Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 13, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 13, 1973 (1/2)
[00.30.35] Senator ERVIN. Well, didn't all of this engender in your mind a suspicion that maybe so something was rotten in the Committee to Re-Elect the President? Mr. STANS. Mr. Chairman, I had no reason to suspect at that time and until 'March 23 that there was anybody involved in this matter beyond McCord and Liddy. Senator ERVIN. There was Hunt who had worked and had an office in the same building in which you had an office, did he not? Mr. STANS. I did not know Mr. Hunt. I know, nothing about his connection with the affair. Senator ERVIN. Did you not learn something about that shortly thereafter. Mr. STANS. He was one of those indicted. No, I did not know anything about Mr. Hunt until I read in the press and he was indicted. Senator ERVIN. And the fact that you had been told that Mr. Magruder had tried to persuade Mr. Sloan to commit perjury, did this not Make you think that Mr. -Magruder was implicated in some way? Mr. STANS. Well, it is entirely possible that Mr. Magruder was but he was -not, indicted by the grand jury who had apparently had the entire story, according to Mr. Sloan's statement. I am not in position to accuse people of crimes if the grand jury does not find them indictable Senator ERVIN. 'Well, I wasn't suggesting that. I was just suggesting as a friend and well-wisher of the President that you might naturally have exactly the same inclination Which Mr. Sloan evidently had that something might be wrong, might be rotten in the Committee To Re-Elect the President and if you might feel like protecting the President, you ought to call to his attention your misgivings. Mr. STANS. Well, Mr. Sloan and Mr. Magruder testified before the grand jury. Mr. Sloan talked to people in the White House. All I can say is that I saw no reason for my going any further with the President, Senator ERVIN. Well, you didn't have any feeling that there was anything rotten in the Committee To Re-Elect the President that ought to be investigated? Mr. STANS. Beyond that investigation which was going on by the FBI, by the grand jury, by the White House, and whatever other sources were involved, I had no investigating mechanism and I did not. Senator ERVIN. Were you questioned individually by the FBI? Mr. STANS. Oh, yes. I had three meetings with 'the FBI plus the one occasion when they came back for a few questions. Senator ERVIN, In other words, the information you did give the FBI was not in the form of a written statement made by you? Mr. STANS. No, it was not. Senator ERVIN. And how long was it after you had the conversation with the President until the President announced that Dean had made an investigation and that he could assure the American people that nobody presently employed or then employed in the White House was implicated in any way? Mr. STANS. Mr. Chairman, offhand, I don't know whether that announcement was made before or after the date that I had the meeting with the President. Senator ERVIN. NOW, you talked with the President personally in September, you say? Mr. STANS. Yes. Senator ERVIN. Did you discuss any of these matters with him? Mr. STANS. No; I did not discuss the Watergate matter as Such. The President commiserated with me. He said, I know you are, taking a lot of punishment in the press and taking a great many accusations. He said, you are doing a fine job, I hope that you will keep on working,' because this will all be cleared up some day and I am confident that you had nothing to do with it. It was a pep talk, as I said. I did take advantage of the occasion to say to the President, I think we are spending an awful lot of money, we are working awfully hard to raise it, and Mr. President, it is very hard to raise money for a candidate who is 30 points ahead in the polls. But that, was the nature of the discussion. Senator ERVIN. Do you have any questions? Mr. EDMISTEN. I have a couple of rapid questions, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Stans, you have testified that part of the, money that went to Mr. Kalmbach was paid out of some Philippine National money and you said that, that had to be paid back? Mr. STANS. Yes, sir. Mr. EDMISTEN. Was that paid back by check? Mr. STANS. No; that was paid back by Mr. LaRue in the, same form in which we received it, in cash. Mr. EDMISTEN. Now, isn't it true, Mr. Stans, that shortly after the break-in, Mr. Sloan went to the White House because he was very, upset about certain things that had allegedly happened and that did indeed go there, and that he talked to Mr. Ehrlichman and to Chapin? Mr. STANS. He has so testified. I had -no direct knowledge of it at the time.