Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974 (1/2)
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974 (1/2)
[00.14.27] The gentleman from Alabama. Mr. FLOWERS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The CHAIRMAN. The clerk will read the amendment. The CLERK. [reading] Amendment by Mr. Flowers. Strike subparagraph 4 of the Sarbanes substitute. Mr. FLOWERS Mr. Chairman, I would like the same motion that the 'debate on my amendment be limited to 20 minutes to be divided 10 minutes to the proponents of the motion and 10 minutes to those that oppose the motion. I ask unanimous consent. Mr. CHAIRMAN. Without objection, and the policy will accordingly be the same, that the 20 minutes will be divided among the proponents and the opponents evenly. Mr. FLOWERS. Thank- you, Mr. Chairman. I have discussed at length this subparagraph with the gentleman from Maryland, Mr. Hogan, and I would yield my time to him. Mr. HOGAN. I thank the gentleman from Alabama. As we know, the paragraph -reads: Interfering or endeavoring to interfere with the conduct of investigations by the Department of Justice of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force. Now, perhaps I feel the importance of this more than most because of my former affiliation with the FBI,. but the fact that the President and the White House used the FBI and the CIA to thwart the investigation troubles me very deeply because if we do not have confidence In these important sensitive agencies, then the very core of our country is in jeopardy. So I am going to be very specific and my colleagues, if they so desire, can have from me later citations in the evidentiary record to substantiate the comments which I am going to make. on June 21, 1972, Ehrlichman told Acting FBI Director Gray that Dean would be handling inquiry into Watergate for the White House. The following day, the 22d of June Gray informed Dean that the $100 bills found on the Watergate burglars had been traced to the Miami bank account of Bernard Barker, who, as you will recall, was one of the burglars, and Ogarrio had been identified as the makers of the checks and that the FBI was trying to locate these men for interview. The following day Dean reported this information to Haldeman and Haldeman reported it to the President. We, subpenaed a tape of the conversation between the President and Mr. Haldeman and it was not, given to us. But we do know from other testimony that the, same day the President personally directed Haldeman and Ehrlichman to meet with CIA Director Helms and Deputy CIA Director Walters to express White House concerns and ask Walters to meet with FBI Director Gray and communicate these White House concerns to Gray. They did meet with Helms. And Helms told Ehrlichman and Haldeman that there was no CIA involvement in the Watergate break-in and he told him that he had previously given similar assurances to Mr. Gray. Haldeman told Helms that the FBI investigation was leading, to important people and it was, the President's wish, because an FBI investigation in Mexico might uncover CIA activities or assets, that Walters suggested to Gray that it was not, advantageous to pursue the inquiry, into Mexico . Ehrlichman's testimony subsequently was that the Mexican checks traced to this Florida bank account were dismissed as a specific example of the President concern. NOW, why Were, they concerned about these, checks? They -were concerned because these checks were a direct, link from the burglars to the, Committee TO Re-Elect the President. And if that link had not been forged, we would not, be, sitting here today. So that is why they did not want the, investigation to go forward into Mexico. During or shortly after the meeting among Ehrlichman, Haldeman Helms, and Walters, John Dean called Gray and told him that he Could expect. call from Deputy CIA Director Walters. Immediately after the meeting with Haldeman and Ehrlichman, Walters met with Gray and expressed these so-called concerns. So Gray agreed to hold up the, FBI interview of Ogarrio and he, indicated that the FBI, however Was still going, to try to locate Dahlberg. Parenthetically, at, this very time Dahlberg was meeting with Maurice Stans at the Committee To Re-Elect the President while the FBI was trying to find him. Walters thinking that there might possibly be, some CIA involvement of which he was not personally aware, checked his operatives Checked his Operatives in the field to see if there was any jeopardy to CIA activities, He found out from them that there was no jeopardy involved. on June, 26, 1972, Walters so advised White House liaison man John Dean. On the, 27th of June Helms officially notified Gray that the CIA had no interest in Ogarrio, And Helms and Gray in their telephone conversations set up a meeting time, for the following day so the two Of them could discuss the, question of possible, CIA interest in Watergate. Mr. Gray reported this to Dean. The, CHAIRMAN. The 5 minutes--- Mr. HOGAN. Mr. Chairman, I now seek 5 minutes recognition on my own time. The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman is recognized. HOWEVER, the Chair would like to state that since the gentleman is speaking in opposition to the amendment and there were others who--there are others who sought to be recognized. would the gentleman be ready to yield 2 minutes to two other gentlemen? Otherwise, it is not going to--the Chair is not going to be able to recognize them within that time. [00.21.03]