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.
Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). Now, on May the 22nd, 1973, the President made this statement, With regard to the specific allegations that have been made, I can and do state categorically 1. I had no prior knowledge of the Watergate operation. 2. I took no part in nor was I aware of any subsequent efforts that may have been made to cover up Watergate. 3. At no time did I authorize any offer of executive clemency for the Watergate defendants nor did I know of any such offer. 4. I did not know until the time of my own investigation of any effort to provide the Watergate defendants with funds. 5. At no time did I attempt or did I authorize others to attempt to implicate the CIA in the Watergate matter. 6. It was not until the time of my own investigation that I learned of the break in in the office of Mr. Ellsberg's psychiatrist and I specifically authorized the furnishing of this information to Judge Byrne. 7. I neither authorized nor encouraged subordinates to engage in illegal or improper campaign tactics. Now, will you respond as to the correctness of this particular statement by the President? John Dean. In its totality or point by point? Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). Point by point, if you can or you might start out by responding to it in totality. John Dean. Well in totality, I think there are less than accurate statements in the statement. Let me take it point by point. I do not know. I have no firsthand knowledge if the President had prior knowledge of the Watergate operation, with regard to point 1. I believe the President was aware of an effort to cover up the Watergate, with regard to point 2.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). Will you state the particulars? John Dean. As far as I know, the first time I had firsthand knowledge that he was aware was On September 15 when I met with him shortly after the indictments. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). That was on September 15, 1972? John Dean. That is correct. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). What specific knowledge did he have at that time? What knowledge was imparted to him? John Dean. Well as I have testified earlier, I was aware of the fact that Mr. Haldeman frequently took notes when I was reporting to him and would immediately leave from my reporting session to go to the President's office with these notes. There were occasions when before this date, when I would meet with him when there would be a call from the President and Mr. Haldeman would indicate that Mr. Dean is giving a report on information he has. And would delay until that report was completed. So I assumed most of what I was reporting was being reported to the President. When he talked to me on the 15th, it is very easy to tell if you are talking on the same wavelength with a man. And there was certainly no doubt in my mind that we were talking on the same wavelength about the fact that it had been successful in keeping it out of the White House, because of the fact that it had been held, the indictments had been held at the Liddy level and gone no higher. And certainly, this statement was issued on May 22nd of 1973 and on March 21st, I certainly told the President everything I knew at that point in time. And also I would indicate that some of the conversations I had with him in February again indicated to me that he understood what was happening. He had complimented me again on the first meeting on the 27th on my handling of the matter during the campaign and I cannot imagine him complimenting me if he did not understand what he was complimenting me on.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). Well, as a matter of fact, on February 17 or 27, 1973, the President directed that you report to him regarding all Watergate matters. Did he not? John Dean. That is correct. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). Who did he give those instructions to? John Dean. He gave them directly to me. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). And did you relay them to Mr. Haldeman and Mr. Ehrlichman? John Dean. No. He told me I should not deal with Haldeman and Ehrlichman. He told me that the Watergate matter was consuming too much of their time and taking them away from their normal duties and that henceforth I should report to him. I should cast this in light of the fact that he had been involved in a number of Presidential decisions which were reflected in some of the agenda which I had submitted to the committee. And he saw very clearly there was going to require a lot more of their time.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). Why would the President be so concerned about Mr. Haldeman and Mr. Ehrlichman spending so much time away from their normal duties on Watergate if his people were not involved and he had no knowledge of any involvement on the part of his people or anyone in the White House? John Dean. Well sir, I happen to believe that he did have knowledge. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). Would you say that because he had this knowledge he was expressing concern about the time expended by Mr. Ehrlichman and Mr. Haldeman on this affair? John Dean. I would think that by that time I had earned my stripes, so to speak, as capable of handling the coverup on my own. And that I no longer needed to have the daily reporting with Ehrlichman and Haldeman as to what I should do and how I should handle things. And that was the reason for the request that I report directly to him and get guidance from him. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). In other words, it was your feeling as we say in the West that you had earned your spurs? John Dean. Yes, Sir. [Laughter.]
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). Now, on September 15 John Dean. Do you want me to complete the points on the speech? Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). Yes, if you will. I am sorry. John Dean. On point number 4, he indicated his own investigation started on the 21st. I had a conversation with the President on the 13th myself in which he mentioned the fact that he had talked to Colson and Ehrlichman regarding clemency for Mr. Hunt and also prior to that I was aware of the fact that Mr. Colson told me in January, January 4th or 5th, that he had talked to the President. Ehrlichman told me he had talked to the President and that message was in turn relayed to Mr. Bittman and then relayed to Mr. Hunt. Subsequent to that on April 15th the President again repeated the fact that he had talked to Mr. Colson about clemency for Mr. Hunt. So I don't think that is quite an accurate statement.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). Well, as a matter of fact you did relay some information to was it Caulfield, so that he could in turn relay such information to Mr. McCord about clemency? John Dean. That is correct. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). And when was this? John Dean. That was in roughly January 10th, as I recall the date was. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). Did you not tell Mr. Caulfield at that time that this promise of immunity was coming from somebody at a very high level at the White House? John Dean. Yes. I did. But Mr. Caulfield, when we talked about it specifically and it was not at that time, as he told me that he thought the only thing that would turn McCord around was a direct request from the President. And I told him that he could not do that because I had no such request from the President, although I did have the general assurance that clemency would be, since it would be given to Mr. Hunt it should also apply to others.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). What motivated you to tell Mr. Caulfield that he in turn, tell Mr. McCord that the promise of immunity was coming from the very top at the White House? John Dean. Because of Mr. Caulfield's concern that it would take a statement of that nature to persuade Mr. McCord as to the authenticity and sincerity of the offer of clemency. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). What authority did you have or what background did you muster in justification for making this statement to Mr. Caulfield? John Dean. On the 5th, as I recall it was, of January, after Mr. Colson had talked to Mr. Bittman he called a meeting in Mr. Ehrlichman's office and reported how he had handled the offer of clemency, the assurances of clemency to Mr. Hunt. At that meeting I said to Mr. Ehrlichman, I said "The word will get out to the others that this offer has been made and can I assume that this also applies to the others?" And he said, "Yes, of course you can." It was from that and then when Mr. Mitchell asked me to make sure that Mr. McCord had the same assurances, that I took my action.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). Did Mr. Mitchell Indicate to you that he had assurances from the White House at the time? John Dean. No, but he was quite aware of the fact that the assurances had been given from the President as a result of conversations that he had had with me and with Mr. O'Brien who was aware of the procedure that had occurred. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). How did Mr. O'Brien know about these assurances? Who had communicated these assurances to him? John Dean. I informed him of the procedure that had gone on and he was aware of the fact that Colson had given assurances to Mr. Bittman who, in turn had given them to Mr. Hunt. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). And did Mr. Colson communicate these assurances also or the content of these assurances to Mr. Mitchell so that he could, in turn, endorse what you were doing? John Dean. I don't believe Mr. Colson talked to Mr. Mitchell at all about it, no, sir. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). In other words, Mr. Mitchell knew because he had heard from you that these assurances had been given. Is that it?
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
John Dean. That is correct. Now, on point number 5. I don't know what happened in the first meeting that Mr. Haldeman and Mr. Ehrlichman had with Director Helms and General Walters. I was not given a specific report of what occurred at that meeting, so I cannot testify with any firsthand on that. And I only know what in scanning the newspapers some of the things I have subsequently learned about that, so I have no firsthand knowledge on that. Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). You didn't, work on the arrangements to try to get the CIA to come into the picture and mollify the impact? John Dean. This was subsequent to the meeting that Haldeman and Ehrlichman had with the CIA when I first met with them. And I was doing this per Mr. Ehrlichman's instructions that he thought it was a very good thing that I explore with the CIA if they would provide some assistance.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
John Dean. Now, on point No. 7, excuse me, on point No. 6. I made some references, as I recall, to this with the President in a meeting in March that my only knowledge of Presidential knowledge in there is hearsay. And that is what Mr. Krogh told me in a meeting In my office on either March 28 or 29 of this year in which we were talking about the fact that, this matter might come out. I told him about the documents that I had been unable to retrieve from the Department of Justice. And I d asked him, knowing that Mr. Krogh, I didn't believe, would do anything like this without higher authorization, whether Mr. Ehrlichman had authorized it. He told me, no he hadn't. That his instructions had come right out of the Oval Office. I was startled by the comment and I said to him, you ve got to be kidding. And be repeated the same comment to me again. So I don't know about the, I say I only have hearsay knowledge on that matter as to whether that is the correct or incorrect statement.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 26, 1973 - Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Joseph Montoya (D New Mexico). What about No. 7? No. 7 is as follows, I neither authorized nor encouraged subordinates to engage in any illegal or improper campaign tactics." John Dean. I have no firsthand knowledge of that at all. I only know what I testified about with regard to Mr. Segretti, the fact that it was authorized by Mr. Haldeman and in turn funded by Mr. Kalmbach.