Watergate Hearings - Testimony of John Caulfield. May 23, 1973
Watergate Hearings - Testimony of John Caulfield. May 23, 1973
Master 10373 Part 1 Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 23, 1973
Watergate Hearings - Testimony of John Caulfield. May 23, 1973
Senator Same Ervin (D North Carolina). Senator Talmadge. Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). Mr. Caulfield are you still on the federal payroll? John Caulfield. I'm in what they call administrative leave status because of these developments with the Treasury, yes sir as of this moment I'm still on the federal payroll. Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). You're getting a check? John Caulfield. Yes sir. Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). But you're on leave? John Caulfield. Yes sir.
Watergate Hearings - Testimony of John Caulfield. May 23, 1973
Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). Did you call Mr. John Ehrlichman immediately after the break-in of the Watergate on June the 17th? John Caulfield. Yes sir. Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). What did he say? John Caulfield. Well, I received a telephone call in the afternoon of June 17th, which was the date of the break-in about 3 or 4 PM as I recall, from a gentleman that I worked with in the United States Secret Service Mr. Patrick Boggs and he called me and he said do you know Jim McCord? And I said yeah I know Jim McCord and he indicated, he said "Well, we've received a report that there's a break in at the Democratic National Committee, we re concerned because of our protective capabilities or responsibilities rather in that area. We have some agents checking into it, some of the people appear not to have given their correct names and we're getting a report that one of those not giving the correct name is Jim McCord." He said "Now, do you want to call John Ehrlichman or should I call him?" After I had recovered from the shock, I indicated well you go ahead and try and reach him, and I'll try to reach him as well. And I called the White House board and was told that he was on route to his residence. By the time that I did reach him, Mr. Boggs had already contacted him. And I said to Mr. Ehrlichman, I said "John, sounds like there's a disaster of some type, did you speak to Mr. Boggs?" He said "Yeah what's this all about" I said "I don't haven't got the foggiest notion of what it's all about, but they're saying they believe Jim McCord who works for the committee has been arrested in a burglary at the Democratic National Committee." So he said, I forget exactly what he said then, but I said I think it was a long silence as I recall and I said "My God, I can't believe it". He said "Well, I guess I better place a call to John Mitchell" and I said "I think that would be very appropriate". Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). Who said it sounds like a disaster, you or Mr. Ehrlichman? John Caulfield. John J. Caulfield.
Watergate Hearings - Testimony of John Caulfield. May 23, 1973
Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). Now, why did you have Mr. Ulasewicz call Mr. McCord rather than calling him yourself? John Caulfield. In this July call? Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). Yes this anonymous mysterious call with the New York accent. John Caulfield. Now are we talking about the January call or the July call, which? Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). Talking about the call with no name that Mr. Ulasewicz is alleged to have made at your request and the request of John Dean. John Caulfield. Oh, well, again I didn't want to make the call Senator. I knew how serious it was, how dangerous it was. I explained to John Dean that I didn't want to do it. I hadn't focused completely on the seriousness of the misconduct, but intuitively I knew that it was wrong and I just didn't want to do it. And as I've indicated in my testimony I tried to get out of it and I felt that because I had asked Mr. Ulasewicz previously to set up this telephone arrangement with Mr. McCord outside of his residence that he could, when Mr. McCord received the call he would understand that it was coming from me, this was my way of getting the message delivered without getting involved.
Watergate Hearings - Testimony of John Caulfield. May 23, 1973
Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). Whom were you working for at the time that you relayed Mr. Dean s message to Mr. McCord? John Caulfield. In January? Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). Yes. John Caulfield. I was the assistant director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). Now on behalf of whom did you assume Mr. Dean to be speaking, talking of when he spoke of executive clemency for Mr. McCord? John Caulfield. Well, as I've indicated coming from Mr. Dean and having worked with him, I assumed that there were others at the White House that were involved in this matter in terms of the offer. Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). Who did you think was the real author of the message, Mr. Dean or someone else? John Caulfield. Well sir, again I believed that conceivably, very conceivably that if we're going to talk about others, that quite possibly Mr. Ehrlichman. I have no way of knowing that senator. Senator Herman Talmadge (D Georgia). Mr. Chairman I have no further questions, thank you sir.