Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974 (1/2)
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974 (1/2)
[00.48.10] The CHAIRMAN. I recognize the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Seiberling. Mr. SEIBERLING. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am having a little trouble with the mechanics here. Mr. Chairman, last night Mr. Froehlich and I discussed his suggestion at least the members of the committee have before them a set of memorandum prepared by the staff, setting for the precise, evidence at the staff feels supports each one of the paragraphs of this article of impeachment. And I do think that that would be a very worthwhile. I understand that the staff has not yet had an opportunity to put the evidence in a definitive form that subtends these specific paragraphs. In lieu of that, the purpose of the discussion here is to get before us for purposes of debate the evidence that we believe, those who support the articles, and that is the purpose of this discussion. Now, I would just like to fill in a couple of items here that have been touched upon by the gentleman from Maine, the gentleman from California, but that it seems to me to be spelled out a little bit more. Reference was made to the fact that on June 23, Mr. Haldeman and Mr. Ehrlichman met at the President's direction with the head of the FBI and the Deputy Director of the CIA, Patrick Gray and Vernon Walters, but I think that we ought to get a little more information before us on that point. Remember that the risk that the link between the Committee to Re-Elect the President and the break-in burglars became more imminent a couple of days after the break-in By June 22, Mr. Gray had informed Mr. Dean that the $100 bills had been already traced to -Mr. Barker's bank account in Florida and that Mr. Dahlberg and Mr. Ogarrio in Mexico had been identified, and that the FBI planned to interview them. On June 23, Mr. Dean reported this information to Mr. Haldeman, who immediately reported it to the President. So there is no doubt that he President knows about, that. It is also undisputed that on June 23, the President directed Mr. Haldeman and Mr. Ehrlichman to meet with Director Helms of the FBI and Mr. Walters and express White House, concerns and ask Mr. Walters to meet with Gray and communicate those concerns to him, Now, what were those, concerns? Mr. Haldeman told Mr. Ehrlichman, who told Mr. Helms and Mr. Gray, that the FBI investigation was leading to important people and that it was the President's wish, because an FBI investigation in Mexico might uncover CIA activities or assets, that Mr. Walters suggest to Mr. Gray that the FBI should not pursue the matter, especially into Mexico. Now, the facts are these, that Mr. Helms said that there was no FBI problem in Mexico--CIA problem in Mexico, that it was not involved in this at all and second, the fact is that Mr. Ehrlichamn told the--told Mr. Gray not to keep the investigation away from the CIA but to limit it to the five men who had been arrested in the break-in in other words, keep it away from the rest of the, world. Now immediately after the meeting with Mr. Haldeman and Mr. Ehrlichman, Mr. Walters met with Mr. Gray and expressed concerns, and Mr. Gray agreed to hold up the FBI investigation into the Mexican connection. And that where stood for about, another 10 days until finally Mr. Gray--Mr. Walters came over to see Mr. Gray because, Mr. Gray had asked -Mr. Walters to put it in writing, and at that point the CIA said, we can't put, it in writing, and Mr. Walters said that the CIA -was being used and so -was the, FBI. Now let's go on to later in the summer Of 1972. During the summer of 1972, Mr. Dean and others were told by the FBI of the perjury and false statements of Mr. Magruder and Mr. Porter. Was this information given to the authorities? No. Why wasn't it? I think it is reasonable to infer that this Was Part Of the containment plan that the President later congratulated Mr. Dean for. [00.53.25]