Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Samuel Dash, attorney. I want to ask you some questions, Mr. Dean about your handling of given to you by Mr. Richard Howard in the amount of $15,200 which you have included in your statement. To your knowledge this money came from the $350,000 sent to the White House before April 7, 72 from Sloan's safe, is that true? John Dean. That is true. I did not know at the time it was given to me but I later learned that was the source of the money.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Samuel Dash, attorney. Now to your knowledge the $22,000 had been taken from this amount to pay for advertising, but that only $6,800 was in fact used leaving a balance of $15,200? John Dean. That is correct. Samuel Dash, attorney. How did it come about that I that you were given this $15,200 in cash? John Dean. The week after or during the week immediately following the break-in, Mr. Strachan and Mr. Howard came to my office and said that they had some cash and that they asked me to be the custodian for the cash. They were not terribly explicit at that time. I told Mr. Strachan I would keep the cash and be accountable for the cash. Samuel Dash, attorney. Do you know why he gave it to you rather than put it back in the original pot of $350,000? John Dean. I do not. Samuel Dash, attorney. What did you do with the money? John Dean. I put it in my safe.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Samuel Dash, attorney. I think you have already told us in your statement that you took the $4800 from the money for your wedding, honeymoon, and personal expenses, leaving an IOU personal check in the safe. Mr. Dean, did you ever repay this amount? John Dean. I did not repay it until I opened a trustee account when a subsequent check was negotiated to make the funds whole at that time. That was in April of this year.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Samuel Dash, attorney. Now there came a time, did there not, Mr. Dean, when the $350,000 under Haldeman's control was needed for payoff money. And you suggested that before any of it was given back to the committee or Mr. LaRue that it be made whole again with regard to the $22,000 that had been taken out of it? John Dean. That s correct. Those discussions began in early as late July and August of 1972, about making the fund whole. Samuel Dash, attorney. Wasn t it your suggestion, Mr. Dean, or one that you approved of that Mr. Stans of the Finance Committee for the Re-Election of the President should provide this $22,000 from the committee funds to send that over to the White House to make that $350,000 whole? John Dean. That is correct.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Samuel Dash, attorney. Since you had in your safe $15,200 from the original pot, why did you not return it and request of Mr. Stans only the amount requested for the advertising which was only $6,800? John Dean. Well, you d have to go back into the time sequence again. There was a request for any and all available cash far before they started speaking of the $350,000 cash fund, when Mr. Kalmbach was collecting the cash. Mr. Stans had some money that was used. They were looking anywhere they could look to find any available cash. It was at this point, I knew that I had the. $15,200 in my safe and I decided at that time that I was not going to let that money be used for that purpose because I did not want ant to become further involved in that particular aspect of the coverup. Samuel Dash, attorney. And you made that decision despite the fact that you had been a key figure in getting Mr. Kalmbach involved in the original payoff? John Dean. That is correct.