Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
[00.24.03-INOUYE questions DEAN about activities using the IRS to punish ENEMIES and reward FRIENDS of the NIXON ADMINISTRATION] Senator INOUYE. Did the President personally express interest in this? Mr. DEAN. It gets more and more painful to bring these names out as it was painful to bring the President's name out. It is painful to bring out other people. It was Rosemary Woods who kept asking me the status of the case because, this individual was seeing the President a good deal. Senator INOUYE. What is the status of the case? Mr. DEAN-. Well, as I say, it was ultimately referred over to the Civil Division, or the Tax Division of the Department of Justice. I asked to be advised on the various status of' the case. I told Miss Woods at one point that she should just stay as far away from this as possible. She was seeing the individual, having encounters with the individual who was the subject of the tax case and he would protest his innocence to her. He Is a fine man, and she was quite convinced of his innocence and could not believe that he was not being harassed by agents that were trying to get somebody who was close to the President. The individual was using the President's name a great deal, he was traveling with the President to China and Russia and other places, and the like. As a result, of this, I merely asked that I be, kept advised of the status of the ease. When it was at, the Justice Department, the Justice Department assessed it. I had a conversation with Mr. Ralph Erickson, he, said "There is nothing we can do with this. There is one thing more we can do." and he said "there, are some weaknesses in the investigation and we may send it back to the Internal Revenue Service for one last look to see if this fellow, it really is a solid case." They did do that and it came back "Absolutely solid case." I said, "Don't touch it, send it, right on through, and that is what they did and the case is proceeding forward. Senator INOUYE. Has he been indicted? Mr. DEAN. I do not know if he has been indicted yet, but I know that there is no. to my knowledge, there is noting which has been done to impede, the case'. Senator INOUYE. Mr. Erickson was fired, was he not? Mr. DEAN-. Was he fired ? Senator INOUYE. Yes. Mr. DEAN I don't think that is quite accurate, no. Senator INOUYE. Would you wish to tell us who this important individual is? Mr. DEAN. It, might a affect his tax case. Senator INOUYE. Then, please do not, tell us [laughter]. [00.26.39-More discussion of the ENEMIES LIST] I would like to now discuss, a case Involving an enemy. Mr. Dean, I am certainly aware that these hearings unfortunately have permanently damaged the reputations of good and decent people, Furthermore reputations have been destroyed in past months, in past years by activities allegedly related to activities in the White House. In Your statement you mentioned that on February 28, 1973, you Were asked to look into a case of Mr. A. Ernest Fitzgerald by Mr. Clark Mollenhoff. Do you recall that? Mr. DEAN. Yes: I do'. Senator INOUYE. This gentleman is the one. the fellow who Worked in the Air Force, Department of the Air Force? Mr. DEAN. That is correct. Senator INOUYE. And he is the person -who was requested by a duly authorized Senate committee to testify on the C-5A? Mr. DEAN. That is correct. [00.27.45-Sen. INOUYE wants DEAN to comment on the firing of an Air Force man who may have been considered an ENEMY of the WHITE HOUSE] Senator INOUYE, I believe it is very important to 'Mr. Fitzgerald to learn whether he was released or fired because, of reduction in force in the Air Force, as the Air Force claims, or whether he was fired either by the Air Force or under orders of the White House or the President, because he told the truth about the $2 billion cost overrun of the C-5A. If we can clear the reputation of one man I think this committee would have done well today. So, may I ask a few questions? Mr. DEAN. Senator---- Senator INOUYE. Was the President of the United, States concerned about the Fitzgerald case? Mr. DEAN. May I preface my answer with this: I believe it was on January 31 of this Year that Mr. Mollenhoff raised this at a press conference. The President was caught totally off guard by the answer and what you might say is he sort of was winging it on how to respond to Mr. Mollenhoff's question. There was a lot of misinformation that got into the record. The President apparently confused two or three other cases he was aware of he had remembered the name Fitzgerald and as a result of that Mr. Ziegler had a conversation with the President after having other conversations with Mr. Mollenhoff, Mr. Ziegler says the President wants you to get into this. I subsequently had that instruction directly from the President also. [00.29.30] I had a man on my staff handle this. I was not directly handling it and, as I told Mr. Mollenhoff when he and I had several telephone conversations, that, I said, "Clark, this is one I am going to have to study but I have not gotten into right yet." I still have not had a chance to get into it and I think, based on my testimony, you can see, what I was doing, why I was not able to get into the Fitzgerald case so I am not terribly familiar with the substance of the Fitzgerald case. So it will be very difficult for me to answer those questions, and I had, full intention of looking into the matter but before, I got to it I was. relieved from my duties 'at the White House. [00.30.17]