Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 24, 1973 - Testimony of Alfred C. Baldwin III
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 24, 1973 - Testimony of Alfred C. Baldwin III
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 24, 1973 - Testimony of Alfred C. Baldwin III United States Senate Caucus Room, Washington DC
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 24, 1973 - Testimony of Alfred C. Baldwin III
Senator WEICKER. All right, Mr. Hunt came into the room. Will you describe Mr. Hunt's entry into the room? Mr. BALDWIN. Everything? Senator WEICKER. Everything. Mr. BALDWIN. Well, he proceeded over and I was standing there in the balcony area and he crouched down behind a table and said, "What is going on, what is going on?" And just about this time they were leading Mr. McCord and the other gentleman out of the lobby and there were all kinds of police cars there and I was standing on the balcony, "C'mon, see." He says, "I have got to use the bathroom." He went into the bathroom and he came out and he said, "I ve got to call a lawyer, where is your phone?" I said, "It is right there." And he went over, he dialed a direct dial number because in the motel room if you want to place a long distance call you have to go through the desk, so he dialed 8 as I would do when I would dial a local number and he dialed a direct dial number. I paid no attention to the conversation. I proceeded to the balcony, continued to watch. I did hear him say, "I have $5,000 cash on me now, for bail or bonds if you need it," and something to the effect, "will you go right down or should I go down," and I believe that was it. He then proceeded to give me instructions what to do with the equipment.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 24, 1973 - Testimony of Alfred C. Baldwin III
Senator WEICKER. What were those instructions? Mr. BALDWIN. Well, he removed a walkie-talkie, put it on the bed, and told me to pack up everything, I believe his expression was "Get it the hell out of here, get yourself the hell out of here, go somewheres. Where are you going to go?" I said, "Well, I am going to Connecticut." He said, "Well, go." He said, "We will be in touch, you will get further instructions." He said, "I want you to take all of this equipment to Mr. McCord's house." I had a little debate with him about that, I said, "Well, there are two of you and there is only one of me. Why can't somebody drive you back if you go out there? I have no way to get back." He said, "Mrs. McCord or somebody will drive you back. You work that out," and he proceeded to go out the door and he went down to the elevator. Senator WEICKER. You say now he went out the door, and was he running down the hall or walking? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes, he was. He was departing Senator WEICKER. Did you say anything to him as he went running down the hall? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes, I did. Senator WEICKER. What did you say to him? Mr. BALDWIN. I asked him if this meant I wasn't going to Miami? [Laughter.]
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 24, 1973 - Testimony of Alfred C. Baldwin III
Senator WEICKER. Now, Mr. Baldwin, did you accidentally in the course of cleaning up the room, did you accidentally pick up certain memos from Mr. McCord's bag and, if so, could you describe the nature of those memos? Mr. BALDWIN. That is correct. After I was given the instructions to pack up everything and get out, which meant putting all the electronic equipment away, Mr. McCord's briefcase was open, he had left his wallet, I didn't see him leave his wallet. He had put his wallet, all his change, his car keys, all his personal effects were on the bed. I proceeded to put those inside his briefcase, inside his briefcase, and attache case, and then I proceeded to collect all of the logs, not the logs of, I believe there was one, might have been one call that day that was still in the room on the logsheet and I put that with all the yellow pad into his briefcase and at the time I did I took everything off the table that was the work area, and along with that went an insurance book that had the dates in it, that I had been keeping for myself. I threw all that material into Mr. McCord's briefcase, and when I realized I had put my own personal notebook in there, and the yellow pad, I proceeded to remove those and I didn't stop to separate the papers, I just threw them into my attache case and when I arrived back in Connecticut I had some memorandums that belonged to Mr. McCord. I immediately wrote him a letter telling him that.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 24, 1973 - Testimony of Alfred C. Baldwin III
Senator WEICKER. You still have these memorandums? Mr. BALDWIN. That is correct. I have those memorandums. Senator WEICKER. Would you care to turn those over to the committee at this time? Mr. Chairman, these are memorandums, in most instances, of a rather routine nature. By way of identification, I would identify them as follows, and the originals are now being given to the committee. Senator ERVIN. Would you like to have them marked for identification? Senator WEICKER. I would very much like to have them marked for identification and ultimately as exhibits. There are two memorandums which are personnel reports on individuals who had made application to work at the Committee To Re-Elect the President. There is further a memorandum which is on a Committee for the Re-Election of the President heading. It is to Mr. Robert Odle from James McCord, and it describes or relates to security at the Republican Convention. Then also, there is a group of papers, a group of papers which I would best describe as relating to Jack Anderson. The memorandum at the top is "Confidential, subject: Jack Anderson", and it is signed James McCord. This group of papers relates to Mr. Anderson.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 24, 1973 - Testimony of Alfred C. Baldwin III
Senator ERVIN. Let the record show that each paper writing identified by the witness will be appropriately numbered and received as an exhibit, the reporter assigning the appropriate number. [The documents referred to were marked for identification, committee exhibits Nos. 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D (in camera) and are not for publication. They will be retained in the files of the committee.] Mr. BALDWIN. The committee can retain them, I have no use for them at all. Senator WEICKER. Am I correct, Mr. Baldwin, that these are all of the memorandums which you accidentally took from Mr. McCord's effects and have held in your possession? Are there any others aside from the ones I have mentioned here? Mr. BALDWIN. No, sir. There are no others.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 24, 1973 - Testimony of Alfred C. Baldwin III
Senator WEICKER. Now, recently there have been suggestions, Mr. Baldwin, you were a double agent working for the Democrats. Senator ERVIN. I believe that counsel doubts whether the memorandum relating to Jack Anderson should be made public. Senator WEICKER. I have not tried. Mr. Chairman, to reveal the contents of any of these memorandums but just for identification purposes, I have turned them over to the committee. Senator ERVIN. Mark them for identification rather than exhibits. Senator WEICKER. Recently there have been - Senator ERVIN. They will not be printed in the record unless the committee orders it at a subsequent time. Senator WEICKER. I think what I have tried to do here, Mr. Chairman, is to make sure that names are protected but whatever memorandums this man had in his possession that came to him that night will come to the committee and not for any purpose of embarrassing anyone. Senator ERVIN. They will not be publicly released or printed in the record but they will be marked for appropriate identification purposes rather than as exhibits.