Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 14, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 14, 1973
[00.19.06] Senator ERVIN. You do not know to what extent Mr. Colson knew what was going on but you do know that Colson had called you and urged you seek to do what you could to hurry up the approval of the budget for Liddy's operations? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, Sir. Senator ERVIN. And he said, -and he wanted Hunt to be hired to take part in -it? Mr. MAGRUDER. Mr. Howard, his, assistant, asked me about that yes sir. Senator ERVIN He wanted the information on O'Brien did he not? Mr. MAGRUDER. Mr. Colson did yes, sir. Senator ERVIN. Yes, Now, with respect to Mr. Haldeman---Mr. Haldeman at that time stood next to the President did he, not? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes sir. Senator ERVIN. He exercised more governmental power than any body in the executive branch of the Government with the exception of the President. Mr. MAGRUDER. That is correct. Senator ERVIN. And Mr. Strachan was his liaison man with the Committee, To Re-Elect. the President. And all through this time that they were planning these operations that, were, being recommended by Liddy and agreeing on the plan, you kept Mr. Strachan fully informed as to those, matters? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes. In fairness to Mr. Strachan, as the coverup story continued and developed, Mr. Strachan basically dropped out of the picture and Mr. Dean, in effect, became our liaison on the coverup story. I do not think it, is fair. to implicate Mr. Strachan to any great extent in the coverup story. Senator ERVIN. Well, do you implicate Mr. Strachan as a man who was supposed to be carrying information to Mr. Haldeman? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, sir. Senator ERVIN. And you know you gave to Mr. Strachan complete information about the plans for the bugging and the burglary as they were, developing? Mr. MAGRUDER. That is correct. Senator ERVIN. So we have got to draw this inference, do we not, that either Mr. Strachan failed to perform his duties as liaison man between the committee and Mr. Haldeman or he did perform those, duties. Do we not have to take a, choice between those two things? ? Mr. MAGRUDER. Senator, I would rather that you take the choice to be honest with you, because I think it is unfair. for me to make an assumption that I have no basis in fact. I just do not have any basis of fact. Senator ERVIN. I do not have the privilege. of knowing Mr. Strachan but you do. Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, Sir. Senator ERVIN. Is he the kind of a man that, you think would perform the duties he obligated himself to perform? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, I do, sir. Senator ERVIN. And the -duties he obligated himself to perform were to carry the information you gave him about the plans for the, bugging and the burglary to Mr. Haldeman? Mr. MAGRUDER. That would be correct, Senator ERVIN. Now, immediately after the break-in became public news you were called by long-distance telephone by Mr. Haldeman? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, sir. Senator ERVIN. And he asked You what had happened. Now Did you not construe that to be a request for information about the fact that five men had been caught in a burglary in the Watergate, did you, because. that had appeared in the papers and on the radio and TV? Mr. MAGRUDER. I think. Senator. what he was really interested in is what we were doing about it, not that five men had been caught, but what were we going to do about it. Senator ERVIN. Since the police had the people, under arrest, what do you think Mr. Haldeman thought you ought to be doing about it since you were not a police officer? Mr. MAGRUDER. Senator. what I think we were attempting to do was to attempt to handle it at that point, in time from a public relations standpoint to deny it. Which we did. [00.22.51] Senator ERVIN. Well. if Mr. Haldeman did not have any reason to suspect that the Committee to Re-Elect the President had anything to do with it, why did he 'want you to do anything about it? Mr. MAGRUDER. I think. Senator, because Mr. McCord was, apprehended in that group,. And he was our security chief. Senator ERVIN. Well. I do not think you want to answer this question I was going To ask if Haldeman would know a little more than that if Mr. Strachan had performed his mission to give him the information that you had given him about the preparations for this mission. Would he not? Mr. MAGRUDER. If he had done that, yes, sir. Senator ERVIN. Well. anyway , after that conversation you talked to Mr. Haldeman on a number of occasions about what you call a public relations matter? ~ Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes. Senator ERVIN. That was as to how you were going to answer all of the, charges made by the press about the complicity of persons in the committee and persons in the White House about this affair? Mr. MAGRUDER. I think we can honestly say that any key officials in the White House and the committee would discussed that matter, There were many people who were not involved in any way in the planning and coverup that did work on how to handle this--these charges. Senator ERVIN. Now, as a matter of fact, there -were you and others in the Committee To Re-Elect the President and you had a public relations officer, Mr. Shumway. did you not? Mr. MAGRUDER. Yes, sir. Senator ERVIN. MY what is Al r. Shumway's name? Mr. MAGRUDER. DeVan Shumway. Senator ERVIN. And almost daily Mr. Shumway was issuing statements to the effect that none of you *all had anything to do with it? Mr. MAGRUDER. That is correct, sir. [00.24.34]