Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 13, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 13, 1973 (1/2)
[00.41.44] Mr. EDMISTEN. Do you know the basis of that statement that that was the White House position? Mr. STANS. Pardon me? Mr. EDMISTEN. Do you know of any basis for the apparent House position that there was CIA involvement? Mr. STANS. No, I do not, except as you know, the White House getting the FBI investigation reports, apparently, and- Mr. EDMISTEN. Thank you, Senator ERVIN. Any other question-, On this side? Senator TALMADGE. I have one Mr. Chairman. Mr. Stans, I will ask you to get volume 10 of the testimony and turn to page 1733. Do you have that? Mr. BARKER. Senator, whose testimony is that? Senator TALMADGE. This is Mr. Stans' testimony. Page, 1733. Mr. STANS. We do not have that, sir. Senator TALMADGE. Do you have another copy here? Let me read an inconsistency in the testimony and ask you if can clarify it, please. On page 1733, this morning--I am quoting Senator Inouye. Yesterday and this morning, you testified that you had no reason to question the integrity or the reliability of such associates 'as Mr. LaRue--you have described him as a good person-Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Kalmbach. When did suspect that something was wrong? Mr. STANS. I did not have any suspicions about an.), of these people until after the disclosures in the press following, I believe it was March 23, when Mr. McCord wrote his letter. Then, on page 1770 of the testimony, on line 20: [quoting] Senator TALMADGE. Mr. Stans, did that not raise suspicions in your mind as to the possible illegal or unethical uses of the money that Mr. Magruder was disbursing? Mr. STANS. No question about that. But those suspicions began to generate earlier than that, particularly on June 28, when Mr. Liddy was discharged for failing to cooperate with the FBI. [end quoted section] Senator TALMADGE. Now, you have stated in response to Senator Inouye's question that you had no suspicions until March 23 this year. You stated in response to the question that I had asked you that your suspicions arose earlier than that., but particularly on June 28. [00.44.48] So when did you first get, suspicious that, something was rotten in Denmark? Mr. STANS. Well, I think I can clear that up very easily. The first quotation you recited was as to men like LaRue and Kalmbach and I was not, suspicious of them until sometime after March 23d. But my suspicions as to Gordon Liddy began to grow shortly after the Watergate affair and that, is the answer I was giving in the second part, so far as I can get it, from your quotation. These were different, people. Senator TALMADGE. So you were suspicious about some individuals earlier than you were suspicious about, others? Mr. STANS. I was suspicious about Gordon Liddy within the week or 10 days that evolved after the, Watergate disclosure, yes. Senator TALMADGE. But your early suspicions were not enough to arouse, more suspicions, is that, correct? Mr. STANS. Not as to the gentlemen you named, particularly as to Mr. LaRue and Mr. Kalmbach, both of whom I held in very high regard. And I do not think there was anything in the public press or anywhere to point any fingers of implication at either of them. Senator TALMADGE. Thank you, Mr. Stans. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [00.46.00] Senator MONTOYA. Mr. Chairman, I just have one little clarification. Mr. Stans, you indicated your testimony throughout that Mr. Sloan was in charge of the, money which was collected and the disbursements of the money that, was collected and that, your primary duty was, to go out in the field and collect money and handle fundraiser events. Mr. STANS. That is correct. Senator MONTOYA. Now, were you in California and Iowa on a, similar mission in early July? Mr. STANS, Yes, approximately July 11 and 12, as I recall, yes. Senator MONTOYA. And when had you left for that trip from Washington'? Mr. STANS. Well, I had left for that trip on approximately July 5. Went to Atlanta and several cities in Georgia. I went, to Miami and elsewhere in Florida, spent the weekend in Florida; from there to California, from there to Seattle; from there to Portland; from there to Des Moines and from there to Dayton, Ohio, I returned, I believe, on the night of the 13th, about 2 o'clock in the morning. [00.47.30]