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 Howard Baker (R Tennessee). All right. Is it fair to say, and I really am not trying to put words in your mouth, but rather to digest this information for my own purposes, that the documentary evidence that we have been referring to now, exhibit 17, indicates some knowledge by the President of an effort, to establish counter measures in terms of the total impact of Watergate, i.e. countersuits, allegations for misuse of the discovery process, and other things of that sort? John Dean. Well, he didn t. These were conceived, these were not actions that he conceived. He asked that counteractions be taken. The request came to me. I in turn passed it on to the lawyers who were closest to it because some of the suggestions were just, you know, start filing suits. And I had advised Mr. Colson that I wouldn t suggest filing any suit that was not well founded. Rather than rushing into court with some action that was not an action that would tie things up. This was particularly true of some of the statements of some of the individuals whose names were being speculated that they file for libel. Now, libel results in both countersuits and counter discovery. Some of these people obviously could not withstand discovery. So that was why the suits, I thought, had to be well founded and had to be suits that counter discovery would not be a problem. Senator Howard Baker (R Tennessee). So if I understand what you are saying now, while these documents do not bear on the isolated issue of the President's knowledge of the Watergate and what I call the coverup of the Watergate post June 17th, they do shed some light on at least the willingness to commence counteractions to avoid further prying into the situation at the White House. Is that a fair statement? John Dean. Yes that is, Senator.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Howard Baker (R Tennessee). What other documentary evidence gives us any insight or information about the state of the President's knowledge of Watergate and the date on which he acquired it? John Dean. We are talking now about pre-September 15th? Senator Howard Baker (R Tennessee). Yes, we are still working our way up from June 17 to September 15. John Dean. That the only documentary evidence I have that to my knowledge is that document right there. As I say, there were not a lot of documents floating around on this subject. Senator Howard Baker (R Tennessee). There are a whole lot. John Dean. Well, there were some but not... Senator Howard Baker (R Tennessee). OK.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Is there any other circumstantial evidence? You have alluded to the organization and relationships at the White House. Is there any other circumstance that would give us any further insight or is there any category 3 information. That is, is there anything anyone has told you that would shed further light on what the President knew and when he knew it in this time frame from June 17 to September 15? John Dean. Yes. As I say, on a number of occasions when I was in meetings with Mr. Haldeman or Mr. Ehrlichman, sometimes together, I can recall that the President would call for Mr. Haldeman and Mr. Haldeman would send a message back to tell the President that he was meeting with Dean, getting a report and he would see him after that. This was always rather startling to me that my report was more important than Mr. Haldeman going right into the President's office. Senator Howard Baker (R Tennessee). So the unusual nature of that arrangement, and circumstance led you to believe that there was some knowledge of the subject matters attendant to the Watergate affair by the President? John Dean. That and another circumstance that I might add. Is that this, the coverup, consumed a great amount of time of Mr. Haldeman and Mr. Ehrlichman. They were spending a great deal of time in discussion with me, discussions amongst themselves and this was probably the major thing that was occurring at this point in time.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities June 28, 1973. Testimony of John Dean.
Senator Howard Baker (R Tennessee). Is there anything else now, because I want to move on to the September 15 meeting, is there anything else in either of the three categories of testimony of evidence, direct, evidence, circumstantial evidence, inferences and hearsay? Is there anything else that you can think of at the moment, and if you think of something later we will certainly add it, but is there anything you can think of at the moment that will give us further insight into what, the President knew and when he knew it in this time frame, September, until September 15th? John Dean. I think I have expressed the highlights of that.