Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 27, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 27, 1973
[00.54.33-GURNEY continues to try to discredit DEAN'S testimony on matters peripheral to the facts of the coverup] Senator GURNEY. I would like to request that, Mr. Chairman. I do not want, to ask the witness questions here on that but I would like a full statement for the committee. Senator ERVIN. The witness says he will be glad to furnish it so I request him to do so. I do not know -whether he has to get access to the records at the White House or not. Mr. DEAN. Well, as I say, they will give, me, access down there and I think they might let me take my own personal things out there, I assume that is -going to occur. [00.55.00-GURNEY goes back to the issue of the report that DEAN was allegedly asked to prepare for NIXON-DEAN denies being asked to do so, GURNEY wants to use this to imply that DEAN was trying to hide facts from NIXON.] Senator GURNEY. Now, if we can go to November, Mr. Dean, as I recall, in the, testimony there was discussion some time around November about a written report that was to be written by you on Watergate? Mr. DEAN. That is correct. Senator GURNEY. Who requested that report? Mr. DEAN. That was Mr. Haldeman -who first raised it with me. senator GURNEY. Did you ever write this report? Mr. DEAN. Yes, sir, and I have, submitted that as a document to the committee. Senator GURNEY. Did you--if we have it I can look at it there, but did you ever tell the, President about this report or give him a copy of it? [00.55.40-Normal Reporting Channels] Mr. DEAN. No, sir, I used my normal reporting channels. 'I understand that it went from Mr. Haldeman to Mr. Ehrlichman, -who made some editorial changes on it -which are reflected, I believe I submitted the original to the committee, the editorial changes am Mr. Ehrlichman's. Then, it, went, to Mr. Ziegler and there -was a meeting on September 13 in which it was decided that report, would not be issued. [00.56.10-GURNEY turns to DEAN'S role in offering EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY to keep Jim McCORD from telling about the involvement of EHRLICHMAN and HALDEMAN.] Senator GURNEY. Turning to the offer of clemency to Mr. McCord, as I understand it, you made, the arrangements for that through Mr. Caulfield? Mr. DEAN. That is correct. Senator GURNEY. And he, in turn, communicated Mr. McCord, I guess, through Ulasewicz one time and then himself is that correct? Mr. DEAN. That at is my understanding Senator GURNEY. And my understand understanding also is that, the offer of clemency was made to Mr. McCord, I think, in terms like this: That it comes from the highest authority in the White House; is that substantially correct,? Mr. DEAN. That is correct; yes. Senator GURNEY. Did you ever advise the President of the United States about that? [00.56.52-DEAN explains that it was standard practice that others served as intermediaries between NIXON and DEAN] Mr. DEAN. No, No, sir. As I had explained in my testimony, I was proceeding on a conversation I had with Mr. Ehrlichman after Mr. Ehrlichman indicated and Mr. Colson also had indicated that they had talked directly with the, President about the matter, something which was later confirmed by the President himself in conversations with him. Senator GURNEY. Did you ever have a meeting -with Mr. Magruder, let me See on this, in January or December, in -which there was a discussion about, the planning of the Watergate? Do you remember anything about that? Mr. DEAN. I recall Mr. Magruder coming to my office one. time, and this is--I saw part, of Mr. Magruder's testimony on this before this committee. It is one if I have seen 3 hours total I would be, surprised, but I did see part of Mr. Magruder, I caught one section of the questioning of him, I believe it, was during the questioning of him, in which he -made a reference, to this. I think what he is referring to Senator GURNEY. What did he refer to? Mr. DEAN. He was referring to the fact that my memory had gotten suddenly foggy. I have never, as I testified before this committee, understood -what happened between, with any clarity, between February 4 and June 17, and I was--we were talking about that. I think he also was referring to the meeting on--he may have been mixing the meetings and referring to the fact that on March 28, when I came back from Camp David that I was playing very dumb, I was playing very reluctant--and I was. I did not, want to engage in a, discussion of my recollection of those meetings, because we had gone over that before, and I had made my decision by that time as to what I was going to do and I did not, want to get into a debate on it. I believe he, also referred to the fact that I taped that conversation That is not correct. [00.59.13]