Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
[00.07.30-DEAN answers DASH's question, how can the Watergate fiasco from being repeated] Mr. DEAN. Mr. Dash, I am quite aware of the fact that the purpose of this committee is legislative, and you are looking for answers to problems and that the man who has been right in the middle of those problems, and right in the middle of the White House for quite a while and has seen the way things have operated down in the executive branch. I have given this considerable thought, and with the permission of the chairman and the committee what I would like to do at some point, because I have made some rather lengthy notes as I have thought about this, over the last several months, as to potential legislative steps that might be taken by this committee under consideration, that I feel might provide some answers to preventing this sort of thing from occurring again and I would like to submit that at a subsequent date to the committee rather than go on to hat would be a rather extensive discussion of legislative remedies. Mr. DASH. Thank you, Mr. Dean, I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman. Senator ERVIN. Mr. Thompson. [00.08.43] Mr. THOMPSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I might add since the document which I dictated subsequent to my conversation with Mr. Buzhardt has been made part of the record that it was submitted to me with the understanding that it would be made available for committee use. There was no discussion as to exactly how that document or the subsequent document that I might prepare would be used, although there was certainly no limitation in any manner as to how it might be used. I might also add there was no discussion as to the source of the information which Mr. Buzhardt was imparting to me but that it was one lawyer's position to another lawyer. [00.09.25-the QUESTION is whether DEAN met with McCORD'S lawyer, and what DEAN knew of clemency offers to keep McCORD silent] Mr. Dean, you have testified and referring to your statement on page 144, that you had a meeting with Mr. O'Brien, Mr. Mitchell, and Mr. Alch. Mr. Alch has testified. Mr. DEAN. Mr. Alch, I never met with Mr. Alch, I am sorry, I am trying to get to that page. Mr. THOMPSON. I am sorry, you are right, it was a report of the meeting. I will relate the portion I am referring to, "Sometime during this period that as a result of my report of Caulfield meeting with McCord that O'Brien, Mitchell, and Alch discussed having F. Lee Bailey meet with McCord, et cetera." I assume then that discussion was not in your presence either? Mr. DEAN. 'That is correct. Mr. THOMPSON. Do you know Mr. Alch's relationship with either Mr. O'Brien or Mr. Mitchell at that time? Mr. DEAN. No, I do not. Mr. THOMPSON. Do you know why he was present at that particular meeting at that time? Mr. DEAN. It is my understanding that Mr. O'Brien--I am not sure Mr. Mitchell was present, I have not seen the paragraph you are referring to. Mr. THOMPSON. The first full paragraph. Mr. DEAN. On page 145 of my testimony? Mr. THOMPSON. 144. That O'Brien, 'Mitchell, and Mr. Alch discussed having F. Lee Bailey, I assume that as a discussion, one discussion with all these gentlemen present? Mr. DEAN. Well, this is what, I am referring to -here, if you read it is that there 'Was sometime during this period that as a result of my reports., of Caulfield's meetings -with McCord, that O'Brien, Mitchell and Alch discussed. That does not indicate a meeting, and I am not aware of any meeting. Mr. THOMPSON. I see. Mr. DEAN, It is intercommunication among these individuals that I am referring to, and I was not directly privy to any of these but I had a general misunderstanding that Mr. O'Brien had request Contacts with Mr. Alch, and he, in turn, would report back to Mr. Mitchell, am -not aware of any contact between Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Alch. Mr. THOMPSON. I see. SO you assume that your information was from Mr. O'Brien and that he had gotten his information directly from Mr. Alch? Mr. DEAN. That is correct. Mr. THOMPSON. That is your assumption. [00.11.44-THOMPSON asks DEAN more questions about the finances of the COVERUP] Let me ask you this: About this $350,000 of which you received $15,200, did I understand You to say that you understood that part of this money came from the 1970 congressional campaign? Mr. DEAN. My understanding was that the money came from the 1968 primaries. Mr. THOMPSON. 1968 primaries? Mr. DEAN. That is correct. Mr. THOMPSON. Do you know what particular route that money traveled in order to get from those primary campaigns to the Committee To Re-Elect? Mr. DEAN. To the best of my recollection what I was told is that it went to New York during 1968, was kept in safety deposit, boxes in New York, it subsequently came from safety, deposit boxes in New York to safety deposit boxes in Washington, Mr. THOMPSON. In whose custody was it in New York? Mr. DEAN. I believe it was in Mr. Kalmbach's custody in New York but I don't have the actual facts as to who had the actual safety deposit boxes. Mr. THOMPSON. Would it, not be, appropriate for that money to have gone to the, congressional campaign committee? Mr. DEAN. The 1968 primary money? Mr. THOMPSON. Yes. Mr. DEAN. Mr. Thompson, I was not making any decisions in 1968 about that money. [00.13.14]