Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 25, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 25, 1973
[00.02.00-DEAN testifying about White House efforts to impede the congressional PATMAN COMMITTEE investigation] Mr. DEAN--- 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. 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. [00.03.05-Mrs. DEAN is inexplicably smiling vacantly] Mr. DEAN. A number Of people worked on I 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. [00.04.24] On October 4. 'however. Chairman Patman requested a GAO investigation, and I was asked by Stans what this would mean. I told him that would be primarily between himself and the 'GAO but that since GAO had no subpena power to compel testimony, the scope of their investigation would have limits. He said he, felt that he could work with Elmer Staats, who was an old and good friend. and not let this matter out of hand with the GAO. On October 10, Chairman Patman. decided to proceed without subpena power, and sent letters to MacGregor Stans. Mitchell. and myself Everybody who received such a letter declined to appear and Patman held his hearings with empty witness chairs, and as I recall the press accounts, "lectured" the missing witnesses. [00.05.20-DISCUSSION of further matters which the White House was compelled to cover up before the Election-more "dirty tricks" by the White House.] THE SEGRETTI MATTER. I would now like to turn to the so-called Segretti matter. I have been informed by committee counsel that the subject of alleged political sabotage will be taken up in subsequent hearings. However, I have been asked to explain in full the pattern of coverup which evolved in connection with the Watergate and related matters and MY explanation would be less than complete in presenting my knowledge of the subject if I were to omit the so-called Segretti matter, While the matter was not directly related to the Watergate, the coverup of the facts Surrounding Mr. Segretti's activities was consistent with other parts Of The general White House coverup which followed the Watergate incident. I will not go into extensive detail at this time. rather I -will give the highlights of the pattern that followed regarding the dealings Of the White House with Mr. Segretti. I first Ward of Mr. Segretti when Gordon Strachan called me in late June and told me that the FBI had called a friend of his by the name of Donald Segretti, and requested to interview him in connection with We break-in at the Democratic National Committee. Strachan asked if I would meet with Segretti, I told him that I would and Strachan arranged a meeting at the Hotel where Segretti was staying. Strachan gave me a very general description of Mr. Segretti's activities and said that he -was a "dirty tricks"' type operator Who was being paid by Kalmbach. He told me that he, would rather have Segretti himself tell me what he had been doing because he, in fact, was not aware of all of Segretti's activities. He also informed me that Mr. Chapin had been Involved in hiring Segretti. I met with Mr. Segretti in the lobby of the Mayflower Hotel at which time he gave me a very broad description of his activities and said that he had had contact with a man by the name of Ed Warren, who, by having seen subsequent pictures in the paper. he assumed was Howard Hunt. I told Segretti to come to my office the next day and we would discus the matter further. [00.07.25]