Watergate Impeachment Hearings House Judiciary Committee, July 29, 1974. Carlos Moorhead (R - Calfornia).
Watergate Impeachment Hearings House Judiciary Committee, July 29, 1974. Carlos Moorhead (R - Calfornia).
Watergate Impeachment Hearings House Judiciary Committee, July 29, 1974. Carlos Moorhead (R - Calfornia).
Watergate Impeachment Hearings House Judiciary Committee, July 29, 1974. Carlos Moorhead (R - Calfornia).
Peter Rodino (D - New Jersey). The gentleman from California, Mr. Moorhead, is recognized. Carlos Moorhead (R California). Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, one thing certainly must be clear by now to everyone in America and that is certainly the President of the United States is not so all powerful under any circumstances that he can t be examined one way or the other for his acts. And if necessary be removed from office. I don t believe that any man in the history of this world has ever been examined as thoroughly as this President Richard Nixon. I don t know of anyone who has ever had $25 million of federal money spent on various investigations over a period of 2 years time. Many, many more millions of dollars by other private agencies. Everything that Mr. Nixon possibly could have done wrong surely has been uncovered by this time. And yet, you look at the evidence that is brought to us here today and it almost seems pathetic that $25 million brought in so very little.
Watergate Impeachment Hearings House Judiciary Committee, July 29, 1974. Carlos Moorhead (R - Calfornia).
Carlos Moorhead (R California). If IRS was used wrongly, no one would object louder or stronger than I. I spent 16 years running a legal aid and lawyers reference service and no one has any more respect for the underdog or the law than I do. And there is nothing that brings the fear into the heart of average American than is brought into their heart by an IRS audit. That must be clear to everyone. But the cold hard facts are that the IRS was not misused by the President. It s true that 4 days before he talked to the President Mr. Dean at least took a list of enemies to the IRS and asked for something to be done about it. But the evidence that was brought to us by our staff was that the President's connection with Mr. Dean was very, very slight during those particular days and picked up only in the months of 1973. Now it s true that Dean and Nixon had a meeting on the 15th of September, but there is not one shred of evidence that anything was done as a result of that meeting on the 15th of September. And no real evidence that anyone took those comments seriously. And certainly on Mr. Dean's request the IRS consideration, of certain people, there was nothing done. The names were put, away and were never presented to another soul.
Watergate Impeachment Hearings House Judiciary Committee, July 29, 1974. Carlos Moorhead (R - Calfornia).
Carlos Moorhead (R California). There has been a suggestion that perhaps the IRS was used to help friends. Well, certain people, evidently a few of them, had come to the people in the White House and said that they were being harassed by the IRS. I wonder how many Congressmen have had people come to them and say that they were being harassed by some agency of the Federal Government. These were checked into by a simple request what s happening? This was the testimony that we have. There was no special Consideration given. There was no evidence of any pressure put on these people. What kind of a count for impeachment is that?
Watergate Impeachment Hearings House Judiciary Committee, July 29, 1974. Carlos Moorhead (R - Calfornia).
Carlos Moorhead (R California). We have the question of the Plumber's group. Plumbers is a name of art that has been given to this special group. I don t approve of many of their later activities. Certainly they went beyond any power that the President expected them to have. We have the testimony, the sworn testimony, of Egil Krogh. He said with respect to the purpose for the special investigations unit it is Mr. Krogh's sworn testimony that on or about July 15, 1971, he was given oral instructions by Mr. John Ehrlichman to begin a special national security project to coordinate a Government efforts to determine the causes, sources, and ramifications of unauthorized disclosure of classified documents known as the Pentagon Papers.
Watergate Impeachment Hearings House Judiciary Committee, July 29, 1974. Carlos Moorhead (R - Calfornia).
Carlos Moorhead (R California). We have other national security matters. We have the 17 wiretaps that were approved by J. Edgar Hoover and the President. There s mention made of two or three other wiretaps that were not authorized by the President and no showing whatsoever of any authorization by the President. But the 17 wiretaps were actually made at the President's request, or at least with his signature, were very definitely brought about by a very great concern with Henry Kissinger with the SALT negotiations that were going to take place and with the knowledge that might be given to a foreign country. Peter Rodino (D - New Jersey). The time of the gentleman has expired. Carlos Moorhead (R California). I would like another 10 minutes too.