Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 26, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 26, 1973
[00.30.32] Senator WEICKER. Mr. Chairman? Senator ERVIN. Do you wish to use one of these documents? Senator WEICKER. I would very specifically like to use, the document, Mr. Chairman, which Is the letter sent by Mr. Dean to Mr. Mitchell. Mr. McCANDLESS. Mr. Chairman, is that one of the national security documents? Senator ERVIN. Yes. I might state for the record that yesterday Senator Baker and myself, by authority of the unanimous vote of the committee, sent the following letter to the White House: JUNE 25, 1973, The PRESIDENT, The White House Washington D.C. DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: A former White House employee, John W. Dean III delivered to his honor, Judge John J. Sirica, Chief Judge of the U.S. District' Court. for the District of Columbia, certain documents. Judge Sirica Subsequently ordered copies of these documents delivered to the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities. These documents may be briefly described as follows: 1. A document which is entitled "Special Report Interagency Committee Intelligence," which constitutes a review of I he systems by which foreign and domestic intelligence is collected by the FBI, CIA, DIA and NSA. This document is 43 pages long, and is signed by the then heads of the four intelligence gathering agencies. 2. A document entitled "Recommendations" which relates 'to Operational restraints on intelligence collection, This document -was apparently prepared in June 1970, but does not bear the day of the month on which it Was finalized 3. A memorandum from H.R. Haldeman -to Tom Charles Huston dated July 14, 1970. 4. A memorandum from Tom Charles Huston to H. R. Haldeman dated August 5, 1970, which relates to domestic intelligence. 5. A memorandum from Tom Charles Huston to H.R. Haldeman dated August 7, 1970, which is entitled "Domestic Intelligence Review." 6. A memorandum from John Dean to the Attorney General relating to the Interagency Domestic Intelligence Unit dated September 18, 1970, which bears the notation that it was returned to John W. Dean by the Attorney General's Office on March 8, 1972. All of these documents are marked "Top Secret," except the memorandum from Tom Charles Huston to R. R. Haldeman dated August 7, 1970, which is marked "Confidential." The committee agrees that the first numbered document relates in substantial part to foreign intelligence, and ought not to be disclosed. It believes, however, that all of the portions of the other documents which relate to domestic intelligence or internal security should be released at the hearings, and for this reason, the committee has unanimously authorized and directed us as chairman and vice chairman to ask you forthwith to declassify them. In addition, the committee has authorized and directed us to request that You declassify two additional documents which have been printed in the New York Times and the Washington Post, insofar as they relate to domestic intelligence and internal security. These additional documents are as follows: 1. A decision memorandum dated July 15, 1970, bearing the title "Decision Memorandum, The White House, Washington." 2. A document entitled "Organization and Operations of the Interagency Group on Domestic Intelligence and Internal Security." The committee desires to interrogate witnesses concerning these documents, and for this reason, respectfully requests that you forthwith declassify them. Sincerely yours, SAM J. ERVIN. Jr., Chairman, HOWARD H. BAKER, Jr., Vice Chairman. [00.34.59]