Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
[00.54.10-DEAN states that he told NIXON that DEAN had no knowledge that the LIDDY plan had been approved, or how it had been approved] Senator BAKER. Did you say that on your own initiative, or did he put a question to you 'to that effect? Mr. DEAN. No, at, the outset, I was doing most of the. talking and giving him my general presentation of this matter. I can't recall when I basically presented it, to him. As to interruptions by him. it was toward the end that he began asking me questions that are now not very clear to me as to the questions he did ask. [00.54.42-BAKER prods DEAN for more details of DEAN'S "CANCER ON THE PRESIDENCY" warning to NIXON] Senator BAKER. If you would, Mr. Dean, -work- your -way through the, conversation and then particularly, try to recall what the President may have asked you. Mr. DEAN. I told the President that I had learned that there had been pressure from Mr. Colson's office, on Mr. Magruder, that I was aware of that degree of pressure from the White House, but I didn't have all the details on that at, even that time. [00.55.05-DEAN alludes that MAGRUDER mentioned to him in early 1972 that COLSON (White House) had pressured MAGRUDER to get the LIDDY plan (break-in) approved] In fact, I might want to add this in testimony at, this point, because as I recall, I may have mentioned this to the President; I am not certain. I recall one occasion, on walking from the White House Executive Office, Building to the Re-Election Committee to one of the meetings in Mr. Mitchell's office, I met Mr. Magruder as I was walking over there,. He was returning to the Re-Election Committee. We were standing at the stop light at, the corner of 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue across the street from the Executive Office Building. At that very moment--and I recall very vividly Mr. Magruder telling me that because of the pressure from Mr. Colson--they were afraid that, Mr. Colson would take this operation over. and they were concerned about his taking it over. That had been one of Magruder's expressions of concern as to why the matter had zone, forward. Senator BAKER. Do I understand you to say--- Mr. DEAN. I don't recall getting into that detail with the President, but I don't believe I had testified to that before and I wanted to put that into the record. [00.56.17-DEAN is certain that he told NIXON on March 21, 1973 that pressure to approve the LIDDY plan came from the White House, something NIXON continued to deny publicly] Senator BAKER. Is it your impression that you did tell the President something or all of this? Mr. DEAN. I told him of the pressure, from Mr. Colson's office on Mr. Magruder, because I was aware of this, conversation. Senator BAKER. All right: go ahead, Mr. Dean. Mr. DEAN. I told him I didn't, know if Mitchell had approved the, Plan, that I had never asked Mr. Mitchell directly whether he had, but I was aware from my conversations -with Mr. Magruder that Mitchell had been the recipient of wiretap information and that Mr. Haldeman had also received, through Mr. Strachan, some of the information from the Democratic National Committee. [00.57.04-DEAN discusses his conversation with NIXON on March 21, 1973 regarding the liability to a charge of OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE] That generally covered what I told him of my knowledge, of the pre-June 17 situation. and then I again went into rather broad generalities as to what had occurred after June 17. I told him, I raised the principal points that I thought -were of concern, that the individuals that had been involved had been paid for their silence, and in fact, this had involved Mr. Haldeman, Mr. Ehrlichman, and myself and Mr. Mitchell in giving instructions to Mr. Kalmbach. I had mentioned this. I might add, the fact that I had been a conduit for this type of information at an earlier meeting with the., President, back in February, and he had disagreed with me as to the fact that I had had any legal problems from being a conduit. We did not get into any -great detail on that matter and he didn't seem to want to get into detail on that point when I raised that. Senator BAKER. Is that, the essence, now, of this meeting? Mr. DEAN. No, sir, it is not. Senator BAKER. Incidentally, I have forgotten the date. Tell me the date in March. Is this March 21? Mr. DEAN. The morning of March 21, that is correct. Senator BAKER. Go ahead, sir. [00.58.18] Mr. DEAN. I mentioned to him the fact that I had, after the decision had been made that Mr. Magruder remain at the Re-Election Committee, that I had assisted Magruder in preparing his testimony for the grand jury, which was perjured testimony. Senator BAKER. Did you use that term? Mr. DEAN. I don't think I used the term "perjured." I think I used "false testimony." Senator BAKER. But at any rate, it was a description of your preparation of Mr. Magruder for his appearance before the grand jury? Mr. DEAN. That is correct. Senator BAKER. Go ahead, sir. [00.58.50-DEAN testifies that he told NIXON on 3/21/73 that WHITE HOUSE funds were used for the PAYOFFS of the DEFENDANTS] Mr. DEAN. I also mentioned to him the fact that as a result of the lack of money that was available that finally, there. had been cash at the White House that had been used to pay for these individuals silence. I was reefering then to the $350,000 and I did not give him the details at that point in time. Senator BAKER. This is the $350,000 fund that was at the White, House. Mr. DEAN,. That is correct, in cash.