Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
[00.02.00-Sam DASH, pursuing a pointed line of questioning, asking John DEAN about efforts to keep Jeb MAGRUDER from breaking ranks with the coverup by finding him a government job] Mr. DASH. ----I have so noted them." What is your interpretation of "some will break more china than others?" Mr. DEAN. I do not know exactly. That could mean one of many things, that, the given head of an agency might have had a various level of tolerance for the White House continuing to place people in their agencies. It could mean that people would want to know about Magruder's awareness which I do not know if Mr. Jones had any awareness that Mr. Magruder had problems, but whether Mr. Higby had related that to them or not, I certainly did -not so it is very hard for me, to interpret exactly what that phrase, means; and I think only Mr. Jones can testify what he meant by that. Mr. DASH. I think it is fair for the record of this committee to clarify here. Is it your testimony that Mr. Jerry Jones, -who had been asked to prepare this memorandum and seek- out these, options, did not himself,. of your knowledge, know what Mr. Magruder's problems were or know anything about, the Watergate coverup? [00.03.06] Mr. DEAN. Not to my knowledge. In fact, when I was talking about this with Higby before, Mr. Jon knowledge prepared this, one of the jobs I had heard of after talking -with Jeb that he might be interested in was the job that ended, up as No. 1, which was the assistant to the Secretary or Deputy Undersecretary of Commerce for Policy Development. And apparently Mr. Higby relayed that on to Mr. Jones. No. I do not know when I first heard of that at I job but, I did, did, when Magruder came by I mentioned I heard of that job and he expressed Immediate interest in it. [00.03.48-testimony about misinforming Clark MacGREGOR, MITCHELL'S replacement at CRP] Mr. DASH. Mr. Dean, you testified you were. asked by Mr. MacGregor to tell him the true you facts and that you testified that you checked 'with Mr. Ehrlichman and Ehrlichman said no that you should not tell Mr. MacGregor the true facts. Do you recall what Mr. MacGregor's reaction was when you refused to tell him the true facts, or how did you handle that? Mr. DEAN. Well, what I did was I gave him the most evasive song and dance I could to weave, him through the problems he was going to have down there, and I recall that as soon as Mr. MacGregor would have a press conference that people at the White House who hit the ceiling because he would say something that would created more problems than it would solve, and I felt very sorry for Mr. MacGregor because he did not know what he should say and what he should not say and he had been given a lot of assurances that -were assurances he should not have been given, and I think, I am sure I am not the only one he, asked for assurances, I am sure, he asked others for assurances and was given them, that there, was nothing to be concerned about, [00.04.57] Mr. DASH, You have also testified, Mr. Dean, that after the President's August 29 speech, and that is the speech of the so-called Dean report of no White House involvement, that you discussed with Mr. Moore. and others the Possibility of your becoming a fall guy. Now, how could you meaningfully discuss it with Mr. Moore without Mr. Moore having all the facts? Did Mr. Moore have the facts at that time? Mr. DEAN. Not at that time. I--it was long after that that I began--I do not recall exactly when. when I first started discussing this, as I recall, I was discussing it with Mr. Fielding and I thought that If this statement crumbles, I crumble with it. I am the man who is out in front saying that everybody is clean, and this is something I did not exactly want, and that is why I began to talk to people about: Am I being put out in front? I can recall discussing it, with Mr. Mitchell at the time, and he assured me, he told me, his answer Was, "If you ever see any sign of that, please tell me because I Will speak directly -with the President." [00.06.08] Mr. DASH. Now, Mr. Dean. you testified, of course quite at length this week, first a full day of statement and then all these days of examination, cross-examination. But I think in the course of your testimony you have made It fairly clear that you have. had experience both in the legislative branch and the executive branch and very full experience in this unfortunate occurrence- which was the coverup of the Watergate and perhaps some complicity in the Watergate itself. Now, a major reason for this committee sitting and hearing all these facts certainly is not that of a prosecutor but of a committee of the Senate in order to come forward with legislative recommendations and, especially in this case, recommendations to prevent this kind of thing from ever happening again in this country. You were a major and key figure in so many intimate parts of this massive coverup and activity which became the Watergate scandal and coverup. Can you give this committee any recommendation either now in brief, and later in writing to the committee, which can assist this committee in formulating its recommendation to the Congress so that this kind of thing can never happen again in our country? [00.07.30]