Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 13, 1973 (2/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 13, 1973 (2/2)
[01.16.25] Senator BAKER. Ws there any discussion of the Watergate or related activities? Mr. STANS. Absolutely not,. Senator BAKER. Or of intelligence gathering? Mr. STANS. NO, Senator BAKER. Or the form, matter, and type of fiscal control that would be exercised by you over campaign expenditures? Mr. STANS. Yes, I think that was discussed because I wanted it very clear with Mr. Mitchell that we had precisely the arrangement that I have discussed here. Senator BAKER. Did you discuss then the matter of the finance committee meeting where as Mr. Sloan described it, I believe, there was a discussion of the authorization of larger expenditures by this committee consisting Of political types and finance types. Was that discussed at the meeting with Mr. -Mitchell on February 22? Mr. STANS. Senator, I would appreciate it if you would repeat, the question. I didn't, quite get the point, Senator BAKER. All right, sir. It is my understanding that, there. was a committee made up of representatives of the finance committee and of the political side of the campaign that met periodically to discuss expenditures proposed or made for the campaign. Is that correct? Mr. STANS. That is correct. It was called the budget committee. Senator BAKER. Was the budget, committee's formulation or function discussed with Mr. Mitchell on February 22? Mr. STANS. I don't know but, I wouldn't be surprised if it were because it was one of the matters of organization that was important to me at the time. Senator BAKER. Drawing your attention to March 8, 4 p.m., "Robert," I can't, read the words, "Chairman Richardson, Pres. P-r-e-s," period. Mr. BARKER. Mr. Chairman, I think this is getting into an area where we need not to tread. Senator BAKER. Then at your request I certainly shall not. The next, item is April 25 to Liddy. I will read off a list, here and ask you if you can comment on this list of appointments Mr. Stans, since they appear to be in sequence: April 25, 2 p.m. Liddy; May 1, 3:30, Liddy; May 8, 10:30; and 2 p.m., Liddy-23, 2 o'clock, Liddy; May 30, 10 o'clock, Liddy- May 14, 3:30, 4:30, Liddy, Since, these are all Liddy appointments and they are all in chronological order, apparently, could you tell us what that group of meetings With Mr. Liddy was about? Mr. STANS. Yes, Mr. Liddy by- then was the counsel for the committee He, had been given a number of responsibilities to pursue as a regular matter. I remember some specific subjects that, came up such as the contribution of a man in Chicago who wanted to give stock and we had some considerable discussions with his attorney conducted by Mr. Liddy over a period of time, I remember giving Mr. Liddy the responsibility of seeing that everyone of the national and State committees had properly registered with the General Accounting Office, had properly registered with the Treasury Department and I was following these matters with '-Mr. Liddy as the general counsel from time to time, as the Occasion warranted in addition to the fact that Mr. Liddy appeared at the daily staff meetings. In our staff meeting minutes of April 24, for example, there is an item "Liddy is to continue follow-up of all States not yet registered to submit a weekly list to Stans each Monday of all those not, yet done." Another item "Liddy is to furnish Stans with a legal opinion on anonymous contributions prior to April 7." He was the counsel for the committee. I have given to the committee a number of his legal opinions in writing which indicate that he was quite active and our daily staff minutes show a number of things that were assigned to him. It was quite routine that I discussed all of these matters with him. Senator BAKER. There was no discussion of the Watergate or of intelligence gathering? Mr. STANS. There was absolutely no discussion of that type. [01.20.36] Senator BAKER. The next item is June 16, 1972, and there are two entries, one at 11:30 in the morning I take to be "Haldeman at the White House." And the other 4 in the afternoon, "Liddy." Mr. STANS. That, was the day of a Cabinet meeting at the White House also, I can't recall specifically the purpose of my meeting with Mr. Haldeman. Senator BAKER. Was there any discussion of the Watergate? Mr. STANS. Oh, absolutely not. Senator BAKER. Bear in mind, this was the day before the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. There was no Mention of intelligence-gathering activities? Mr. STANS. No, absolutely not. Senator BAKER. Of the impending break-in later that night or early the next morning of the Democratic National Committee headquarters? Mr. STANS. No, Senator, absolutely not. Now, I think I did testify yesterday that I saw Haldeman a few times in the course of the year to discuss the size of the budget, the amount of money that the campaign was seeming to cost and my feeling of concern about whether we could raise that, amount of money. In the absence of any other information, I would tell you that the best of my recollection is that that would be what we discussed on June 16. [01.22.04]