Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 28, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 28, 1973
[00.19.15-WEICKER reads from a taped conversation between EHRLICHMAN and KLEINDIENST that revolves around efforts to influence and discredit Sen. WEICKER and the ERVIN COMMITTEE] EHRLICHMAN. I see. You don't think that this is evidence of alienation to the point of no return, then. KLEINDIENST. -NO. You mean by Lowell? EHRLICHMAN. Yeah. KLEINDIENST. No, I don't. He's pretty disenchanted with the whole concept of it. ***Connecticut politician--- EHRLICHMAN. Well, use your own judgement on it, Richard. KLEINDIENST. [continuing]. On TV I guess seven or eight times this Sunday when I finished my testimony before my Appropriations Committee all three networks I referred to the letter Hunt sent to Sirica and I am also emphasized and repeatedly Said (a) the President wants this investigated, let the chips fall where they will but secondly, that if anybody has any information we not only want it, we expect to get it so we can investigate it and if necessary, indict other people and that anybody who withholds information like that is obstructing justice, But I did not refer to Weicker and my judgement right now is not to do so. EHRLICHMAN. OK, KLEINDIENST. If he get gets to that point, the hell with him. EHRLICHMAN. Well, our uneducated and uninformed impression was that he was to develop an attack line here on the White House or the President. KLEINDIENST. If that *** if we would conclude that that is what he's up to that he is completely alienated then I say we've got to take him on, EHRLICHMAN. Well, keep track of that and you'll be talking to Baker and you get a feel of it. [00.20.45] Senator WEICKER. And the phone conversation goes on--this is in the, possession of the committee. if any of the committee members desires a full reading of it, I will be glad to do that but I am definitely opening this along the line of our committee and the other members of the committee and I do not think the other members of the committee--- Senator BAKER. The document is in the files, and I understand was transcribed by committee staff. Mr. DASH. Actual Actually, this was given to the, committee by Mr. Ehrlichman or Ehrlichman's counsel, Mr. Wilson, under subpena, the actual tape we understand is in the possession of the prosecutors. Senator BAKER. Thank you. Senator WEICKER. Now, Mr. Dean, I will pick up the time sequence here, in a minute, but in and around this period of time, do you know of any other efforts to interfere with other members of the committee? ? Mr. DEAN. Senator, I do not. At that time, I was up at Camp David at this point in time, and I was unaware. of what, was happening and I had developed somewhat of a strained relationship with the with Mr. Ehrlichman and Mr. Haldeman already by this time as a result of some of the things that had occurred on the 21st and 22d. And I believe the President was in Florida. [00.22.02-DEAN talks about his knowledge of attempts to influence or interfere with the ERVIN committee] Some time before this, I however, in discussing this committee, I recall hearing, and I cannot recall specifically who raised it, that a number of members of this committee, the Republican members, may have recalled campaign contributions during the 1970 election from the White House and some of that money might not have been reported and that should be examined. The records of that, of those contributions, are looked in a safe in my former office; they were deposited there by Mr. Colson. I have never read them. In fact, they were put in there with instructions that nobody on my staff was to look at them, including myself, and the thought was, it was to go through those and find out What was in there. I am not aware specifically of any of the details of any of the contributions that were made to Republicans or Democrats or anyone specifically. I know this was discussed though, at one point in time. Senator WEICKER. In other -words, this was one of the matters that -was discussed to look into as a means of--- Mr. DEAN. Senator, I believe it, was. Senator WEICKER. Of pressuring the, Committee? Mr. DEAN. Specifically, it was in reference to you and trying in some way to embarrass you. Senator WEICKER. I understand that and 'We are going to get to that. [00.23.29] I will have to pick up the next step on my own book. Around April 10 I was informed by an individual who is well aware of these contributions during the 1970 campaign that he had been approached by the White House and had been requested to indicate to them that something illegal or something wrong attached themselves to the contributions made to my campaign. His answer to the White House, and his answer to press people who had been sent by the White House, was that there wasn't -anything illegal and there wasn't anything wrong. But I was notified of this fact on April 10. [00.24.24]