Reel

Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 28, 1973 (1/2)

Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 28, 1973 (1/2)
Clip: 489046_1_1
Year Shot: 1973 (Actual Year)
Audio: Yes
Video: Color
Tape Master: 10427
Original Film: 115003
HD: N/A
Location: Caucus Room, Russell Senate Office Building
Timecode: -

[00.12.57-DEAN answers questions by Sen. BAKER about the state of NIXON'S knowledge of the coverup as of the Sept. 15, 1972 meeting with DEAN.] Senator BAKER. Go ahead. Mr. DEAN. At that point, it had not been assigned to any judge at all. Another point that came out, as I testified earlier in my, conversations was the fact that he alluded, told me for the first time that I had ever heard this, that shortly after he had assumed office, Mr. Hoover had been over to Visit with him. He told me that Mr. Hoover had informed him that his campaign had been bugged and the President said. this is something that we may be able to use ourselves at some point down the road to explain the fact that we have been subject to the same type of activity. Mr. DEAN. Not until many, many months later. Senator BAKER. You have already testified to that conversation. Mr. DEAN. Yes, I did. Senator BAKER. Go ahead. I am sorry, Mr. Dean. Tell me, anything else you can at all, no matter how minute, about the meeting of September 15. Mr. DEAN. The next matter- I recall is the fact that we did get into a discussion about the civil cases. Senator BAKER. I am sorry, Mr. Dean. Thank you very much. Mr. DEAN. The next thing that I recall occurred was a discussion that ensued about the civil cases. He asked me some questions about the civil cases and it was in the course of this conversation that I told him what I knew at that point in time about the status of the civil cases, where they -were, and I knew because I was fairly familiar at that time with the precise status of the cases. It was also as a result of this conversation that we got into a discussion, or I told him that I had learned from the lawyers at the reelection committee that they had been making or they had somebody who was making an ex parte contact with the judge -who had jurisdiction over the principal suit of the greatest concern, which was the suit by Mr. O'Brien, Larry O'Brien and the DNC. Senator BAKER. Is this, once again, close to the exact language you used? [00.15.55] Mr. DEAN. Yes that was--I did not know who it -was that was making the contacts at that time for certain, so I just told him that the lawyers at the reelection committee are making ex parte contacts or have made ex parte contacts and are hoping to got some favorable rulings. Senator BAKER. Did the President make, any remark at that point, or did Mr. Haldeman? [00.16.19] Mr. DEAN-. I recall the President said something to the effect, well, that is helpful. Senator BAKER. Is that close to his exact language? Mr. DEAN. Yes, sir. Senator BAKER. Is there anything else? Mr. DEAN. We talked about the Common Cause suit as well and I told him that I didn't think it -was any problem. This was a suit that was trying to bring or identify the donors or the contributors of some $10 million of unidentified campaign moneys that had not been reported prior to April 7. The suit, I told him moneys him, I didn't think would be a problem because the lawyers at the reelection committee felt that they could tie this one up in discovery for quite a while. Senator BAKER. What did the President say to that? Mr. DEAN. I don't recall any specific comment to that. I think as we were, going through some of these descriptions, I was just reporting as best I could and I don't recall him giving me -what his reaction was at that point. Senator BAKER. You understand why I am asking you these questions? Mr. DEAN. Yes, I do. [00.17.29] Senator BAKER. All right. Now, I don't mean to shorten your description of the September 15 meeting, but for the sake of moving on, were there other important matters discussed at that time? Mr. DEAN. Well, yes, the matter of the Patman hearing did come up, because the President was aware of that, I assume, from his news summaries or the newspapers that there was likely to be congressional inquiry on the House side. He asked me who was handling that. I told him that, Richard Cook a member of the congressional relations staff, who had worked with the Patman committee at one point in time, was doing the principal work on it. He then told me that Mr. Timmons should be spending his time and get on to of it, something of that--that would be very close, to the language he used. Senator BAKER. Mr. Dean, excuse me, I see we have a vote signal from the Senate. The committee will stand in recess until we return.