Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 14, 1973 - Testimony of Jeb Magruder
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 14, 1973 - Testimony of Jeb Magruder
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 14, 1973 - Testimony of Jeb Magruder
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 14, 1973 - Testimony of Jeb Magruder
Samuel Dash, attorney. Was there a second meeting on the Liddy plan, Mr. Magruder? Jeb Magruder. The following week in February, February 4th, as I recall. We met at 11 in the morning. Samuel Dash, attorney. How did that meeting come about who attended? Jeb Magruder. Mr. Liddy indicated that he was ready to discuss reduced proposal. I alerted Mr. Dean and he set up an appointment with Mr. Mitchell and we reviewed a reduced proposal. Samuel Dash, attorney. Where was this meeting? Jeb Magruder. At the Justice Department. Samuel Dash, attorney. Was it in Mr. Mitchell's office? Jeb Magruder. Yes, we met in Mr. Mitchell's office. He did not have charts this time, but rather had Samuel Dash, attorney. You mean Mr. Liddy did not? Jeb Magruder. Mr. Liddy did not have charts. He had them reduced on 8 1/2 x 11 pages and the scope and of course budget was reduced considerably, was reduced to $500,000. Samuel Dash, attorney. Well at this time, what was in and what was out? Jeb Magruder. I cannot recall specifically what was in or out. I do know that the discussion mainly, after his discussion with us, related only to the wiretapping and photography, not to any of the other projects. They had been basically discarded. Samuel Dash, attorney. I think you may have testified to this, but who was present at this second meeting? Jeb Magruder. Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Dean, Mr. Liddy, and myself. Mr. Dean came in approximately 15 minutes or so late, but was there for most of the meeting.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 14, 1973 - Testimony of Jeb Magruder
Samuel Dash, attorney. At this time, as you have stated, the project, primarily dealt with wiretapping, and photographing were any targets specifically mentioned by Mr. Liddy or anybody at the meeting? Jeb Magruder. At that meeting we did discuss potential targets. We discussed the potential target of the Democratic National Committee headquarters, primarily because of information we had relating to Mr. O'Brien that we felt would be possibly damaging to the Democratic National Committee. We discussed the possibility of using electronic surveillance at the Fontainebleau Hotel which was going to be the Democratic National Committee headquarters, and we discussed the potential of using the same method at the Presidential headquarters. At that time, we did not know who the candidate would be so it was simply an indication that that would be a target of interest. Also at that meeting, Mr. Mitchell brought up that he had information as I recall, and I think it was Mr. Mitchell, it was either Mr. Mitchell or Mr. Dean, that they had information relating to Senator Muskie that was in Mr. Greenspan's office in Las Vegas. He was a publisher of the newspaper in Las Vegas. Samuel Dash, attorney. Do you know his full name? Jeb Magruder. As I recall, Mr. Henry Greenspan, I think, or Greenspan or Greenspun, I think was his name. He is the publisher of the Las Vegas newspaper. And Mr. Liddy was asked to review the situation in Las Vegas to see if there would be potential for an entry into Mr. Greenspan's Samuel Dash, attorney. Potential for what? Jeb Magruder. Potential for an entry into Mr. Greenspun's office. Samuel Dash, attorney. Do you know what it was they were looking for in Mr. Greenspun's office? Jeb Magruder. No, I do not.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 14, 1973 - Testimony of Jeb Magruder
Samuel Dash, attorney. Do you know what the information was that Mr. Mitchell mentioned concerning Mr. O'Brien? Jeb Magruder. Yes. We had had information from reliable sources. At the Democratic National Convention, they had a business exposition. The business exposition was being put on by a separate business exposition company. It was our understanding that the fee the business concern paid to this business company was then kicked back or partially kicked back to the Democratic National Committee to assist them in the payment of their debts. Samuel Dash, attorney. Aside from that kind of information what was the general information or general kind of information that you would be looking for in these break-ins or electronic surveillance? Jeb Magruder. Well, I think at that time, we were particularly concerned about the ITT situation. Mr. O'Brien has been a very effective spokesman against our position on the ITT case. And I think there was a general concern that if he was allowed to continue as Democratic National Chairman that because he was certainly their most professional, at least from our standpoint, their most professional political operator, that he could be very difficult in the coming campaign. So w, had hoped that information might discredit him.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 14, 1973 - Testimony of Jeb Magruder
Samuel Dash, attorney. All right. How did that, meeting end? What was Mr. Mitchell's reaction to this presentation, it the second meeting? Jeb Magruder. It still was disapproval or let's say, I should say we agreed that it would not be approved at that time, but we would take it up later that he just didn't feel comfortable with it even at that level. Samuel Dash, attorney. But again, would it be true, to say that at least Mr. Liddy was encouraged to continue in his planning? Jeb Magruder. Yes, I think that s correct.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 14, 1973 - Testimony of Jeb Magruder
Samuel Dash, attorney. Now after this meeting, Mr. Magruder, did you report to anyone about the meeting? Jeb Magruder. Yes. I sent the documents that Mr. Liddy had given us at the meeting to Mr. Strachan. Samuel Dash, attorney. And again, was this in your normal course of using Mr. Strachan to the White House staff people such as Mr. Haldeman? Jeb Magruder. Yes. I automatically sent all documents to Mr. Strachan. Samuel Dash, attorney. And did those documents contain all of what Mr. Liddy had presented at that meeting? Jeb Magruder. Certainly, all of the specific discussion. They did not contain, as an example, the discussion on targets because that was a discussion and that was not in the documents. Samuel Dash, attorney. Did you have a telephone conversation with Mr. Strachan concerning that meeting? Jeb Magruder. Yes, I indicated the general context of that meeting. Samuel Dash, attorney. And did that Include Mr. Mitchell's suggestions concerning the Las Vegas mission? Jeb Magruder. I cannot recall specifically that point, but I would assume that I probably discussed the he key targets that we had discussed. Samuel Dash, attorney. And would include the Democratic National Committee headquarters and Mr. O'Brien? Jeb Magruder. Yes. Samuel Dash, attorney. Did you discuss the meeting with anybody else either at the committee or the White House? Jeb Magruder. I can t recall discussing it with anyone else.