Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 28, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 28, 1973 (1/2)
[00.02.00-NPACT letters on black screen-shot of John DEAN testifying; DEAN under questioning from Sen. ERVIN, denies the White House claim that the PRESIDENT desired to make the facts of Watergate be known: "I must testify to the contrary... Mr. Haldeman's specific instructions to me... and the subsequent meetings... quite the contrary intention] [00.03.37-title sequence-image of page bearing text of Senate Resolution 60, Robert MacNEILL v.o. reads Resolution-title screen 'SENATE HEARINGS ON CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES'] [00.04.18-MacNEILL in studio, b/w headshot of DEAN projected behind MacNEILL] MacNEILL states that DEAN has weathered his fourth day of testimony, and answered questions directly from the White House, which did not shake his claim that NIXON, HALDEMAN, and EHRLICHMAN were fully aware of the COVERUP [headshots of each principal in turn shown behind MacNEILL] MacNEILL states that the WHITE HOUSE contended that DEAN, Jeb MAGRUDER, and John MITCHELL "were the villains". However, after an hour of the WHITE HOUSE questions, the committee members tended to reinforce and strengthen today's testimony. States that there was a dramatic sidelight today, when Sen. Lowell WEICKER (R-CT) charged that the White House had attempted to discredit WEICKER and interfere with the committee, and that WEICKER said he had complained to Special Prosecutor Archibald COX about the incidents, prompting Senator Howard BAKER to announce that the committee's jurisdiction would expand to include investigation of any attempts to interfere with the committee's work, However, the main point of the day was that DEAN remained a calm, cool, and determined witness. [00.05.20-Jim LEHRER] LEHRER states that after listening to DEAN for four days and questioning him for more than an hour, Sen. BAKER has decided that the committee needs more information, and that such information must come from the White House. BAKER discussed this with NPACT reporter Peter KAYE. [00.05.36-BAKER in empty committee room, interviewed by KAYE] BAKER states that the record won't be complete without more information from the WHITE HOUSE, but it depends on which people are involved how the information will be obtained. States that his questioning of DEAN that day was an attempt to establish a framework to obtain evidence to answer the crucial question "WHAT did the PRESIDENT know and when did he know it?" DEAN'S response to those questions will help to frame the information obtained by other witnesses. It is significant that many incidents that are material in DEAN'S testimony, i.e. September 15, 1972, are meetings at which only DEAN and the PRESIDENT, and in one case, Mr. HALDEMAN, were present. States that to make a complete assessment, the committee needs testimony from these meetings, but he can't conceive of any way that the committee can get the information from the PRESIDENT. [***note: taping system not yet revealed to Prosecutors] BAKER states the ambiguous hope that the committee can get the testimony, although it can't compel it. [00.06.59-LEHRER] LEHRER states that there will be more from KAYE'S interview with BAKER at the end of the broadcast. [00.07.08-MacNEILL] MacNEILL states that the senators, in the fourth day with DEAN, went over much old ground, but did raise new questions about the President today. [00.07.19-to side view of committee table, ERVIN at center, MacNEILL v.o. gives hourly summary of the testimony] [00.08.50-Sen. INOUYE]