Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (2/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (2/2)
[01.20.20-DASH questioning DEAN about the CLEMENCY agreement and keeping McCORD silent] Mr. DASH. Mr. Dean.' on page 202 of your statement, you state, down toward the bottom, "Mr. Mitchell raised the fact that F. Lee Bailey, who had been very helpful In dealing ling 'with McCord" had a, problem---what are the, details, or what to your knowledge was meant by Mr. F. Lee Bailey, who had been helpful in dealing with McCord, from Mr. Mitchell's point? [Testimony of John W. Dean III, continued.'] Mr. DEAN. Well, I believe, I testified to this fact earlier, Mr. Dash. There was one point when Mr. Alch apparently was not having, full rapport with his client, Mr. McCord, that an arrangement or discussion was to be had. I testified, I believe, I didn't know that in fact that had occurred, in -which Mr. Mitchell was going to Call Mr. Bailey. Mr. Bailey was going to fly in or call or visit with 'Mr. McCord and promised Mr. McCord that, he would represent his case on April and at that, time to the highest court in the, land, if necessary. That was what the, reference is to. [01.21.37] Mr. DASH. 'NOW. I don't know whether you fully replied to Senator Montoya's question when he asked the, question that concerned the President's news conference of August 29. 19-12. and the question had been put, to the President: Mr. President, wouldn't it be a good idea for a special prosecutor, even from your standpoint to be appointed to investigate the contribution situation and also the Watergate case? The, President: With regard to who is investigating it now, I think it would be well to notice that the FBI is conducting a full field investigation. The Department of Justice of course, is in charge of the prosecution and presenting the matter to the grand jury. The Senate Banking and Currency Committee is conducting an investigation. [01.22.20] Now. Can you identify who the President meant, for Senator Montoya, when he was referring to the Senate Banking and Currency Committee also conducting an investigation? Mr. DEAN, That was a known fact that the Patman committee 'was-- Mr. DASH. That was the Patman committee ? Mr. DEAN-. Yes; correct. Mr. DASH. And here the President -was responding that the Patman committee was making an investigation? Mr. DEAN. That is correct. Mr. DASH. But, in fact. when the President was making that statement was the White House strategy to halt the Patman committee Investigation? Mr. DEAN. It was to try to impede that investigation. Mr. DASH. Mr. Dean, in your statement, page 101, you state that the lawyers at the reelection committee Were hopeful of slowing down the Democratic National Committee suit. as a result of ex parte contacts with the judge. What was the extent and source Of your information on the Subject? Mr. DEAN. I first learned of this in a meeting "In Mr. Mitchell's office, in which I was told that there were some arrangements had been made to' have somebody. at that time I did not know who. talk with Judge Richey about the problems the case presented for the reelection committee and potentially for the White House. without getting into specifics with the I later learned and was present when Mr. McFee had a direct discussion With -Mr. Mitchell about this subject, and fact that he was going to go visit with the judge, and then as late March 2 of this year, Mr. McFee to my office--not to my Office,, he came to have lunch with me at the White House and told me that, very weekend he -was going to go take up a matter which he said Kenny, referring to Ken Parkinson, had was an aspect of the case that he -was concerned about, so there were several people, I think, who wereaware of this. I think Mr. LaRue was aware of it; I think Mr. Mitchell was aware of it. Mr. DASH. Did you have personal knowledge of that other than what you had been told? Mr. DEAN. 'Only what I was told directly by Mr. McFee, that he in fact, was going to visit the judge. I was not present at any meetings with the judge.; no, sir. [01.24.36] Mr. DASH. Do you know that at a hearing on September 21, 1972, before Judge Charles R. Richey, the judge to whom the case was assigned, that counsel for the plaintiffs, the Democratic National Committee, agreed as a practical matter that the case could not be tried before the election? Did you know that? Mr. DEAN. I did not follow the civil cases at all to speak of, other than just general awareness; I was probably aware of that at the time, but I do not know-I know there were countless meetings with Judge Richey with all counsel present. In fact, virtually every meeting he had directly relating to the case he would call all counsel and all interested parties. The meetings I am referring to did not involve all counsel. [01.25.27] Mr. DASH. Do you know at the same hearing that the judge ruled that depositions should cease to be taken for the time being on the, ground that the taking of depositions might jeopardize the pending criminal case? Mr. DEAN. I was aware of the fact that about that time that the depositions had been cut off temporarily anyway. [01.25.49]