Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Robert Odle.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Robert Odle.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Robert Odle. United States Senate Caucus Room, Washington, DC
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Robert Odle.
Senator ERVIN. Now, um who had authority to direct the outlay of substantial sums of money? I'd like to have all the names, that you can give us. Mr. ODLE. Well, I really can't answer that, I really don't know Senator. Senator ERVIN. Mr. Hugh Sloan was the treasurer of the finance committee wasn't he? Mr. ODLE. Yes sir. Senator ERVIN. And he was the man who actually dispersed sums when substantial sums were called for, was he not? Mr. ODLE. As I understand it. Senator ERVIN. Do you know what control Mr. Stans had over the disbursement of funds? Mr. ODLE. Well, Mr. Stans was the finance chairman. I uh .... Senator ERVIN. Normally of course, the finance chairman would be concerned with the collection of the campaign contributions. Did he have any authority in the respect to the disbursement of them? Mr. ODLE. Ultimately, I think that that authority would be his. If I was to speculate on how much he used the authority that would be just purely speculation on my part. Senator ERVIN. What about Mr. Mitchell? Mr. ODLE. Well, Mr. Mitchell wouldn't have dispersed any money, because he had no money. I mean he had no custody of any money. Senator ERVIN. Did he have authority or did he exercise authority to direct ...... Mr. ODLE. Yes, I think that working with Mr. Stans he would have authority to direct the disbursement of funds. Whether or not he exercised that again would be speculation on my part. Senator ERVIN. What about Jeb Stuart MacGregor...I mean Magruder? Mr. ODLE. I would think that in his capacity as depute campaign director he would of. Senator ERVIN. Now uh, how many employees you say the committee to re-elect the president had most of the time? Mr. ODLE. About over 400. Senator ERVIN. Well, I would like to state that so far as I know the committee has no evidence to contradict the assertion that the overwhelming majority of the men and women who worked on the committee to re-elect the president were law-abiding conscientious citizens. And also I would like to say as far as I know that the statement of Senator Baker to the effect that we have no information thus far that either the Democratic National Committee or the Republican National Committee had any personnel who had allegedly committed any wrongs or any unethical acts in connection with the matters the committee is investigating. I think fairness demands that statement. Turns questioning over to Senator Baker. Senator HOWARD BAKER (R - Tennessee) Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. I think that council has done a very thorough job inquiring of the witness in the details of the organizational chart at the two relevant times in the 1972 Presidential Campaign. I won't burden these proceedings by trying to elaborate on them nor to extend into other areas, but there are other areas Mr. Odle that I'd like to talk to you about. And I understand that you are agreeable to return to this committee so that we might discuss other aspects of your knowledge and performance. Mr. ODLE. Absolutely. Senator BAKER. Well with that understanding then, and without implying any sinister purpose, but rather with the full understanding that you will return there are other questions on other matters that I want to discuss with you later but I'll forgo that so that we can continue with the description of the organization of the committee.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities May 17, 1973 - Testimony of Robert Odle.
Senator ERVIN. Mr. Odle, you may be seated. I have only 2 or 3 very brief questions. Senator TALMADGE. Are you aware of any actual, political campaign experience in Mr Magruder s background? Mr. ODLE. Yes Sir. I believe he was involved in the 1968 campaign in Southern California. Senator TALMADGE. What about Mr Sloan? Mr. ODLE. Yes Sir. He was involved in the national finance committee in 1968 in New York. Senator TALMADGE. What about Mardian? Mr. ODLE. Pardon? Senator TALMADGE. Mr Mardian? Mr. ODLE. Bob Mardian, yes he was a I cannot remember he exact title. He was very actively involved, I believe, in the 1968 campaign. Senator TALMADGE. Mr. Flemming? Mr. ODLE. Yes, Mr. Flemming was too. He was one of the regional directors of the 1968 campaign. He also was been active with Virginia politics. He was elected in Virginia. Senator TALMADGE. Mr. Porter? Mr. ODLE. I don t know. I don t think so. Senator TALMADGE. Was the political activity of the gentlemen you mentioned, similar to the committee organization that you had on the committee to reelect the President? Mr. ODLE. Did they do similar things? Senator TALMADGE. Yes. Was their experiences in previous campaigns similar to what you had Mr. ODLE. Some of them were. For example in the case of Mr Flemming and Mr Mardian, yes. In the case of Mr Magruder, I don t think so. Senator TALMADGE. Now you testified in response to a question that there was little relationship, if any, between the Committee to Reelect the President and the Republican National Committee. In view of that fact, would it be fair to say, that the Committee to Reelect the President was in fact a campaign instrument solely under the control of the President and his top White House staff? Mr. ODLE. I would say that the Committee for the Reelection of the President was formed exclusively to reelect the President. That it had that as its one concern and its one goal. Senator TALMADGE. Was there no cooperation between them? Mr. ODLE. Yes sir, there was close cooperation between them. Senator TALMADGE. You stated in response to a previous question that there was very little cooperation. Mr. ODLE. No, I meant... What I think I said and what I hope to say is that there was no technical or legal relationship between the two. In advance of the convention, it would have been improper. But I also said, I think, that everyone at the National Committee was doing everything they could for the President. And that in fact there were relationships between the two committees. Senator TALMADGE. Why was it necessary to have two committees then? Mr. ODLE. Because, the President was but a candidate for the nomination prior to the convention. Now, I don t think there was very much doubt that the President would triumph, but there was a distinct possibility of a challenge from Congressman McCloskey and Congressman Ashbrook. They re republican too. And it would have been improper for the Republican National Committee to be working actively, as a body and officially for President Nixon, candidate Nixon, and ignore two other Republican challengers. Senator TALMADGE. Was there any doubt as to his re-nomination? Mr. ODLE. We hoped not. We were working so there would not be, but you ll recall we were looking back at a situation. We were looking back at Senator McCarthy s challenge to President Johnson in 68 New Hampshire and how effective that challenge was. Senator TALMADGE. It s been my experience that it is difficult enough to keep one campaign committee straight. When you have two in the field, it only complicates the problem. I repeat the question. You have testified there the multiplicity of people who came from the White House direct to the Committee for the Re-election of the President. Is it fair to say that committee was set-up, organized and directed from the White House? Mr. ODLE. I would say this, that those people who were at the White House had influence over the committee, they gave it direction, they assisted it, but the campaign director was not at the White House. He came from the Justice Department. I don t mean to try to get around your question Senator, I am just saying that it was not just exclusively a White House vehicle, I don t believe. Senator TALMADGE. There was no doubt as to where the ultimate authority lay in that committee was there? Mr. ODLE. No sir. Senator TALMADGE. Thank you Mr Chairman.