Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 25, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 25, 1973
[00.12.52-DEAN discusses extending the coverup to the investigation of the SEGRETTI affair to prevent evidence of White House involvement in Watergate from being discovered] When I was in California in late August, I was asked by Mr. Ehrlichman to meet with Kalmbach and prepare him for his FBI interview regarding the Segretti matter. Mr. Kalmbach was very concerned that the interview could lead into other areas, and had discussed this problem with Ehrlichman. Accordingly, I helped Kalmbach prepare for his FBI interview, and he later informed me it had gone well, that they had not asked questions unrelated to the, Segretti matter, and he. volunteered nothing. On October 10, 1972, an article, based on leaked FBI -information reported the Segretti story for the first time publicly. Following the October 10 story there commenced a series of stories involving Chapin, Strachan, Kalmbach, and, later, Haldeman. [00.13.46] These stories created a new frenzy in the White House press office as to how to deal with the stories. On Friday. the 13th, I had left Washington to go to Florida to spend several weeks on a honeymoon, but was abruptly called back to Washington on Sunday, October 15, because of the. cascading leaked stories regarding Segretti. When I returned, I went to the, White House -where a meeting was in session in the Roosevelt room. [00.14.12-Meshing WHITE HOUSE publicity with the story being used in the criminal COVERUP.] In attendance at the meeting were Ehrlichman, Ziegler, Buchanan, Moore. and Chapin. The purpose of the, meeting was to prepare Ziegler for his press briefings on the Segretti-related stories For a reason that I cannot explain, a secretary to Mr. Chapin was present and taking notes during parts of the discussions and hypothetical questioning and answering of 'Mr. Ziegler. I believe this is one of the rare occasions where the preparation of a Ziegler briefing was actually recorded and I have submitted to the committee a copy of the notes recording parts of that session. Mr. DEAN. I might also add that this session was not unlike many other sessions that had preceded it and that were to follow it in preparing Ziegler to meet with the, White House press corps. It would, however. take another 200 pages to give that story. After Segretti became the subject of intense inquiry by the press. Ehrlichman suggested That I advise Segretti to go incognito and hide from the press to avoid further Stories that result from press interviews of him. I so advised Segretti and he came to Washington in late October, because he was very distressed about the fact that a number of people were issuing what he considered to be inaccurate and false stories regarding his activities. When Segretti arrived in Washington, he was met by Mr. Fielding and myself to discuss whether he should issue a press statement himself at that time. The subject was also discussed in a meeting at Mr. Chapin's office attended by Ziegler. Ehrlichman. Chapin, and myself and later by Fielding after he had received a draft copy of Segretti's proposed press statement. It was decided that it would be, unwise for Segretti to issue the statement so he commenced his travels around the United States once again to avoid the press. Mr. Segretti would periodically call me to tell me that he was in some small town and had not seen a newspaper or television for several days and was curious to know what they were saying about him. I would give him a summary report as to the press coverage. Following the election I was asked by Haldeman and Ehrlichman to meet with Segretti to determine the, extent of the involvement that Chapin and Strachan had had with him. Segretti at this time was in Palm Springs, Calif., where he had been spending the last week before he election in the desert. I arranged to meet with him on November 10 in Palm Springs, and had planned to spend a week myself relaxing after the election in Palm Springs. On November 10, I met with Segretti and, pursuant to an arrangement between Segretti and myself agreed to tape the interview with him, with the understanding that I felt it was privileged under the doctrine of executive privilege and that it would never be released, I have submitted the tape of that conversation between Segretti and myself to the committee pursuant to a subpena issued for the material, My visit to Palm Springs was abruptly interrupted when I received a call on November 11 from Mr. Todd Hullin, Ehrlichman's assistant, requesting that I come to Florida where Ehrlichman and Haldeman were accompanying the President, to report on my interview with Segretti. [00.17.19] Accordingly, I flew to Florida immediately and met with Haldeman and Ehrlichman on November 12 and played the taped interview I had had with Segretti for them. I recall that while I was discussing this matter with Ehrlichman and Haldeman, the President requested that Haldeman come over to see him. [00.17.37-Evidence of NIXON being regularly informed of the progress of the coverup-since HALDEMAN waited to see NIXON until AFTER talking to DEAN, infer that DEAN'S report was to be the subject of HALDEMAN'S report to NIXON.] I was surprised on this occasion, as I had been on other occasions when a similar situation had occurred, that Haldeman sent a message back to the President that, he was meeting with me and would be over shortly to report. I was surprised that my reporting on Segretti would take precedence over Haldeman's responding to an immediate request of the President. November 15, 1972, I arranged to meet with Mr. Haldeman and Mr. Ehrlichman at Camp David on another subject, which I will discuss -later. During the first -part of the meeting however, the subject of Chapin's remaining at the White House, came up, and I learned that the President had made a decision, based on the. information that had been imparted to Haldeman and Ehrlichman in Florida, that Mr. Chapin would have to leave the White House staff. Before going to Camp David, I was aware of this subject being under discussion and Mr. Moore and I had talked about it. Moore felt that the President should merely issue a letter of censure to Chapin and let it go at that, but "Moore, was unaware of the contents of the tape and had never heard it. Pursuant to requests of Moore, however. I did raise his suggestion with Ehrlichman and Haldeman. [00.18.49]