Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities - Testimony of James McCord.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities - Testimony of James McCord.
Master 10362 Part 1 Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee Hearings on Presidential Campaign Activities, May 18, 1973 - Testimony of James McCord (Jim McCord) Caucus Room, Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities - Testimony of James McCord.
Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Mr. McCord, there is evidence here that the people, the five men arrested in the Watergate on after the midnight on the seventeenth, eighteenth of June had some hundred dollar bills, some new 100 dollar bills in their possession or in their rooms. James McCord. Yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Where did that money come from, if you know? James McCord. I don't know sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Did you have any of it? James McCord. No sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Then you say that from after the return of the bills of indictment in September, down to the last day of the trial that you were urged to plead guilty, remain silent by a number of people. Did Mr. Hunt ever urge you to plead guilty and remain silent? James McCord. (looking tight lipped - not answering question) Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). That is E. Howard Hunt. James McCord. Yes sir, ....I'm trying to recall sir of the exact words .... Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Yes. James McCord. The words most frequently used by Mr. Hunt with me was that executive clemency would be available to me. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Yes. How many times did he urge you to plead guilty? James McCord. No sir, I mean to correct that statement. I don't recall Mr. Hunt using those words with me, to plead guilty. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Did he urge you to remain silent? James McCord. Not in exact words, no sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). What words did he use, as near as you remember? James McCord. He used words to the effect that, he used words stating that executive clemency is going to be made available to us. And he spoke in terms as though it already had been committed. I say already, already as of the time that he first mentioned it to me. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Now, you stated that you were paid some money through the instrumentality of Mrs. Hunt and also that your lawyer fees were taken care of, as I understood you. James McCord. Yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Do you know who paid your lawyer fees? James McCord. I was told that both monies came from the committee to re-elect the president. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Do you know the amount of your lawyer fees? James McCord. Yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). What was it? James McCord. The amount that I received was from the committee was 25,000 dollars, yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Now, did your lawyer urge you to enter a plea of guilty? I'm talking about Mr. Gerald Alch. James McCord. I don't recall that, no sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). But, he did go with you to Mr. (William) Bitman's office? James McCord. Yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Mr. Bitman was a lawyer for Mr. Hunt, was he not? James McCord. Yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). After that, you didn't talk to Mr. Bitman yourself? James McCord. No sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). But Mr. Alch did? James McCord. Yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). And after his conversation with Mr. Bitman, he told you that Mr. Bitman urged you to plead guilty and remain silent and said you would get executive clemency. James McCord. I'll correct that sir, if I left that impression. I believe the words were this, in the afternoon of January 8th, Mr. Alch said that Mr. Bitman wanted to talk with me about quote" who's word I would trust regarding a White House offer of executive clemency". And then at the meeting at his office Mr. Alch came back to me after a meeting with Mr. Bitman and told me that I would be contacted by a friend I had formally known at the White House and contacted that evening. I believe that was the substance of that conversation.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities - Testimony of James McCord.
Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Now, how long had you known, when did you first know John or Jack Caulfield? James McCord. I first met him in early September 1971. I had heard of him before. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Where was he working at the first time you first met him? James McCord. At the White House. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Did have any connection later with rather, I believe you stated that you were employed by the committee to re-elect the president on the recommendation of Mr. Caulfield. James McCord. Yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Did Mr. Caulfield later have any association with the committee? James McCord. Yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). And after that association, did he go to one of the executive departments? James McCord. I understood from him that he did, yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Do you know which department? James McCord. I believe it was the Treasury department. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Do you know what position he held there? James McCord. It was a senior position with I believe it's called the alcohol tax and firearms division of .... Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Now was he working in the Treasury department at the time that he had the meetings with you? James McCord. He told me that, yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). As I recall, you met with him first on Friday January the 12th, somewhere on the George Washington Parkway. James McCord. It was that Friday, yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Did he give you any reason why he wanted to meet you on the George Washington Parkway, instead of seeing you at his home or your home? James McCord. No sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Who was present at that meeting? James McCord. Just the two of us. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). And at that time he urged you to plead guilty? The case was still pending, was it not? James McCord. Yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). It was just about the time the trial started, wasn't it? James McCord. This was the first week of the trial. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). And he urged you to plead guilty and assured you that if you pleaded guilty, you would receive executive clemency and also be given a chance to, after you served in a sentence to help to be re-habilitated in a job, didn't he? James McCord. I believe all is correct, except the word plead guilty and I'll try to re-state that for accuracy. The word "plead guilty" had been used over the telephone to me by this unknown, un-identified individual whose voice I described, and then subsequently, ... Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). That was prior to the meetings? James McCord. Yes sir. Sam Ervin (D - North Carolina). Excuse me, do you have something further? James McCord. Well, in the conversations on the 12th of January and in the two subsequent meetings, the word "plead guilty" would come up in this general language, are you going to plead guilty or how about pleading guilty, or what are your feelings about pleading now?