Reel

Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 26, 1973

Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 26, 1973
Clip: 488816_1_1
Year Shot: 1973 (Actual Year)
Audio: Yes
Video: Color
Tape Master: 10416
Original Film: 113002
HD: N/A
Location: Caucus Room, Russell Senate Office Building
Timecode: -

[00.54.06] Senator TALMADGE. Did Mr. Haldeman have direct access to the President? Mr. DEAN. Indeed he did, sir. Senator TALMADGE. Mr. Ehrlichman? Mr. DEAN. Yes, he did. Senator TALMADGE. Mr. Colson? ? Mr. DEAN. Yes, he did. Senator TALMADGE. Mr. Mitchell Mr., DEAN. I don't believe that Mr. Mitchell had any dealings with the President. to my knowledge other than one or two social visits in Florida with him from the time he left the campaign until the meeting that occurred on June 22, I know they had sort of a good chat about what ever everyone had been doing at that time, very social chat at the end of the meeting. I was asked by the President to make arrangements so Mr. Mitchell Could use his outer office in the Executive Office Building and while I was doing that they were having a chat about what was happening among some of the partners. I know also that the President stopped in his old law firm at one time, but I think these were strictly social dealings. Senator TALMADGE. That was March 22, I believe, rather than June 22? Mr. DEAN. Yes, excuse me, March 22. Senator TALMADGE. Mr. Kalmbach had immediate access to the President? Mr. DEAN. No sir. Senator TALMADGE. He did not. Mr. DEAN. Not to my knowledge. I think the President periodically called Mr. Kalmbach when he had some specific item he wanted to take up regarding the residence in California. I was often the conveyor of information to Mr. Kalmbach for the President and these requests had come to me from Haldeman or Ehrlichman They dealt with the personal side of the President's business. I think that--I don't know of other than social gatherings, White House dinners or the like, where Mr. Kalmbach might have been present. I know his partner, Mr. DeMarco, and I would always take the tax return in to be signed and those -would be rather mechanical sessions so I can't say that Mr. Kalmbach had access to the President, no. Senator TALMADGE. What was Mr. Mitchell's relationship to the President, the same-was it the same over the entire period that you were at the White House? Mr. DEAN. I don't really know. I know that Mr. Mitchell and the President had frequent contact. I can recall while I was at the Department of Justice and I would be in the Attorney General's office and the President -would call him. I know Mr. Mitchell -would have no hesitation to pick up the phone and call the President. I know that Mr. Mitchell attended a number of meetings with the President, private meetings, on a regular basis while he was still Attorney General. I was also told they had a number of evening meetings and some planning for the campaign as they moved toward a campaign and I often thought back to a comment that I was told when I was first interviewed at the Pierre Hotel to come to the Department of Justice that Kleindienst told me that this Attorney General will probably be as close to this President as Robert Kennedy was to President Kennedy. Senator TALMADGE. And throughout your statement you indicated that you met with or were ordered to work with either Mr. Haldeman or Mr. Ehrlichman. What was the relationship between you and these advisers? Mr. DEAN. Well, I would report, to them or get assignments from them. Senator TALMADGE. What -was their relationship between themselves? Mr. DEAN. I think that Mr. Ehrlichman and Mr. Haldeman have a relationship that goes back a number of years from college days. They were good friends. They were very close, they -worked very well together. I think that, of course, that Mr. Ehrlichman dealt more with substantive matters whereas Mr. Haldeman dealt with procedural matters at the White House. I think Mr. Haldeman from time to time would make substantive suggestions but he would restrain himself because of the mere mechanics of keeping an operation of the dimension dimensions of a Presidency going. Senator TALMADGE. Did they keep each other informed as to what they were doing? Mr. DEAN. I would assume they did, yes. I would say, you know, on selected areas, I would not say that Mr. Ehrlichman -would tell everything to Mr., Haldeman he was planning on in a, given area of domestic policy. He would go directly to the President on that. Senator TALMADGE. Do you have a copy of your exhibit No. 26 before you? Mr. DEAN-. I do not have the exhibit. Senator TALMADGE. I Will ask the staff to please hand you one. It is an interesting document and I would like to have your comment on it. Do you have it now ? [00.59.01]