Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 28, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 28, 1973
[00.02.00-Sen. WEICKER begins questioning with a statement that points out that the WHITE HOUSE has shown little regard for protecting the reputation of the parties involved in WATERGATE, even though it accuses DEAN of making wild charges to save himself] Senator WEICKER. Before I make my statement in regard to the entire memorandum I would like to read a quote from a Speech given by the Vice President of the United States not long ago, where he goes ahead and blasts this committee, in which speech he states: "There is no question whatever that some men, despite their innocence, will be ruined by all of this, even though I am sure that the Senate intended nothing of this kind when it commissioned this investigation." I think. Mr. Chairman, the American people should know that the author of the White House memorandum read by Senator Inouye yesterday makes statements of facts concerning John Mitchell which, in effect, assume that he took part in a conspiracy to break and enter, that he took part in obstructing Justice and suborning perjury, and all this without an admission or conviction of John Mitchell. And this, Mr. Chairman, done in the document sent by the White House to this committee. [00.03.20] I don't believe that in anything that the committee has done to date we have overstepped our bounds, to this extent and I think it important to note, not only in the ease of Mr. Dean, who sits before us, but also in the case of Mr. Mitchell, who is to come before us. Now, Mr. Dean, I didn't mean to jump ahead of you. Have You any comment to make relative to this memorandum, and if so, I don't mean to cut you off on it. Mr. DEAN. When the memorandum was being read yesterday, as you Will recall, Senator. I commented point by point as they went through it. I will certainly stand on the comments I made yesterday and I certainly stand on my testimony. I refuse to engage in descriptions of Motives of others, myself. [00.04.20-Sen. WEICKER goes into a long list of the "gross" acts on the part of the White House and the Executive Branch] Senator WEICKER. Now, Mr. Chairman, as I have indicated there have been acts that have been illegal, unconstitutional, and those that fall in the general category of gross. And I would like to go ahead and repeat now exactly what acts which have been testified to, have actually been proven or admitted in the illegal area, acts committed by various members of the executive branch of government--conspiracy to obstruct justice, conspiracy to intercept wire or oral communications, subornation of perjury, Conspiracy to obstruct a criminal investigation, conspiracy to destroy evidence; conspiracy to file false sworn statements, conspiracy to commit breaking and entering, conspiracy to commit burglary, misprision of a felony, filing of false sworn statements, perjury, breaking and entering, burglary, interception of wire and oral communications, obstruction of criminal investigation, attempted interference with administration of the internal revenue laws, and attempted unauthorized use of internal revenue information. These are illegal matters proven or admitted that have been accomplished by the executive branch of this Government. [00.06.00-Sen. WEICKER goes into a description of the White House's disregard for the CONSTITUTION] As to those matters that are unconstitutional Attempts to infringe upon people's first amendment rights of free speech and the press, the enemy list which we have seen, first amendment rights to peaceable assembly, fourth amendment rights to be secure in our houses and papers and effects, and fourth amendment rights, denial of rights to fair trial, right to due process of law. That is what we have, heard which has been done in the way of unconstitutional acts by the executive branch of the, Government. [00.06.42] Now, when you get into the area of the gross, I think it very important that we have more than just an exhibit before us, the exhibits that were part, of the enemy papers submitted by Mr. Dean to this committee yesterday, and I would like to go ahead and read just very short portions from some, of those memorandums. [00.07.13]