Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Now, do you not know that at this plan was put into effect, or rather was approved for use by the President without the prior knowledge of Mr. Mitchell? John Dean. I do not know that for a fact, no, sir. When I talked to Mr. Mitchell about it, it had reached the stage that they wanted to do something. Mr. Mitchell and I talked about it and we decided that the best thing to do was to create the IEC and that would possibly satisfy everybody's request to do something. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Now, the IEC, in effect, was a proposal to set up a group representing or representatives from the FBI, CIA, NSA, DIA and the counterintelligence units of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force to furnish information about the activities of all of these agencies to the White House? John Dean. I believe that is correct. But I believe that at that time, also the military, I m not sure they were involved because they had already made a decision that they were not going to do any domestic intelligence work.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Now, as a lawyer, you are aware of the fact that the section 403 (d) (3) of title 50 of the United States Code, provides that the CIA "shall have no police, subpoena, law enforcement powers, or internal security purposes." John Dean. Domestically. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Yes. Internal security functions. John Dean. Yes, I was generally aware of that. I wasn t specifically aware of the statute. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Yet, despite the fact that the statute forbade the CIA exercising any internal security functions, here was a consolidation in a sense, of activities or at least a coordination of activities of the CIA in the domestic intelligence field, wasn t it? John Dean. Mr. Chairman, I believe what the CIA did in this instance was to share their own intelligence from a foreign nature that would have a domestic implication. They were a part because of their expertise in analysis and evaluation of intelligence to Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Notwithstanding the fact that the statute gave them no internal security functions, they were called upon to evaluate domestic intelligence gathered by other agencies? John Dean. That is correct. Now, I am not familiar specifically with how the evaluation group operated at all is to the mechanics of that. But they were a part of the group, yes, sir.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). As a lawyer do you know of any statute which gives the White House the power to set up interagency units of this kind? John Dean. I do not know of any statute, no, sir. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Now, the memo from Mr. Haldeman to Mr. Huston is dated the 14th day of July and states that the President has approved the recommendations made by Mr. Huston does it not? John Dean. That is correct. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). The President made a statement on May 20, I believe, to the effect that he rescinded this approval after 5 days. Do you recall that that? John Dean. It was late July when I came on and I do not recall whether it was rescinded or not.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Now, on yesterday, Senator Weicker interrogated you about one of the documents that you turned over to Judge Sirica and Judge Sirica turned over to this committee. One dated September 18, 1970 which consisted of a memorandum from you to the Attorney General. John Dean. Yes, sir. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). In which you recommended the setting up of this interagency evaluation unit. John Dean. That is Correct. I might add that when Mr. Mitchell and I talked about that we decided that with Mr. Haldeman and others being aware of this, we thought this might satisfy the needs and the requests at the time to do something. I also recall that the liaison between the FBI and other intelligence agencies had really broken down. I believe Mr. Hoover had withdrawn all of his liaison relationships with everyone except the White House. And Mr. Mitchell hoped that this might be a vehicle to start getting the FBI dealing with the agencies because there are, of course, quite proper and natural reasons to have liaison amongst the intelligence community.