Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 27, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 27, 1973 (1/2)
[00.07.12-DEAN reacts to the White House charge that DEAN was co-author of the LIDDY plan] Senator INOUYE. If I may I would like. to pause at this point. Would you care to comment, sir? Mr. DEAN. Is that in question form? Senator INOUYE. This is a quotation from Mr. Ehrlichman. Mr. DEAN. I have no recollection of advising Mr. Liddy of a $1 million plan. In fact to the contrary. When operation Sandwedge was shelved, and I think I have in ray testimony explained how that died a natural death, that the budget for that was set at $500,000, and all that were involved in reviewing that document, thought that was an excessive amount of money. Senator INOUYE. Well, I 'will continue, to quote: [READING FROM WHITE HOUSE MEMORANDUM] [00.07.59-More accusations by the WHITE HOUSE that DEAN was the ringleader of the breakin] Whatever the fact about this, it is clear that Dean attended the meetings that led up to adoption of the, Watergate plan, Dean introduced Mitchell (who had sponsored Dean for his White House position) to Liddy in November 1971. [END QUOTED SECTION] Mr. DEAN-. Senator, may I comment, right there? Senator INOUYE. Please do so. Mr. DEAN. I do not believe Mr. Mitchell sponsored me, to my knowledge to my White House position. I first heard of the White House interest in me when Mr. Krogh came to me and said would I be interested in going to the White House, and would John Mitchell let me come, to the White House? I said I did not know but I thought somebody else ought to take it Up With Mr. Mitchell rather than myself. So to the contrary, I do not believe Mr. Mitchell Sponsored me to the White House. In fact,, I recall some conversations when he counseled me against going to the White House. [00.08.55] Senator INOUYE. I will continue: [QUOTING FROM WHITE HOUSE MEMORANDUM] Dean introduced Magruder to Liddy in December 1971 and suggested Liddy for the combined position of general counsel and chief of intelligence-gathering for CRP. He told Magruder that Mitchell had hired Liddy. Dean, Liddy, Mitchell and 'Magruder met to discuss intelligence plans of this kind on January 27, 1972, and on February 4. Dean was not present at the final meeting on -March 30 when the $250,000 plan was approved. It is not clear whether he was not there because he disapproved or simply because he was not in Key Biscayne or because he wanted to try to keep his own record clean. [END QUOTED SECTION] [00.09.41-DEAN responds-he is calm in answering the charges] Mr. DEAN. I might Comment there, Senator. First of all, after I returned from the second meeting in Mr. Mitchell's office, and reported to Mr. Haldeman what had occurred and told him of My feelings about what -was Occurring, and that I wanted to have no part, in it, and told him I thought no one, in the White House should have any part in it. He agreed and told me, to have no part, in it and I have no' knowledge that there -was going to be a meeting in Key Biscayne and did not learn about that meeting until long after June 17, 1972, Senator INOUYE. [continues reading] He is reported as having said that "he did not think it was appropriate for him to be in on these conversations." He is reported to have said at a meeting in Mitchell's office that we should not discuss this in front Of Mitchell Or in the Attorney General's office. At some point during the spring Magruder phoned Dean and asked him to talk to Liddy to try to calm him down. At another point, Dean, knowing that a bugging operation was under serious consideration, called Magruder and referred to the importance of Liddy's intelligence activities. [END QUOTED SECTION FROM WHITE HOUSE MEMORANDUM] [00.10.55] Mr. DEAN. I would like to comment on that. I do not believe that is quite accurate, Senator. What happened is Mr. Strachan at the White House called me, I believe I did receive a call from Mr. Magruder tell telling me that he had developed a very strained relationship with Mr. Liddy. Like when Strachan called me because I believe he told me he had been talking with Mr. Liddy, he said, "What should I do?" I said it sounds like a personality and a, personnel problem and I suggested that he not bother Mr. Mitchell with it but rather take it to Mr. Mardian and let Mr. Mardian resolve any problem because they do need a general counsel over there. [00.11.38] Senator INOUYE. [continuing] [QUOTING FROM WHITE HOUSE MEMORANDUM*** The White House bigshots close ranks to dispute DEAN'S testimony] This arose after an argument between Magruder and Liddy. Dean urged Magruder not to let personal animosity "get in the way of the project." Also in March 1973 Dean claimed to Haldeman that in the spring of 1972 he had told Haldeman that he had been to two meetings at which unacceptable and outlandish deals for intelligence gathering had been rejected by himself and by Mitchell and that he, Dean, proposed not to attend any more such meetings. Haldeman has no personal recollection of Dean telling him about the meetings at the time but is "willing to accept that as a possibility." Post June 17. [00.12.24] [END QUOTED SECTION FROM W.H. MEMORANDUM] Mr. DEAN. If I might just comment there, following June 17 and the break-in the first, time I had a discussion with Mr. Haldeman about these facts I had already reported them to Mr. Ehrlichman, He remembered perfectly well and very clearly the fact that I had come to him shortly after the second meeting. [00.12.50] +