Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 14, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 14, 1973
[00.02.00--in to Jeb MAGRUDER testifying about his dealings with White House staff before Watergate and during the Coverup] Mr. MAGRUDER......send the raw reports to Mr. Haldeman. I know that. He always capsulized it in a memo form because I saw that report numerous times during the campaign. Senator TALMADGE. AS I understood it. the President had two counselors one was Mr. Colson and the other was Mr. Dean. Mr. MAGRUDER. Mr. Colson. I think. was special counsel to the President. That is not a legal position, Mr. Dean's role was counsel to the President, and was a legal position. Senator TALMADGE. You testified this morning that Mr. Dean was intimately involved in both the planning the execution, and the coverup? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, sir, Senator TALMADGE. Now, to what extent was Mr. Colson involved? Mr. MAGRUDER. To my direct knowledge only through the telephone conversations that he had with me and some references to that matter that his assistant, Mr. Howard, had relating particularly to Howard Hunt. We did not discuss the specific Watergate wiretapping directly, I did not, with Mr. Colson, other than his admonition his to me to in effect get On the stick and get the Liddy project approved so we can get the information from Mr. O'Brien, something to that effect, Senator TALMADGE. I believe you testified that he urged immediate execution go forward at an early date. Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes. sir. Senator TALMADGE. Now, to what extent was Mr. Kleindienst then Attorney General, involved ? Mr. MAGRUDER. To my knowledge to no extent. I never had any discussions with Mr. Kleindienst on this matter. Senator TALMADGE. YOU have no personal knowledge of his involvement either by hearsay, memorandum. or otherwise Mr. MAGRUDER. No, Sir. Senator TALMADGE. Now, to what extent was Mr., Stans, involved? Mr. MAGRUDER. To my knowledge, to no extent before April--before June 17. Other than as chairman of the committee being aware of the cash disbursements that were being made to Mr. Liddy. Now, on June 24, 1 think it was, on a Saturday we did meet and discuss the, Watergate problem with him and my best recollection is we didn't 'go into specifies that Mr. Mitchell and I were involved but that simply Mr. Liddy was involved and we thought there would be, problems that would create a situation -where Mr. Stans would probably be--eventually have to terminate, Mr. Liddy, and that there were problems with Mr. 'Sloan as to the amounts of money that Mr. Liddy had received, and we asked for his help -in dealing with Mr. Sloan. Senator TALMADGE. What 'was Mr. Stans' comment On that? Mr. MAGRUDER. That he, would assist, us in these matters and if after Mr. Sloan Senator TALMADGE. Assist you in what, way now, financially ? Mr. MAGRUDER. Well, Sloan, as you know, was going on his vacation. Senator TALMADGE. Yes, Mr. MAGRUDER. And that when he came back Mr. Stans hoped to talk with him and try to have him work with us as to the amounts of funds that were disbursed to Mr. Liddy. We did not know at that time. the amount that is noted on that board-$100,000---be disbursed to Mr. Liddy. As I indicated earlier we thought it was much less than that. Senator TALMADGE. Do you know of any other officials in the Government then or remaining in the Government who were, involved in either the planning, discussion, or the coverup of this affair.? Mr. MAGRUDER. NO, I think I mentioned other officials, Senator. Do you -want me to go--we have already discussed them. Mr. LaRue-- Senator TALMADGE. If It is already in the testimony I have no desire for you to repeat it. 'But, do you know of any who have Dot been heretofore named in your statement or in cross-examination? Mr. MAGRUDER. To the best of my recollection I think we have covered the officials fairly comprehensively [00.05.34] Senator TALMADGE. Now, you testified that you asked for and discussed payments to your family, salaries, potential Executive clemency in return for your silence in this matter. You were a White House staff assistant to the President. Should this Select, Committee and the American people believe that you can count on receiving these rewards from the administration and the administration had the ability and desire to deliver these promises in return for your refusing to implicate its officials by hiding the, truth? Mr. MAGRUDER. Well, Senator, by this time, of course, I was aware that, in effect, we were doing some -of that activity already. in other words, by that time we had already supported seven defendants. Senator TALMADGE. Call you tell US-- Mr. MAGRUDER. Of course, on the Executive clemency issue obviously no one had been given Executive clemency so that is pure speculation on all of our parts so far as I know, because the people who mentioned it to me were not the President, of the United States. Senator TALMADGE. Can you tell us everything that was said to you or in your presence to others about Executive clemency? Mr. MAGRUDER. Well, specifically, Mr., Dean on one afternoon before the, August 16 grand jury came into my office to indicate to me, that everybody knew how well I was doing and that--not to worry. that even if the worst happened everything would be taken care of, including Executive clemency. I, having been at the White House, took that only as a PR attempt on his part, to make sure I felt comfortable about my forthcoming appearance before the grand jury. I was, not very comfortable obviously, and I think he was simply trying to make me feel Comfortable about that appearance. [00.07.39]