Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, July 10, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, July 10, 1973
[00.30.17-THOMPSON questions MITCHELL about who pushed LIDDY to devise a plan for campaign spying and MAGRUDER to fund the plan] Mr. THOMPSON. I think I see what you mean and I do not want to' try to draw names out that you do not want to present, but just presented one name. Would it be your opinion, if you care us your opinion, as to whether or not it might have come from more than one source? Mr. MITCHELL. It is always conceivable. Mr. THOMPSON. Do you have any reason to believe that it Was either one source or more than one source? Mr. MITCHELL. No, I have no ability to weigh the potentials for the sources of concern in this area. Mr. THOMPSON. Knowing Mr. Magruder, what kind of pressure would he have responded to take an action which, of course, would have been a serious matter; to supersede the orders of his superior? Would anyone in the White House, for example, do you think, with kind of authority, have so impressed him that 'he, would have superseded your orders and acceded to their wishes? [00.31.20-MITCHELL tries as hard as he can without lying outright to make the LIDDY plan approval out to be MAGRUDER'S idea] Mr. MITCHELL. I am sure it could not have been anybody in the White House. It must have been somebody in the White House with which he had a working relationship which he thought perhaps was in the interest of the campaign or somebody who had what you might refer to as superior authority? Mr. THOMPSON. A working relationship during the, campaign Or prior to the campaign? Mr. MITCHELL. -No ; I would put this very much on the basis of a working relationship during the campaign that goes to Some of the testimony here of the people who have evidenced an interest in this intelligence-gathering field. Mr. THOMPSON. Of course, there were many people, in the White House Involved in the campaign, were there not? Mr. MITCHELL. What is your question, were there many people? Mr. THOMPSON. Yes. Mr. MITCHELL. I believe that. the record shows there were quite a few. Mr. THOMPSON. Maybe too many people, would you think? Mr. MITCHELL. At times, that was my opinion. [00.32.20] Mr. THOMPSON. You were discussing some of Mr. Reisner's testimony this morning with Mr. Dash, with regard to the Gemstone documents. I have here verbatim, Mr. Reisner's testimony. I would like to ask you a couple of questions after I read that. I believe Mr. Reisner was talking about Mr. 'Magruder handing him certain documents. "I was handed the documents and I was asked to put them in Mr. Mitchell's files. The nature of that is that things that Mr. Magruder might have wished to take up with 'Mr. Mitchell were put in the file marked "Mr. Mitchell's file' and that does not indicate any more than that.." Were you aware that Mr. Magruder was keeping a file marked "Mr. Mitchell's file,"? [00.33.07-MITCHELL attempts to dodge this line of questioning-the "Mitchell File" did contain wiretap and bugged conversation transcripts] Mr. MITCHELL. Well. Mr. Thompson. I think I can best explain that, that during my busy schedule when Mr. Magruder could get in to see me, as special assistant, where he was the clearing house for memorandums from other people, that he would have more than one item normally, to discuss. They would be in the folder. Frequently we would sit and discuss them and he would take them back. Others, if they were long position papers on matters, he would leave them with Me to read. If that is a Mitchell file, that, is the Jacket in which he brought the materials into the, office. Mr. THOMPSON. Did he ever leave such a file with you for any period of time? Mr. MITCHELL. -Not as a file. He would leave from time to time position papers, certainly. [00.34.02] Mr. THOMPSON. So' as far as you are concerned, your remembrance is that the Mitchell file was not in fact your file, but his file, which he Was using to bring documents to you? Mr. MITCHELL. The only thing that I can identify it as is a folder in which he brought up these memorandums to my office.. Mr. THOMPSON. What Color Was it, if you recall? MITCHELL. I do not recall, sir. [00.34.18]