Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, Testimony of James W McCord (Jim McCord)
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, Testimony of James W McCord (Jim McCord)
Master 10361 Part 1 Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 18, 1973. Testimony of James W McCord (Jim McCord) accompanied by Bernard Fensterwald Jr, Counsel Caucus Room, Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, Testimony of James W McCord (Jim McCord)
Samuel Dash, attorney. Did you have any knowledge, direct or indirect, that would lead you to believe or have information that the CIA was involved in this plan? James McCord. I had just the contrary, that there was no indication, no evidence, no statements to me that this was a CIA operation. That quite the contrary that it was an operation which involved the Attorney General of the United States at that point in time. Subsequently, he became the director of the Committee To Re-Elect the President, involved the counsel to the White House, involved Mr. Jeb Magruder and Mr. Liddy, who was then general counsel, at that point in time for the Committee To Re-Elect the President and subsequently was the finance committee general counsel. Therefore, in my mind there was an absolute certainty that the CIA was not involved, neither did I ever receive any statements from any of the other codefendants at any point in time up to June 17 or subsequently, that this was a CIA operation. Samuel Dash, attorney. For the record, your restatement of your belief that the Attorney General, Mr. Magruder, other than Mr. Liddy, was hearsay based on what Mr. Liddy told you and Mr. Hunt? James McCord. That is correct.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, Testimony of James W McCord (Jim McCord)
Samuel Dash, attorney. Now, would you have acted any differently with regard to this plan if you believed that Mr. Liddy was masterminding these plans on his own? James McCord. Yes, I would. Samuel Dash, attorney. And what would you have done? James McCord. Had the proposal for the operation been that of Mr. Liddy or Mr. Hunt or any other individual acting separately and apart from the White House or the Department of Justice, I would not have participated. I have a personal opinion that some others would not have participated, but that may not be relevant to your question. My question is a categorical answer to that, I would say that the decision made to participate was not one made immediately, but only after I saw that the gentlemen involved had given careful consideration to this operation over a period of time, including a 30-day waiting period which to me was highly significant.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, Testimony of James W McCord (Jim McCord)
Samuel Dash, attorney. Now, Mr. McCord, did you engage in any other break ins or wiretaps on your own or with Mr. Hunt, Mr. Liddy or others such as the break-in in Mr. Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office? James McCord. I did not. Samuel Dash, attorney. Now, after your arrest which you testified to, did you receive any money? James McCord. Yes, I did. Samuel Dash, attorney. From whom did you receive that money? James McCord. From the wife of E. Howard Hunt, Mrs. Hunt. Samuel Dash, attorney. Call you tell us how much money you did receive? James McCord. Yes, I received legal fees of $25,000 for the payment of lawyers. I received a continuation of salary from July through January at the rate of $3,000 a month, which the others were receiving as well. Samuel Dash, attorney. Did you have knowledge, information, and belief as to where this money came from? James McCord. I was told that it came from the Committee To Re-Elect the President by Mrs. Hunt. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). The same thing applies, the same rule, that it would be hearsay as to the committee and would not at this stage of the hearing be evidence to connect the Committee with it.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, Testimony of James W McCord (Jim McCord)
Samuel Dash, attorney. Now, after your arrest and at the time of the indictment, leading up to the trial or during the trial, did you receive any pressures, suggestions from any person concerning what you should do about that trial with regard to your plea, behavior, or conduct? James McCord. Yes, I did. Samuel Dash, attorney. Would you now please state to the committee from whom you received such directions or pressures, what it was? James McCord. Yes, it extended over a period of time beginning, to the best of my recollection, in late September or early October 1972, and it continued through the night before my conviction on January 29, 1972. The persons who communicated information to me, which I construed as political pressure, included Mr. E. Howard Hunt, Mrs. Hunt speaking for Mr. Hunt, she stated, my attorney Mr. Gerald Alch, Mr. John Caulfield Samuel Dash, attorney. Will you please repeat again the name of your attorney that you just stated? James McCord. Mr. Gerald, G-e-r-a-l-d, Alch, A-l-c-h, and Mr. John Caulfield, C-a-u-l-f-i-e-l-d, who had originally hired me for the position, or who had originally interviewed me for the position with the Committee to Re-Elect the President.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, Testimony of James W McCord (Jim McCord)
Samuel Dash, attorney. Now, with regard to Mr. Hunt, or Mrs. Hunt, recognizing with Mrs. Hunt we're dealing with hearsay and hearsay of someone who s no longer alive, what was communicated to you by these persons? James McCord. In regard to Mrs. Hunt or Mr. Hunt? Samuel Dash, attorney. First, Mr. Hunt. James McCord. Conversations with Mr. Hunt began to the best of my recollection in late September or early October 1972, when I would see him at the courthouse on various pretrial exercises or events, motions, which were transpiring, in which we would talk about various matters, including the situation that we were in, what the trial appeared to be at that point in time, that is what the future looked like for us and in telephone conversations, with him to me, in other words, both in person and by telephone. Mr. Hunt stated that the defendants were going to be provided with, or given Executive clemency after a period of time in prison, if they plead guilty or if sentenced in a plea of not guilty, that they were going to be given financial support while they were in prison that is their families would be and that rehabilitation, not specified, but rehabilitation, perhaps a job would be provided for the men after the release from prison.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, Testimony of James W McCord (Jim McCord)
Samuel Dash, attorney. All right. Let us leave out for the moment Mrs. Hunt. Would you now proceed to any conversations you had leading up to contacts with Mr. Caulfield and what Mr. Caulfield did state to you? James McCord. I have a statement, sir, in this regard. Samuel Dash, attorney. Do you have copies of that statement for the committee? James McCord. Yes. Samuel Dash, attorney. Could you please, Mr. Fensterwald, provide copies for the committee?