Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 23, 1973 Testimony of John Caulfield.
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 23, 1973 Testimony of John Caulfield.
Master 10373 Part 1 Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 23, 1973 Testimony of John Caulfield. Caucus Room, Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 23, 1973 Testimony of John Caulfield.
Senator Sam ERVIN. If there's no objection ..... (Mr. Dash pushes a piece of paper at Senator Ervin and he pauses to read it) Senator ERVIN. If there's no objection I'd like to exchange to question witnesses with Senator Montoya and let him take my place and then I'll take his place. Senator Joseph MONTOYA (D-NM). Thank you Mr. Chairman. Senator ERVIN. There are no objections, you may proceed. Senator MONTOYA. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Mr. Caulfield, I think we better get your background and you're employment duties at the White House in better perspective. What exactly were you doing when you went to work at the White House in April of 1969? Mr. John CAULFIELD. My prime duties at the White House was to act as a liaison, primarily with the United States Secret Service and other federal law enforcement agencies. As I've indicated I worked under Mr. Ehrlichman, Mr. Krogh was under Mr. Ehrlichman as well. From time to time I would be assigned major projects that come up in the law enforcement area. For example, shortly after coming to the White House I was assigned to the then emerging drug abuse task force, that subsequently emerged as operation intercept. Senator MONTOYA. Well were you working directly under Mr. Ehrlichman or were you working under Mr. Dean? Mr. CAULFIELD. No, Mr. Dean sir was not at the White House at that time, this is you asked I think the question was, what were my duties when I went into the White House? Senator MONTOYA. Yes. Mr. CAULFIELD. When I went into the White House Mr. John Dean was not yet there, he was at the Justice Department. Senator MONTOYA. Well as I understand you went to work at the White House on April 1969 and you worked there until March 1972, is that correct? Mr. CAULFIELD. Yes sir. Senator MONTOYA. Alright, were you on the payroll of the White House or were you being paid by someone else? Mr. CAULFIELD. No, I was on the White House payroll sir. Senator MONTOYA. Did you ever get paid from the President's attorney? Mr. CAULFIELD. No sir. Senator MONTOYA. Were you assigned to the White House payroll or were you on the Treasury payroll? Mr. CAULFIELD. I don't quite understand. Senator MONTOYA. Were you working or being paid from the payroll attributable to the Department of the Treasury or to the White House? Mr. CAULFIELD. At the White House payroll sir.
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 23, 1973 Testimony of John Caulfield.
Senator Joseph MONTOYA. Alright. Now did you come in contact quite frequently with Mr. Ehrlichman? Mr. John CAULFIELD. In the course of my duties yes sir, not on a daily basis certainly but, I would be working with his staff people (lawyer smoking) Mr. Egil Krogh when I first went in there, and as I've indicated. I would be assigned major projects. I was the White House representative for the marijuana and dangerous drug task force that began in the spring of 1969. Senator MONTOYA. Alright now, in the course of your employment at the White House, what relationship did you have with Mr. Dean when he came on board? Mr. CAULFIELD. Well, Mr. John Ehrlichman when I was working with him coming aboard the White House was council to the president. When Mr. Ehrlichman became the presidential assistant and headed up the domestic affairs council, Mr. John Dean came in and became the council to the president and I remained in the office of the council to the president, under Mr. Dean, my direct supervisor. Senator MONTOYA. Did he assign many things to you? Mr. CAULFIELD. Yes sir. Senator MONTOYA. Did Mr. Ehrlichman continue to assign things to you to do? Mr. CAULFIELD. As I've indicated senator only on rare occasions after Mr. Ehrlichman became assistant to the President for domestic affairs. Senator MONTOYA. Did Mr. Haldeman assign things to you? Mr. CAULFIELD. On only one or two occasions that I can recall senator, very rarely in fact almost never. Senator MONTOYA. Alright, now you mentioned that you had interviewed Mr. McCord for his employment at the executive offices and recommended him to go to work for the committee to re-elect the president, that is correct isn't it? Mr. CAULFIELD. Well, that's accentually correct senator, the recommendation was for employment at the Republican National Committee initially, and flowing from that Mr. McCord was hired by the committee to re-elect. Senator MONTOYA. How many interviews did you say you had with Mr. McCord? Mr. CAULFIELD. I recall two, I recall a luncheon when it was already established that he was on board. Senator MONTOYA. Who did you clear it with at the White House before you recommended Mr. McCord for that employment? Mr. CAULFIELD. I didn't clear anybody sir. Senator MONTOYA. Who did you call at the Republican National Committee? Mr. CAULFIELD. I called Mr. Barry Mountain, who was the then Deputy chairman for administration. Senator MONTOYA. Had he asked you to recommend someone? Mr. CAULFIELD. Yes sir. Senator MONTOYA. And was there a job classification for the individual that he wanted? Mr. CAULFIELD. No as I recall the way Mr. Mountain explained it to me they wanted someone to come up and do a security survey and possibly following the survey the party who did the survey would be hired as a supervisor of security at the Republican National Committee. Senator MONTOYA. Was there any discussion with respect to that classification that the man that would be chosen and the man that you might interview should be qualified in espionage activities for the party? Mr. CAULFIELD. Absolutely not sir. Senator MONTOYA. Were you aware that that was one of the competencies that this man should have anyway? Mr. CAULFIELD. No sir. In reviewing Mr. McCord's qualifications, they appeared to me from a career experience in security work, to be absolutely outstanding and his credentials appeared to be impeccable.
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 23, 1973 Testimony of John Caulfield.
(MS photographers taking pictures in courtroom, court reporters, stenographer) Senator Joseph MONTOYA. Now what did you conceive with respect to the game plan that was going on at the time. Mr. CAULFIELD. I beg your pardon sir. Senator MONTOYA. Mr. McCord mentioned that you had told him that he was ruining the game plan, what did you conceive that to be? Mr. CAULFIELD. Well sir, I don't recall Mr. McCord saying "game plan", but I'll it was obvious to me that there negotiations going on with respect to Executive Clemency for Mr. McCord. Senator MONTOYA. Well then let me read to you from Mr. McCord's statement on page 9, and I read as follows: "I refused to discuss it. He stated that I was fouling up the game plan, I made a few comments about the game plan". That was Mr. McCord's statement on page 9. Do you recall that conversation? Mr. CAULFIELD. I don't recall those words senator. Senator MONTOYA. Well what words akin to that were uttered by you in the presence of Mr. McCord? (Caulfield leans into lawyer, lawyer whispers comment to Caulfield) Mr. John CAULFIELD. Senator I'm a little confused on, you're asking me that, I have no recollection of me saying to Mr. McCord I was fouling up the game plan, my statement doesn't indicate that. Senator Joseph MONTOYA (D-NM). Well, let me read you an extended text of that statement on page 9 - "About ten o'clock AM on Thursday January 25, 1973 in a meeting lasting until about 12:30 AM we drove in his car toward Warrenton, Virginia and returned and a conversation ensued which repeated the offers of executive clemency and financial support while in prison and rehabilitation later. I refused to discuss it, he stated that I was fouling up the game plan, I made a few comments about the game plan." Mr. CAULFIELD. Yes sir. Senator MONTOYA. Do you recall that? Mr. CAULFIELD. No sir, I do not. As I indicate in my statement, this trip here was one of friendly conversation between two friends. I have no recollection of offering him executive clemency on that occasion, I have no recollection about stating that I was fouling up the game plan.
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 23, 1973 Testimony of John Caulfield.
Senator Joseph MONTOYA. Now did Mr. Dean tell you why he was calling you to get in touch with McCord? Mr. CAULFIELD. When was that? Senator MONTOYA. When he called you at San Clemente. Mr. CAULFIELD. He indicated to me that he had a very important message that he wanted to be delivered to James McCord. Senator MONTOYA. Well I understand that, but did he tell you why he had chosen you for that mission? Mr. CAULFIELD. No sir, he didn't. Senator MONTOYA. Did you ask him? Mr. CAULFIELD. No sir. He knew of course that I had known Jim McCord. Senator MONTOYA. How did he know? Had you discuss Jim McCord with him? Mr. CAULFIELD. Well I had been over at the committee, eventually after he was hired I'm sure I mentioned to Mr. Dean that this fella McCord is hired, he appears to be outstanding. He was well aware that I knew James McCord, there was no question in anybody's mind. Senator MONTOYA. Did you get in touch after Watergate with Mr. Dean to indicate to him about your friendship with Jim McCord? Mr. CAULFIELD. Would you repeat that senator please? Senator MONTOYA. Did you get in touch with Mr. Dean and communicate to him your friendship with Jim McCord? Mr. CAULFIELD. When sir? Senator MONTOYA. After the watergate break-in. Mr. CAULFIELD. Oh, we had conversations. I expressed shock on many occasions that James McCord was arrested at the watergate. Senator MONTOYA. No, but the point I'm trying to make Mr. Caulfield, that you had two or three interviews with Mr. McCord, they were short in duration. Mr. CAULFIELD. Yes sir. Senator MONTOYA. Preliminary to his being hired. Mr. CAULFIELD. Yes sir. (WS Committee members seated at table) Senator MONTOYA. There were other people at the Republican National Committee and at the Committee to re-elect the president who knew Mr. McCord better than you did. Presumably because he worked with them for a longer time, and I am wondering why Mr. Dean selected you to carry on this mission of offering executive clemency to Mr. McCord, when there were other people within the organization of the National Committee and CRP who had developed a better and more intimate acquaintance with Mr. McCord. Mr. CAULFIELD. Well of course I'm sure that Mr. Dean entrusted me in reading some of the things that might have gone on before there was apparently a need for someone from the White House to bring a message to him, and certainly Mr. Dean knew that I knew Jim McCord. And then I'd like to re-iterate that I received a letter in December which I brought to Mr. Dean's attention wherein it was alleged that the White House was involved in attempting to place the blame on CIA, so all of these things Mr. Dean knew, Mr. McCord sent me the letter Mr. Dean knew that.
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 23, 1973 Testimony of John Caulfield.
Senator Joseph MONTOYA. Did you ever inquire of Mr. Dean when he was telling you just what to say to Mr. McCord, do you ever inquire from him as to the high sources and who they were? Mr. CAULFIELD. Well sir, in the first telephone call this was all just him asking me to go and deliver this message to Jim McCord, subsequently as I've indicated in my statement we did have a conversation after the first meeting. Senator MONTOYA. Now you mentioned that Mr. Dean had instructed you to say that it comes from way up at the top. Mr. CAULFIELD. Yes sir. Senator MONTOYA. Now, what did you conceive that to be at the time? Mr. CAULFIELD. Well sir, in my mind I believed that he was talking about the president. Senator MONTOYA. Alright. How would you have interpreted that without any further explanation, the same way? Mr. CAULFIELD. I don't understand senator. Senator MONTOYA. You mentioned that it was your impression that it must have come from the president. Now, did you when you reached that impression question Mr. Dean any further about it? Mr. CAULFIELD. No sir. Senator MONTOYA. Alright, my time has run out so I will not pursue that any further, thank you Mr. Chairman.