the Washington field office and our burglary squad. It was almost in reality, taken out of our hands. In other words we did not go over to the National airport and find out what plane they had flew in on and things of that. Senator INOUYE. Are these identity papers still available? Sergeant LEEPER. Yes sir, they're either held by US Attorneys office which is still involved in this case or they would be down at our property office. Senator INOUYE. Were they very professionally made? Sergeant LEEPER. I couldn't comment on that sir, I don't think I have the qualifications to say that. Whether they were or weren't. Senator INOUYE. Mr. Chairman may we request to have these identity papers? Mr. DASH. We may have, I think we have some of the exhibits that were turned over by the police department. Mr. Thompson do we have that? Senator INOUYE. Mr. Leeper you've indicated that in the service of your search warrant, you had an assistant United States Attorney Mr. Charles work with you? Sergeant LEEPER. That's affirmative sir. Senator INOUYE. Is it the usual procedure to have an assistant United States Attorney in a burglary case? Sergeant LEEPER. No sir, but being where this burglary had occurred, the dress and manor of these men, we felt that it was just a little bit bigger than the average burglary that goes down in the city. Senator INOUYE. So the DC police department requested the assistance of the .... Sergeant LEEPER. Yes sir I think Inspector Charles M. Monroe was the night inspector who assisted us on it, and I think he requested through the chiefs office to get this attorney to help us. Senator INOUYE. You've also indicated that you had a meeting with Mr. Silbert. Sergeant LEEPER. I've had many meetings with him, yes sir. Senator INOUYE. What was the nature of your conversations? Sergeant LEEPER. Preparing myself, Officer Barrett and Officer Shoffler for the case when it went to in front of the court. When it went to court. Senator INOUYE. It has been reported that when Mr. McCord was taken to the station he was recognized by several officers, is that true? Sergeant LEEPER. Uh, senator I didn't leave that station just for you know on and off, maybe to go down to the Watergate to serve the search warrants till seven o'clock the next night. I didn't go to court with Mr. McCord, he may have been recognized down there, I can't answer that sir.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Sergeant Paul Leeper
Senator INOUYE. What happened to the property that was taken as a result of your search warrant? Sergeant LEEPER. Well, like I stated before senator some of the property is down at our property office, and I understand that some of it is being used by the US Attorney's office in the processing of the case. Senator INOUYE. A list was made on Saturday wasn't it, after the search? Sergeant LEEPER. Yes sir. Senator INOUYE. Why is it that it wasn't available until the 19th at five P.M.? Sergeant LEEPER. (looking puzzled) Senator INOUYE. I was told that an official of the Democratic National Committee wanted to have a list of those things that were taken out and the police department could not furnish him a list until five PM on the nineteenth. Sergeant LEEPER. I couldn't answer that senator, once the property left our hands it's handed to mobile crime that's their purpose and uh they have officials down there and you would have to go through them. Senator INOUYE. Who had charge of the investigation by the DC police department? Sergeant LEEPER. Inspector Preit ? (Preet) who was that time deputy, he was inspector, he was deputy commander of the CID (Criminal Investigative Department). Senator INOUYE. During the handling of this case, did you ever receive any special instructions on how to, or advice from anyone? Sergeant LEEPER. No other than what I'd said before, we had meetings with the US Attorneys office just preparing us to go to court on the case, which is just the normal, if you have any type of case you usually meet with the US Attorney prior to you going into the courtroom. Senator INOUYE. When was the investigation discontinued by the police department? Sergeant LEEPER. Well for us senator it was almost discontinued other than testifying in court that Saturday. In other words, the investigation and the running down of the different leads was handled by our burglary squad and the Washington field office. As far as Officer Barrett, Shoffler and myself other than testifying in court, it ended on Saturday. Senator INOUYE. Is this case closed as far as the DC Police Department is concerned? Sergeant LEEPER. I couldn't answer that right now sir. Senator INOUYE. I understand that the chief FBI agent in charge, a Mr. Lano called your department on June the twenty second complaining of leaks of information to the press. Did he make such a call? Sergeant LEEPER. I don't know sir, he didn't make such a call to myself. Senator INOUYE. Thank you very much.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Sergeant Paul Leeper
Senator Sam ERVIN. Senator Weicker. Senator Lowell P. WEICKER (R-CT) Thank you Mr. Chairman, just two very brief questions, one for sergeant Leeper and then one for Officer Barrett. Sergeant do you think that the result would have been any different if it had been uniformed police in a marked car that had arrived to take care of this matter? Sergeant LEEPER. Yes sir, I don't think there would have been any apprehension. Senator WEICKER. Why do you say that? Sergeant LEEPER. Well, because the fact that Baldwin would have made the marked car, it has police written on it in six places, it's got a big dome light on the top of it, and the officers dressed in full uniform, there would be no doubt that it was the police and I think that just gave us an edge of say five minutes and Baldwin didn't make us till he'd seen Shoffler's gun on the terrace, and then at that time I don't think he really knew for sure if we were police or not. But he felt we were probably some type of security force, you know security force for the Democratic Party.