Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, July 10, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, July 10, 1973 (1/2)
[00.30.47-MITCHELL testifies that he was ignorant of the payoff effort in the coverup] Starting at the beginning of it. I understand to be the beginning of it, which was the Kalmbach activity that, resulted from the telephone call to him on the 28th. where the meetings were held on the 29th at the hotel that I hope you have finally gotten straightened out. I didn't know that that money had been passed over by Mr. Stans, to Kalmbach until I heard his testimony or read his testimony on the subject matter. I didn't know that. I did know that, somewhere along the way, there had been money transferred to Fred LaRue out of, and I forget the testimony On it, but I am sure it, is here,. This is the amount of money that 'Mr. Stans, I think, said was turned over to LaRue by Sloan and Stans at the advice of Mardian or LaRue or something. Senator GURNEY. But you found out this later in the testimony before this committee? Mr. MITCHELL. Yes. I found it out later, as these things unfolded. Senator GURNEY. Well, I am talking about, now, in June and July, when a, lot of these money-raising raising activities and payments took place. You have no personal knowledge about that? [00.32.10] Mr. MITCHELL. I have no knowledge about the raising of them or the distribution of them or who was receiving them or how they were received, I must go back to point out that in the debriefing, Liddy said that he thought that it was right or whatever phrase he used that the committee help him get bail to get these, people out of jail. That was turned down flat cold out. [00.32.42] Senator GURNEY. Let's turn to this Executive clemency thing, which of course, is important, because the only person who can offer that is the President. There was testimony by Dean that you had instructed him to offer to McCord. What about that testimony? Mr. -MITCHELL. Well, that is, in my opinion a complete fabrication. because, the negotiations with McCord started when I -was out, entirely out of the way. I was down in Florida. And this, of course, was the thing that was handled through Caulfield. Except it, was not Mitchell. And I think if you look at Dean's total testimony. you will get to the same conclusion that I have come to, that the only discussion of Executive Executive clemency that I have ever heard about was' during some time in January, where Hunt was in a psychological state in which he made a demand on either Colson directly or- through Bittman or whatever it Was 'with respect to the Subject matter, and the word got back to me from somebody--whether it was Dean or O'Brien or whoever it was----that the only person that Hunt would take a commitment for Executive clemency from was from Colson. That, Is where it elided. [00.34.12] Senator GURNEY. I recall your testimony on that, Of course. Dean testified that he had- discussed at the time with the President, in the President's office, and also in a conversation he had with Colson. Dean, I am talking about, Colson said he discussed it with the President. Did Dean ever discuss Executive clemency with you? Mr. MITCHELL. Only to report the conversations Of the dialog that, were going on between Colson, Hunt, and Bittman, and I do not know -what or the matter was---- Senator GURNEY. At no other time? Mr. MITCHELL. At no other time, Senator GURNEY. And he has never mentioned the fact 'that he had discussion with the President about it? Mr. MITCHELL. No, sir. Senator GURNEY. Did you ever discuss it with the President? Mr. MITCHELL. Executive Clemency? Senator GURNEY. Yes. [00.35.04 Mr. MITCHELL. I certainly did not, Senator. We have never gotten into areas relating to the Watergate or the coverup or would bring any such subject matter to the floor. Senator GURNEY. Do you think it might be, reasonable to assume if the President had been discussing this with anyone that he might have touched base with you on it? Mr. MITCHELL. Well I do not know, That is quite an assumption. Of course, I was now practicing law in New York and did not see him as often as I had in the, past and talk to him as often but I would think that before he got into this area it is quite conceivable that he would because I know that in his proper analogy when it came to the point of the problem of Executive, clemency in connection with the meeting of March 22 he asked them if he would come down and talk to them about it, this is the best answer I can give you on the subject matter. [00.36.02]