Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 14, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 14, 1973
[00.18.20] ****SEE RESTRICTION FIELD IN RIGHTS SECTION****** LEHRER asks KRAMER, as an attorney, he's used to seeing this kind of thing in courtrooms rather than public hearings, does he agree with BARTH's assessment of the decay of American public and political ethics? KRAMER says he certainly agrees, and that instrumental ethics in politics are dangerous. States that it's good for the American people that the narrative came out in a hearing, because in a disjointed and closed trial, it's possible that much of this would not have come to light in an understandable way. LEHRER asks what was learned today, legally speaking. KRAMER says it's clear the prosecution has a very strong conspiracy indictment that can be built, and that the forthcoming testimony of STRACHAN and DEAN will only add to this. MacNEILL asks KRAMER how he feels as a law professor about revelations about the conduct of his fellow attorneys as revealed in the hearings. KRAMER. states it is very distressing that lawyers as well as politicians think of ends justifying means. MacNEILL thanks the guest commentators. States that outside events have been impacting the progress of the hearings. Introduces interview of Sam DASH by reporter Peter KAYE. [00.20.15--KAYE with DASH in vacated committee room] KAYE asks DASH about the revelation of the discovery by NIXON's private secretary Rosemary WOODS of the Pre-April 7 contributions list, and how it will affect the proceedings. DASH states that there may be a misunderstanding, and that people have perhaps forgotten that part of the committee's mandate is to investigate all aspects of the 1972 political campaign, including financing and contributions. It should be clear that the committee has been calling witnesses only to testify about the Watergate, but that STANS and SLOAN will be called back to another set of committee hearings in the fall to discuss financing. The public should understand that the present set is only related to Watergate and the Coverup, and that the mission for now is to present the facts in those areas clearly, while a second set of hearings will deal with campaign contributions and political espionage. KAYE. asks about the conflict with Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox. Asks if the testimony of witnesses like MAGRUDER jeopardizes any other defendants' right to a fair trial. DASH denies this, says the Courts agree, and that the ruling is that public testimony is not a jeopardy, because of the time lapse between the hearings and indictments (three more months) and trial (possibly six more months) of the conspirators. [00.23.09--MacNEILL in studio] MacNEILL states that DASH also told KAYE that, absent surprises, the next 5 witnesses called will be : John DEAN, Herbert KALMBACH, Anthony ULASEWICZ, Fred LaRUE, and Gordon STRACHAN. LEHRER states that since the Senators have offered judgements of MAGRUDER'S performance as a witness, they can pass on the task and proceed to digest the testimony of the "calm, articulate young man", States that MAGRUDER'S testimony should put to rest the idea that WATERGATE was a media invention, since the number 2 man in the Nixon Campaign has admitted that many important people have been implicated in illegal and unethical activities. While there will be many more months of dispute over the details, at this point, three days from the year anniversary of the Watergate arrests, that everyone knows, once and for all, that it really did happen. Second, there is finally some believable light shed on the attitude of many in the NIXON White House to "fight fire with fire" against protesters, and other political enemies. Signs off. [00.25.50--sponsor credits, PBS Network ID] [00.26.16--TAPE OUT]