Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 27, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 27, 1973 (1/2)
[00.46.23-INOUYE continues to confront DEAN with White House Memo blaming the Watergate and Coverup on DEAN] Senator INOUYE. [QUOTING W.H. MEMO ATTACKING DEAN'S TESTIMONY] "During this period Dean was developing other problems. On March 10 there were press reports it was Dean who had. recommended Liddy to the Committee to Re-Elect the President. On March 22, Pat Gray testified that Dean had lied to him during the course of the FBI investigation of Watergate. On March 23 McCord's letter to Judge Sirica was made public. The coverup was coming uncovered. "During this period the point was frequently raised by various people including primarily the President, that the "whole story of the Watergate should be made public." Dean's answer always was "We cannot do it while the investigation is continuing." There are conflicting versions of events and the rights of defendants might be prejudiced by the statement." And this is from Mr. Haldeman. Mr. DEAN. I think that relates back to a conversation that I had With Mr. Haldeman shortly after the, election and before I prepared the---was requested to prepare a written version of the Dean report, when he asked me for what the facts would entail. At that time I told him that, I thought that the grand jury would be reconvened and I thought that they would undoubtedly get into obstruction of justice and I thought that those--that that, investigation would come directly to the White House and that Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and Dean could be, indicted, and he said to me, "I do not believe that is a very viable option." [00.47.58] Senator INOUYE. [QUOTING W.H. MEMO ATTACKING DEAN'S TESTIMONY] "On March 20th the President indicated that he, still did not have all the facts." Mr. DEAN. What date was that, Senator? Senator INOUYE. March 20. Mr. DEAN. The President did not state to me on the 20th when I told him at that time that I received a call from the President I told him at that time that I would like to meet with him the next morning, and I would like to tell him what I thought -the implication of the situation was, what, had really prompted me at that time was the new demand from Mr. Hunt that indeed, this thing was getting far out of hand, that the White House was now being directly subject, to blackmail and I did not know how to handle it. Senator INOUYE. Is it your testimony that on March 20 the President did in fact have all the facts? Mr. DEAN. I did not hear you, you, again, Senator, I am sorry. [00.48.50] Senator INOUYE. IS It Your testimony that on March 20 the President did not have all the facts? Mr. DEAN. I do not know what the President knew on March 20. We had had conversations before that, We had conversations that I was personally engaged in on September 15 of the preceding year. We had had conversations In early February or late February in which I tried to start telling him some of my own involvement. We had also had a discussion on March 13I about the money demands that were being made. [00.49.27] At that time he discussed the fact that a million dollars is no problem. He repeated it several times. I can very vividly recall that, the way he sort, of rolled his chair back from his desk and leaned over to Mr. Haldeman and said. "A million dollars is no problem," and then he came back and asked "Well, who is making these demands, and I said they are principally coming from Mr. Hunt and he got into the fact, that Hunt had been given clemency and his conversation about his annoyance that he had also talked to Colson about this in addition to Ehrlichman and the money matter was left very much hanging at that, meeting. Nothing -was resolved. Senator INOUYE. As the President's counsel, did you, in a very legal fashion, advise him of your meetings in February in the Attorney General's office? [00.50.18] Mr. DEAN. My channel of reporting -was through Mr. Haldeman or Mr. Ehrlichman. At the completion of the second meeting I sought out an appointment with Mr. Haldeman. I recall---- Senator INOUYE. In the subsequent meetings with the President did you clearly advise him of the, break-in, your involvement and the coverup, and your involvement? Mr. DEAN. I certainly did on the 21st and I had attempted to do it earlier in February but he was not interested in it when I raised it, 'and the conversation got cut short. I told him I thought I had an obstruction of justice problem and gave him, started to give him the highlights, He did not want to pursue it further. Senator INOUYE. [QUOTING FROM W.H. MEMO ATTACKING DEAN'S TESTIMONY] "In the preceding week Dean had begun to express to Richard Moore concern about Dean's own involvement. Referring to the meetings in Mitchell's office., the plumbers operation and the Ellsberg break-in and the demands by Hunt, possibly on March 16 for more money." [00.51.25]