Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 27, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 27, 1973
[00.18.51-GURNEY continues to play Devil's Advocate with Dean regarding whether NIXON ordered DEAN to investigate Watergate] Senator GURNEY. My question was, don't you think that somebody else, might have thought, that you were investigating from the activity that I have just described to you? Mr. DEAN. I do not know who would conceive of that. Senator GURNEY. Well, I can tell you that all of the members of the Judiciary Committee, during the Gray hearings, were, under the impression that you were conducting a rather large investigation of the White House. Mr. DEAN-. Well, let me just use the, same analogy, I am sure a lot of people, thought, when the President recited what the substance, of the death penalty was that I had probably just, talked to him and given him the substance, Senator GURNEY. Do you not think that the President might have, concluded that you were conducting an investigation, particularly if Mr. Haldeman or Mr. Ehrlichman, one or the other were reporting to him what -was going on, you have testified to many times in this---- [00.19.45--DEAN counters the questioning by reasserting that HALDEMAN and EHRLICHMAN were reporting to NIXON, who therefore must have known that DEAN was not investigating but working to cover up] Mr. DEAN. I have also testified I have no idea how this ended up in the briefing book. I had no conversations with the President during this period of time. I have no idea what the President thought 'Was happening. I have testified to the fact that Mr. Haldeman frequently made notes when I was reporting to him. I had meetings in some of the most unusual places that I cannot, recall the substance of the meetings but I would be called to California, I would meet up at the Newporter wit Mr. Haldeman and Mr. Ehrlichman, off on the patio. They would want to know what was happening. I recall one time when Air Force One landed, they called me to come out to Andrews and I met, in the--the President had already departed. I met in the cabin of Air Force, One, the President's cabin. They asked me for a report at that time. As soon as the press plane came in, they said, we have got to get out of here, we cannot all be seen together. [00.20.33] Senator GURNEY. Let me ask you this in connection with this so-called investigation by Mr. Dean of Watergate., You indicated great surprise and as I gather, consternation about the fact that you were said by the President to have conducted an investigation. Is that not right? Mr. DEAN. I said great surprise. I do not believe I would reveal to others at that time the fact that I was distressed about it. Senator GURNEY. Did you ever protest to Mr. Haldeman that you did not appreciate the way the, President was bandying your name around in this investigation? Mr. DEAN. No, sir, I did not. Senator GURNEY. Did you ever protest to Mr. Ehrlichman? Mr. DEAN. NO, sir; I did not. Senator GURNEY. Did you ever protest to the President? Mr. DEAN. No, sir; but others, I did. Senator GURNEY. Whom did you protest to? Mr. DEAN. I talked to Mr. Mitchell about it. I talked to Mr. Moore about it, I talked to my associate, Mr. Fielding. I said, this bothers me., that I am being put out on front on this. I think if I would have protested to Haldeman and Ehrlichman, it would have been to no avail. [00.21.39-GURNEY tries to blame the CIA involvement on DEAN. DEAN responds] Senator GURNEY. Let's turn to the CIA involvement with Watergate. I understand that you suggested the possibility to Haldeman? Is that correct? Mr. DEAN. No, sir; I think that what at happened, from what I understand, is that the first time I talked to them about. the CIA, they had already met with the CIA. They told me, or Mr. Ehrlichman told me, really none of the specifics of his meetings with the CIA the preceding day other than the fact that he and Mr. Haldeman had met. with the CIA, met with Director Helms and General Walters. I told him that it had come up in a meeting with Mr. Mitchell that we should explore the possibility of the CIA providing some assistance. [00.22.37-GURNEY is not satisfied with the answer, gets some headway in pinning DEAN to a semantic concession that he mentioned that the CIA could help] Senator GURNEY. Well, I guess I worded my question poorly. Mitchell brought it up to you and then you brought it up to Haldeman and Ehrlichman is that right? Mr. DEAN,. That is correct, yes. Senator GURNEY. You knew perfectly well that the CIA had absolutely nothing to do with Watergate, didn't you? Mr. DEAN. Well, sir, I knew this. The only thing I did know and this is one of the questions that I asked General Walters, were any of these, men operatives that could in any way embarrass the CIA? This had come up--I don't understand that -whole world and how it exists even today. But apparently, there is some arrangement where the operative is taken care of if some day he does get in trouble. This was discussed in this conversation, that some of these people might well be operatives that be -would be taken care of and the CIA might have a legitimate interest in protecting them. Senator GURNEY. You mean you thought at this time that those seven people who were caught in the Watergate were not in the employ of the Committee To Re-Elect the President? Mr. DEAN. Oh, it was quite clear. Senator GURNEY. Or that they might have been working for the FBI? Mr. DEAN. No, sir; I am talking about in years past. Senator GURNEY. All I said -was that you knew that the CIA had nothing to do with Watergate. That at was my question. Mr. DEAN. Yes, sir, I was well aware of that. [00.23.53]