Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 13, 1973 (2/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 13, 1973 (2/2)
[01.28.31] Senator BAKER. Was there any discussion with Mr. Mitchell of the allegations being made by the press at that time of Republican involvement in the Watergate break-in? Mr. STANS. I have no recollection of the substance of the discussions. I just cannot tell you. I had many meetings with Mr. Mitchell in the course of the time that he was with the campaign. As I said, in each case, I had a list of four, five, or six subjects we talked about that were current at the time, and I do not know which par-- particular ones we talked about on any particular day. Senator BAKER. This was the same day, June 23, when I believe Mr. Sloan went to the White House to, according to his testimony, tell Mr. Ehrlichman of his concerns. Do you have any information or of Mr. Sloan's conduct on this same day? Mr. STANS. Well, shortly before 10 o'clock on this day, Mr. Sloan shows on my calendar as having met with me. It, was at that time that he gave me his accounting for the cash funds and that we discussed.' I believe, the disposition of the balance that he had on hand. I am not aware and was not aware at that time, of his discussions with Mr. Ehrlichman or others and I learned about them from reading his depositions. Senator BAKER. Did you have a meeting with Mr. Mitchell on the 24th of June? Mr. STANS. The 24th was a Saturday. I had no recollection of any meeting with Mr. Mitchell and my record does not show any. I had several other meetings on that day. I was in the offices apparently a good part of the day, until, at, least until early afternoon, but I have no recollection or record of a meeting with Mr. Mitchell on that day. Senator BAKER. Did you have a meeting with Mr. Magruder on the 24th? Mr. STANS. Similarly, there. is no record of it and I have no recollection of it. Senator BAKER. Was there a, series of meetings on The 24th with Magruder Dean, Mitchell, or any of the major figures, in the campaign or finance situation at that time, on the 24th? I think it is important that you try to recall as best, you can Mr. Stans. Mr. STANS. Well, Senator, I have. no recollection. 1 can only go by what my record shows and I do not want to be unfair, but, I would like to know what you did on March 24, 1972, 1 think you would have a hard time remembering Senator BAKER, I am certain I would. Mr. STANS. And I talked to people like John Mitchell a great Many times in the course of the campaign and I have no doubt, that, Some, of them did not, get on my time sheets. Senator BAKER. I think it is worth digressing long enough to say that anyone would have difficulty establishing what they did on a particular day, but, these are not ordinary and usual circumstances. Mr. STANS. Correct. Senator BAKER. And we are dealing here with your best efforts to reconstruct, what happened at a critical time and juncture in these proceedings. Now, that is why I urged you to give particular and careful attention to what happened on June 24 with respect to, meetings or conversations less formal than meetings with any of the principals in the so-called Watergate affair. Mr. STANS. I have tried my best to reconstruct that situation, I have gone through my correspondence and memorandums with all of the principals that have been discussed in connection With this matter, and to the extent that they refresh my memory, I have testified to them but I Would have to say that I had many meetings With the people that I considered quite routine. I can only say to you with absolute finality that I did not discuss any espionage or sabotage operations, with anyone prior to June 17 and I really did not learn about them except as', I learned about, them in the Public press. Senator BAKER. That anticipates most of the questions, I could ask on that subject with the exception of one thing. That is with whom did you discuss the Watergate so-called coverup I after June 17 and when did you do it? Mr. STANS. I did not discuss the Watergate coverup with anyone after June 17 and I did not know there a coverup until I read about that in the press. Now, I know of incidents that obviously. in the light of subsequent events, had a relationship to the coverup. for example, the $75,000 that. I gave to Kalmbach, I gave it, to him in good faith, with no knowledge at the time, and I am sure that when Mr. Kalmbach comes before, this committee, he -will testify that, he did not tell me what the purpose of The money was for and would not tell me what the purpose Of the money was for. But except for an incident of that type, I had knowledge of a coverup activity that may have taken place. [01.34.24]