Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 25, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 25, 1973
[00.57.38-DEAN discusses WHITE HOUSE efforts to frustrate the congressional hearings by the PATMAN committee] I also had conversations With Mitchell about this and reported the matter to Haldeman and Ehrlichman. The Justice Department felt that for them to write such a letter would look like a direct effort to block the hearings and I frankly had to agree. Therefore, no response was sent prior to the scheduled September 14 appearance of Stans and 'Mr. Parkinson himself informed the committee that, Stans would not appear because he felt it would be detrimental to the then pending civil and criminal investigations. It was after my September 15 meeting with the President where this matter had been briefly and generally discussed and, as the subsequent activities on the Patman committee became more intense that the White House became more involved in dealing with the Patman committee On September 25, Chairman Patman announced that be would hold a vote on October 3 regarding the, issuing of subpenas to witnesses. With this announcement the White House congressional relations staff began talking with members of the, committee as well as the Republican leadership of the House. I recall several conversation with Mr. Timmons and Dick Cook regarding this matter as well as conversations with Haldeman. Timmons and Cook informed me, that there was a daily change in the list of potential witnesses and the list was ever growing and beginning to reach into the White House itself. In discussing it with Haldeman I asked him how he thought the Patman hearings might be, turned off. He suggested that I might talk with Secretary Connally about the matter because Connally 'would know Patman as well as anybody. I called Secretary Connally and told him the reason I was calling. He said that the, only thing he could think of. the only soft spot that Patman might have, was that he had received large contributions from a Washington lobbyist and had heard rumors that some of these contributions may not have been reported. I discussed this matter with Bill Timmons and we concluded that several Republicans would probably have a similar problem so the matter was dropped. At this time 'I cannot recall the name of be lobbyist whom Secretary Connally said had made the, contributions to Mr. Patman. Timmons and I had also discussed that probably some, of the members of the, Banking and Currency Committee would have themselves potential campaign act violations and that it probably would be worthwhile to check out their reporting to the Clerk of the House. I told Timmons I would look into it. On September 26 I received a report, I had requested from Parkinson after he had one of his associates check the report. of the members of the committee with the Clerk of the House. After I received the document from Parkinson, a copy of which I have submitted to the committee, I decided it would be a cheap shot to get into anything of this nature. Mr. DEAN. Accordingly, I never reviewed the document that, Parkinson submitted and I have not reviewed it to this day. While the White House had received through its congressional relations staff informal reports as to who was likely to be subpenaed, Chairman Patman made public his list on October 2, 1972. The individuals for whom subpenas were to be requested was extensive and included several people who had varying degrees of knowledge regarding the Watergate and related matters. This list. for example, included Alfred Baldwin, Jack Caulfield, persons from the finance committee, Sally Harmony, Fred LaRue, Clark MacGregor, Mr. -Magruder., Mr. Mardian, Mr. Mitchell, Robert Odle. Bart Porter, Hugh Sloan, Stans, Timmons, and myself. I have submitted to the committee a Copy of the entire list. [01.01.29] Mr. DEAN. AS the names on the list had continued to evolve. it became increasingly apparent that the White House did not want the hearings to be held. For example, Bill Timmons took a much greater interest in the project when he realized early on that his name was among those who would be called. I say this not because Timmons had any reason not to appear because I know of no illegal or improper activity on Timmons' part, rather he had been working to prevent the hearings from occurring in the first instance through his conversation with the Republican leaders and members of the committee. This he knew would put him in an awkward position. [01.02.06] I began receiving increasing pressure from Mitchell, Stans. Parkinson and others to get the Justice Department to respond to the September 8 letter of Congressman Brown as a vehicle that Congressman Brown could use, in persuading other Republicans not to vote in favor of the subpenas, Congressman Brown felt that with this document in hand he could give the Republicans and others something to hang their Vote, On. I had continued my conversations with Henry Petersen and, after the indictments had been returned he said that indeed he did feel that the Justice Department should issue such a letter because of the potential implications Of the breadth of the Patman hearings. The letter was sent on October 2. 1972. I have submitted to the committee a copy of Congressman Brown's letter and Assistant Attorney General Petersen's response. Mr. DEAN. A number Of people worked on getting the votes necessary to block the Patman committee hearings Mr. Timmons discussed the matter with the House Republican leaders who agreed to be of assistance by making it a matter for the leadership consideration. which resulted in direction from the leadership to the members of the committee to vote against the hearings. I was informed that Congressman Brown had been working With several members on the Democratic side Of he Patman committee to assist in voting against the hearings or as an alternative not to appear for the hearings. Timmons informed me that he was also in direct Contact with one of the leaders of the Southern delegation who was being quite helpful in persuading the southerners On the committee not to vote for the subpenas or in the alternative not to appear at the meeting on October 3. Also, Mitchell reported to Me that he had been working with some people in 'New York to get the New Yorkers on, the committee to vote against the hearings, He told me, and I cannot recall now which members of the New York delegation he reefered to, that he had assurances that they would either not show up or would We against the hearings. I in turn Passed this On to Timmons, but I did not tell him the source of my information. On October 3 the vote was held and the subpenas were defeated by a vote of 20 to 15 and another sigh of relief was made at the White House that we had leaped one more hurdle in the continuing coverup. [01.04.18-TAPE OUT]