Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Statement of John Dean.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Statement of John Dean.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Statement of John Dean.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Statement of John Dean.
On Friday morning, March 23rd, my house was surrounded by camera crews as a result of Gray's statement the day before that I had probably lied. Accordingly, I decided to wait until the camera crews departed before going to the office. It was midmorning when Paul O'Brien called to tell me about Judge Sirica reading McCord's letter in open court. O'Brien gave me the high points of the letter as had been reported to him by someone from the courthouse. He told me that McCord had only hearsay knowledge. I then called Ehrlichman to tell him about it. He said he had a copy of the letter and read it to me. I asked him how he received a copy so quickly. He responded, "It just came floating into my office." He asked me what I thought about it and I told him I was not surprised at all and repeated to him what O'Brien had told me that McCord probably had only hearsay knowledge. He asked me if I was in my office and I informed him that I was a prisoner of the press and would be in shortly.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Statement of John Dean.
After my conversation with Ehrlichman, the President called. Referring to our meeting on March 21st and McCord's letter he said, "Well, John you were right, in your prediction." He then suggested I go up to Camp David and analyze the situation. He did not instruct me to write any report, rather he said Go to Camp David, take, your wife, and get, some relaxation." He then alluded to the fact that, I had been under
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Statement of John Dean.
(Do not use narration) Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina) I will have to depart because I have less than 5 minutes to get over there. This is good training for running in the Olympics. Some of the Senators have left to vote.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Statement of John Dean.
Senator Howard Baker (R Tennessee). Mr. Dean, We are not trying to hurry you along but I stayed on the floor of the Senate until this roll call because in the last short roll call vote Senator Weicker and I missed the vote and one or two others did. And so we are going to interchange in the interest of time. If you do not mind you might continue now. John Dean. Thank you, Senator.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Statement of John Dean.
He then alluded to the, fact that I had been under some rather intense pressure lately, but he had been through this all of his life and you cannot let it get to you. He said that he was able to do his best thinking at Camp David and I should get some rest and then assess where we are and where we go from here and report back to him. I told him I would go. My wife and I arrived at Camp David in the midafternoon. As we entered the cabin in which we were staying, the phone was ringing. The operator said it was the President calling but Mr. Haldeman came on the phone. Haldeman said that while I was there I should spend some time writing a report on everything I knew about the Watergate. I said I would do so. I asked him if it was for internal use or public use. He said that would be decided later.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Statement of John Dean.
I spent the rest of the day and the next day thinking about this entire matter. I reached the conclusion based on earlier conversation conversations I had with Ehrlichman that he would never admit to his involvement in the coverup. I did not know about Haldeman, but I assumed that he would not because he would believe it a higher duty to protect the President. The more I thought about it the more I realized that I should step forward because there was no way the situation was going to get better rather it could only get worse. My most difficult problem was how I could end this mess without mortally wounding the President. I had no answer because I felt once I came forward the matter would be for the American people to decide not for me to decide. I finally concluded that I would have to think of some way for the President to get out in front of the matter despite what happened to everybody else.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Statement of John Dean.
I called Mr. Moore and talked with him about it. We talked about a Presidential speech, where the President would lay the facts out. We talked about immunity for everyone involved. We talked about a special Warren-type commission that would get the facts out. We talked about some half measures that might satisfy the public interest, but we both realized that nothing less than the truth would sell. As I mentioned earlier, Moore and I had talked about some of these, concepts on previous occasions, but we still did not have an answer that would bring the full truth out because of the criminal implications of the behavior of those involved.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 25, 1973 - Statement of John Dean.
On Saturday, I began reconstructing all I knew and I began writing a report. I spent Saturday afternoon and evening, Sunday, and Monday reconstructing and writing. On Monday I asked my secretary to come to Camp David and bring certain documents that I had requested and commence typing. I did not realize how difficult it would be to reconstruct my knowledge from memory. I had not kept a diary or even a calendar of all my activities, thus, I have been reconstructing my knowledge of this matter since March 23 to this day.