Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
[00.38.07-DEAN discusses meeting NIXON on Feb. 28, 1973] Mr. DEAN. I believe that we stopped yesterday with the, meeting on the 28th ,it which time I was told. I mentioned to you the fact that I had told the President that I thought he ought to know of my involvement in the matter. and then I will have to move along. Now, again, it is hard for me to separate in a sense what is defined as involvement because there was an evolving pattern that came out of the La Costa meetings when I began having my direct dealings with the President and many of these things related directly to that. [00.38.53] Senator BAKER. But even though the, pattern of activity- Mr. DEAN. I understand. Senator BAKER. [continuing]. And the circumstances involved are, important for the purpose of this abbreviated interrogation, would you please tell me what you told the President, the President told you, was said by the President in your presence or was said by you to the President. I guess that third one is unnecessary, but would you please do that, limiting it only to direct first-hand information for the purpose of this interrogation? [00.39.20] Mr. DEAN. Well, I think we ought to go to the next, as I say, the testimony. Senator BAKER. Yes, sir. Mr. DEAN [continuing]. Speaks for itself on a number of these matters I just referred to and we ought to move then to the meeting on March 13 at which the, toward the conclusion of that meeting. Senator BAKER. All right, would you stop just a moment, Mr. Dean. Mr. DEAN. Yes. [00.39.43] Senator BAKER. Mr. Chairman, there is a vote in progress and I would like very much to finish this line of inquiry, and I would hope that the Chair would permit me to continue and, if the rest of the committee will go vote, I will continue with this interrogation. Senator ERVIN. Fine, [00.40.00-DEAN testifies about his conversation with NIXON about raising $1 million dollars for PAYOFF to keep the BURGLARS silent about MAGRUDER, MITCHELL, HALDEMAN, EHRLICHMAN, AND DEAN'S involvement in WATERGATE] Mr. DEAN. During the conclusion of the meeting on the 13th, the, question of money and how to pay this support, silence money came up, and I explained to the President--I was telling the President of the problem. Senator BAKER. Where were you ? Mr. DEAN. I was in the President's office. Senator BAKER. In the oval office? Mr. DEAN. In the oval office. Senator BAKER. Who else was present? [00.40.21] Mr. DEAN. Mr. Haldeman was present. Senator BAKER. Anyone else? Mr. DEAN. That is all. Senator BAKER. All right, go ahead, sir, [00.40.28] Mr. DEAN. I was telling the President--I don't believe Mr. Haldeman was present, during the entire meeting to the best of my recollection but he came into the meeting at some point, at the point he, came in it was on an unrelated matter, the meeting was interrupted to resolve his particular problem and he stayed in while I was finishing my discussion of this because it had come up shortly before he came in, and he sat and listened for just a moment while we were talking and then he took care, of his business with the President and then stayed because, it was quite obviously toward the end of my meeting with the President. [00.41.05-DEAN testifying about his March 13 meeting with NIXON, and the "MILLION DOLLAR" CONVERSATION.] Senator BAKER. It might be useful to know how the meeting was arranged, at your request, at the President's request, or through Mr. Haldeman, or how? Mr. DEAN. The meeting was arranged per the request of the President. Senator BAKER. All right. Would you continue please? Mr. DEAN,. As I have testified the question of--I got into the discussion of the fact because I had had countless cross pressures and the like. as to who was going to raise this money that was being demanded, and Mr. Haldeman and Mr. Ehrlichman were unwilling to do it, Mr. Mitchell was unwilling to do it. [00.41.40] Senator BAKER. Are these the things you were saying to the President? Mr. DEAN. I will get to that. I am prefacing what the circumstance was that resulted this coming up with the meeting with the President. Senator BAKER. I don't mean to hamper you, but would it be possible to tell me of the conversation first and then to explain the background. [00.41.59-DEAN directly discusses his conversation with NIXON.] Mr. DEAN. All right. I told the President at some point that, toward the end of the conversation of the meeting, that the individuals who had either been convicted or pleaded guilty were continuing to make their demand on the White House and that it would be some time in the not too distant future, that these individuals would be, up for sentencing and the demands were at, this point again growing toward a crescendo point. [00.42.31-DEAN testifies that NIXON was aware and complicit in the PAYOFFS of the defendants] The President asked me. "Well, how much are they demanding and how much is it going to cost?" And I said, "Well. to the best of my estimation it will cost a million dollars or more to continue The, payment. At that point, the President, I can recall this very vividly, leaned back in his chair and he sort of slid his chair back from the desk and he said to me that a million dollars was no problem at all. In fact, I have a very clear visual picture even of the President of the fact that he had his hands somewhat in a position like this Is when he repeated it, when he looked over at Mr. Haldeman and said, "A million dollars is no problem to raise."