Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 14, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 14, 1973
[00.43.17] Senator WEICKER. NOW, let, us move to January 1973. 1 would like to ask a question here. Am I correct in gathering from your testimony that you never spoke or met with Mr. Haldeman from June 18, 1972, to January of 1973? Mr. MAGRUDER. No; that is not. correct, I spoke with him on numerous occasions and met with him on numerous occasions but did not discuss the Watergate situation in substantive detail. We talked about it. I can recall once or twice talking to him about it as a problem, but not in the same sense; more as to handling it from the campaign standpoint in relation to charges made. by Senator McGovern or whatever. Senator WEICKER. Well, now, in your conversation on June, 18 with Mr. Haldeman, his last instruction to you was to get back to Washington, was it not? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, sir. Senator WEICKER. And to get things in hand. Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, sir. Senator WEICKER. And you went back to Washington? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, Sir. Senator WEICKER. Now, after you got, back to Washington and surveyed the scene, did you get back in touch with Mr. Haldeman? Mr. MAGRUDER. No; I got back in touch with Mr. Strachan the Monday night. Well, I talked with Mr. Strachan on Monday. As a matter of fact, he was in Washington, and of course after our meeting on Monday night and after I destroyed the Gemstone file, I related those facts to Mr. Strachan not to Mr. Haldeman. Senator WEICKER. I see. So that aside from incidental matters relating to the campaign, there was no real discussion between yourself and Mr. Haldeman as to the break-in at the, Watergate and related activities between June 18 and January of 1973? Mr. MAGRUDER. To be Very specific, Senator, Mr. Haldeman. an. the way I worked with him when I worked with him and later when I worked for Mr. Mitchell, is I worked strictly through Gordon Strachan in this case,, or one of his assistants, Only when he called me did I respond. I cannot even recall any time, that I initiated a call to Mr. Haldeman. Senator WEICKER. All right. Mr. MAGRUDER. Except In the January meeting , when I requested an interview. Senator WEICKER. _Now we move to January 1970 and the meeting with Mr. Haldeman. The main purpose of this meeting, as I gather it,, was to talk about jobs, for Mr. Porter and yourself is that, correct? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, sir. Senator WEICKER. Now. you have heard Mr. Sloan's testimony in which he said in response to a question that I asked him that it did Produce discussion on his part, the statement, of policy On the case was that no individual who had become a Watergate figure or prominent Government official would be placed In office until the issue was totally resolved. Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes. sir. Senator WEICKER. Can you give me any indication as to why this general policy was excepted in your case? Mr. MAGRUDER. 1 did not know that was the general policy , Senator. Senator WEICKER. Well, what was nature of the conversation between you and 'Mr. Haldeman on jobs? Mr. MAGRUDER. Well, the nature of the discussion was basically, they had considered sending me to the Senate for confirmation for One or two jobs that required Senate confirmation. During that discussion he and I agreed that at this time--at that time--it would be inappropriate to go through that process. We both agreed to that. And so as an interim measure, we agreed to a position that turned out to be Director of Policy Development at the Commerce Department. which happened to be a level 4 job that did not require Senate confirmation And we did not discuss, I think, that job at that time,. We discussed the prospects of that kind of a job as an interim measure until the Watergate situation had been completely Settled. Senator WEICKER. Then after the conversation about jobs was over With. did you Indicate to him your concern about the Watergate matter? Mr. MAGRUDER. It was the other way around, Senator, I Initiated the discussion on the Subject of the Watergate because of what I considered to be beginning memory of difficulties on the part of some of the. participants that I thought could have related to my own particulars situation. Senator WEICKER. And you related it to him at that time in January? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, Sir. Senator WEICKER. The situation as to the Watergate, as to what was going on, relative to your participation and the story being contrived? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, and it was particularly at that time also in relation Mr. Porter because he was having difficulty with the personnel department at the White House and I wanted to be sure Mr. Haldeman understood how cooperative Mr. Porter had been. Senator WEICKER. Was this before or--was this conversation with Mr. Haldeman before or after the trial? Mr. MAGRUDER. It was before the trial before the inauguration, sometime early in January, after the first of the year. [00.48.54]