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). Is it not true, do you know of any written document which tends to show that the President disapproved of or rescinded these plans which Mr. Haldeman said he had approved on the 14th of July? John Dean. No, sir. I have never seen such a document.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). After Mr. Huston left the White House, you had some responsibility in this field, didn t you? John Dean. That is correct. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Did you ever receive any instruction from anybody to the effect that the President had rescinded these plans recommended by Mr. Huston? John Dean. No. To the contrary, as this document indicates, on September 18, I was asked to see what I could do to get the first step started on the document and this was reflective of that effort. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Now, virtually all of these papers were marked "Top Secret," were they not? John Dean. That is correct.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). I do not know whether you are familiar with Executive Order No. 11652 dated March 8, 1972, which was published in 37 Federal Register, page 5209. Section 1 of that shows that the only thing that can be classified on the basis of national security is information or material which requires protection against unauthorized disclosure in the interest of national defense or foreign relations to the United States. John Dean. I am aware of that. That was the result of the extreme over classification of documents in the Government. If somebody wanted to get somebody's attention, I think, often they d put "Top Secret" on a memorandum and send it forward under that procedure with a big red stamp on it or something marked on it.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Now, just for the sake of the record, the United States Code title 18, in sections 793, 794, 795, 796, 797 clearly reveals what defense information is. The only statute I can find on the subject of classified information generally is that embodied in 18 USC 798, and there is nothing in any of these statutes that gives anybody any authority to classify information that relates to domestic intelligence or internal security. John Dean. I believe there are some statutes back in title 50 with regard to the Atomic, Energy Act that apply to this, but I am just recalling that off the top. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). The Atomic Energy Act is designed to guard secrets relating to atomic energy. John Dean. That is correct. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). And has no relation to demonstrations or persons who attempt to petition the Government for redress of grievances in compliance with the First Amendment. John Dean. That is correct, Mr. Chairman.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Isn't it, true to say that among some of the officials in the Committee To Re-Elect the President and the White House there was a great climate of fear during 1970, 1971 and 1972? John Dean. I would say there was a great concern about demonstrators. I think demonstrators were viewed as a political problem. You used the, word "fear." That connotes to me physical concern about them. As one who has walked with many demonstrators, to go out and get the pulse of the crowd, they re certainly not a fearsome group. There were some militants who were bent on, you know, destroying office buildings and breaking windows and things of that nature, the looters and the trashers and the groups like that. But I wouldn t say, I d say there was a concern. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Well, there are two kinds of fear. There is physical fear and intellectual fear. Don't you think there was an intellectual fear prevalent at that time among some people in the committee and some people in the White House about Americans who undertook to exercise their first amendment right to petition for redress of grievances? John Dean. I think that is correct, when you put it in the political context. Senator Sam Ervin (D North Carolina). Well, all of this was in the political context, was it not? John Dean. Yes, it was.