Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
On Monday morning June 19, I arrived at my office about 9:15, my normal arrival time at the office. While reading the news accounts of the incident, I received a call from Jack Caulfield who repeated what Mr. Fielding had told me on Sunday evening. Mr. Caulfield informed me that he had received the information from Mr. Boggs of the Secret Service. I next received a call from Mr. Magruder. And as best I can recall, Magruder said something to the effect that this might create some problems and I should look into it. He also stated that this was all Liddy's fault and he volunteered a few harsh epithets regarding Mr. Liddy. I also recall Magruder mentioning something about how the committee was as going to handle the matter publicly but I cannot remember specifically what he stated regarding this. I told Magruder that I had just arrived back in the country and did not know any of the facts surrounding the incident, but I would look into it.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
I next received a call from Ehrlichman who instructed me to find out what I could and report back to him. I advised Ehrlichman of my call from Magruder and told him I probably should talk to Liddy. He agreed. I recall that Ehrlichman told me to find out what Colson's involvement was in the matter and he also suggested I speak with Mr. Kleindienst to see what the Justice Department knew about it. I told him I would report back to him after I talked with Liddy. I next received a call from Gordon Strachan who said he wanted to meet with me. I informed him that I would not be able to meet with him until early in the afternoon. He said he would drop by after lunch.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
I next talked with Chuck Colson on the phone. I asked him what he knew about the incident and he vehemently protested that he knew nothing and had no involvement in the matter whatsoever. Colson advised me that Ehrlichman had spoken with him earlier regarding Mr. Hunt, earlier during that weekend, and Colson said that we should get together with Ehrlichman as soon as possible. I recall asking Colson if Hunt still worked for him and again he became very defensive and stated that he was merely on his payroll as a consultant because Ehrlichman had so requested. He asked me to determine if Hunt was still on his payroll and I said I would cheek. Colson also expressed concern over the contents of Hunt's safe. Several weeks later, probably 4 or 5, I learned from Paul O'Brien, who was representing the reelection committee, that he had learned from Mr. Hunt's attorney, Mr. William Bittman, that Hunt and Colson spoke on the telephone over the weekend of June 17-18, and that Hunt had told Colson to get the materials out of his (Hunt s) office safe.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Mr. Hugh Sloan called me to tell me he was worried. At that time I knew of no reason why Mr. Sloan should be worried so I told him not to worry. He told me that he would like to meet with me and I told him that I was trying to find out what had happened and requested we meet in a few days. I do not recall the precise date we did meet.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
I next contacted Liddy and asked him to meet with me. He said he would come to my office. As he came into the office I was on my way out. I suggested we take a walk. It was shortly before noon and we walked down 17th Street toward the Corcoran Gallery. I will try to reconstruct the conversation to the best of my memory. While I cannot recall every detail, I do indeed recall the major items we discussed.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Mr. Liddy told me that the men who had been arrested in the DNC were his men and he expressed concern about them. I asked him why he had men in the DNC and he told me that Magruder had pushed him into doing it. He told me that he had not wanted to do it, but Magruder had complained about the fact that they were not getting good information from a bug they had placed in the DNC sometime earlier. He then explained something about the steel structure of the Watergate Office Building that was inhibiting transmission of the bug and that they had gone into the building to correct this problem. He said that he had reported to Magruder that during the earlier entry of the DNC they had seen documents which I believe he told me were either Government documents or classified documents and Magruder had told him to make copies of those documents. Liddy was very apologetic for the fact that they had been caught and that Mr. McCord was involved. He told me that he had used McCord only because Magruder had cut his budget so badly. I asked him why one of the men had a check from Mr. Howard Hunt and he told me that these men were friends of Hunt and Hunt had put him In touch with them. I do not recall Liddy discussing any further involvement of Hunt other than Hunt's putting him in touch with the Cubans. I asked him if anyone from the White House was involved and he told me no. As the conversation ended he again expressed his apology and his concern about the men in jail. I told him I couldn't help and be said he understood. He also told me that he was a soldier and would never talk. He said if anyone wished to shoot him on the street, he was ready. As we parted I said I would be unable to discuss this with him further he said he understood and I returned to my office.