Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
[00.50.49-DASH continues delivering a pointed line of questioning trying to establish that DEAN'S conversation with NIXON on September 15, 1972, viewed in the context of the ongoing coverup, is evidence that NIXON knew all about the coverup at that time] Mr. DASH. What was the instruction that you received with regard to that on that day from the President? Mr. DEAN. On the 15th? Mr. DASH. Yes., Mr. DEAN. After reporting to him -who was handling that, he told me to--this was really something that was said to both Mr. Haldeman and myself--that Mr. Timmons should get on top of this matter. [00.51.21-the events suggest that NIXON was orchestrating the coverup to a large degree, knowing that the PATMAN COMMITTEE hearings had to be stopped and telling HALDEMAN and DEAN which man was best suited to stop the hearings] Mr. DASH. NOW, I think you have already testified exactly what, did occur, and as a matter of fact, those hearings never went forward. Mr. DEAN. That is correct, Mr. DASH. NOW, after all those events, after the, President having told you how Bob Haldeman had kept him posted on your handling of the Watergate case and that. he appreciated how difficult a job that was and your own statement. to the President that you had only contained it and that some day it might unravel, and your own statement to the President, that in a civil case, an ex parte relationship had been established to influence the judge, and then the discussion on the Patman case- [00.51.59-the climax of DASH'S line of questioning, DEAN appears overwhelmed in answering, IT IS DEAN'S MOST DIRECT TESTIMONY IMPLICATING THE PRESIDENT] frankly and honestly Mr. Dean, when you left the President, on September 15, did you just have an impression as to his knowledge of the coverup, or did you have a conviction concerning that? Mr. DEAN. Mr. Dash, there -was no doubt in my mind that the President was aware of it and I would have to, to use your language say I had a conviction, or I was convinced. [00.52.30] Mr. DASH. Now, Mr. Dean, I do not want to go through the other meetings because they have been thoroughly gone through. But at the March 13 meeting. which again was a significant meeting, March 13, 1973, you have testified to the discussion about The possible requirement of $1 million and the President's response to that and the discussion of Executive clemency. [00.52.47-DASH asks DEAN about NIXON'S statements to DEAN regarding the $1 million payoff to keep the BURGLARS from talking] Now, the committee does have in its possession some confirmation from the White, House that at least the subject matter of the million dollar discussion did occur. as well as the discussion of Executive clemency. I think we know now that 'Mr. Fred Buzhardt contacted the committee by phone call and that minority counsel, Mr. Thompson, reduced his notes in the form of a memorandum. Those notes have been reviewed in my office, by Mr. Buzhardt and -Mr. Garment and with some minor exceptions, which do not relate to this particular reference that I am going to read to you. Mr. Buzhardt and Mr. Garment have informed me in my office that they were not verbatim or detailed but a roughly accurate memorandum Of the conversation. These were submitted to us for use by this committee for the purpose of questioning you at this time. I would like, to identify that I am using them for that purpose at this time. [00.53.45] Now, according to the memorandum that, MR. Thompson prepared based on that call this meeting when the discussion, according to the White House, on the million dollars and Executive clemency took place was March 21 rather than 'March 13. [00.54.05] Mr. DEAN. That is not correct. That, is not my recollection. In fact, I am very clear on the fact that it occurred on the 13th. because the meeting on the 21st -was a totally different range of topics than the way this rather casually came up on the 13th. Mr. DASH. Regardless of the date, because I am sure there will be disagreement on the, date--you have already testified the date this discussion came up--I think it is important, however, that I read to you the reconstruction of this meeting from the point of view of the, White House at that meeting and what was said. This is from Mr. Thompson's notes which, as I have indicated, was his putting down What he recalled from the telephone call from Fred Buzhardt, special counsel to the President: [00.54.52-DASH reads the BUZHARDT notes which state that NIXON wanted no part of paying the defendants] [READING] Mr. Dean stated that Hunt was trying to blackmail Ehrlichman about Hunt's prior plumber activities unless he was, paid what ultimately might amount to $1 Million. The President said how could it possibly be paid. "What makes you think he would be satisfied with that?" stated it' was blackmail that it was that it was wrong and that it would not work. that the truth could come out anyway. Dean had said that a Cuban group could' possibly be used to transfer the payments. [00.55.30]