1973 Watergate Hearings; 1973-11-15; Part 3 of 3

as here are three conversations with the us to come back if given a slight thought to the possibility that he was trying to obtain the new voluntary contribution from a huge emphasis on the voluntary you have introduced these are not i've noticed that you have stayed with him for seventy five thousand dollars actually i think what i've said seven years bartender didn't like that there was a

comment in on about the october the fourth you already ahead forty five so actually you assembled one hundred and twenty thousand dollars altogether this and contributed to the president how are these funds delivered the way you mentioned how five thousand was initially to endanger others jamie lee the material into power in december nineteen seventy one the second

january and then the remaining sixty thousand dollars in march nineteen seventy two now in a reprise of that yes i do yes yes all in each case the money was to invest in a common knowledge was a mark and i think in each case are an underdog but who were the individuals who contributed five thousand dollars each lose

what were the projections the process situation like that it's your greatness that's right that's true so let's talk about this or your land therefore to get the money back or not our energy money was all a corporate money was replaced by

questions with respect to your testimony concerning the state of mind to combat what he might have thought would you explain a little bit about this good government fund that is beginning to this institute says these matters that's really true greece's completely voluntary any officer employee may contribute a clever money designated think we've indicated in some cases that one percenters i don't know we don't know as rusty and the individual let's be

real for the first time oh boy that that we really don't know what we want to is to combat mind in my question you is you know when he thought maybe you had won those songs and my raise money some other way now is there any reason that the images were made by four separate trips of five thousand five thousand five thousand sixty

thousand no i think that it has been it was an amazing help on that our investigations show the money was delivered as each of these forecasters say could be cashed and then after the large amount came in through the sauce and that was the reason why the money was delivered in the form still has the money was received has paid over to the committee and it was a reason why you're

welcome is it as this and a candidate but he was perceived as the only company knows what he really doesnt renovation the radio and tv all right that's what concerns me i think it took calls in fact and so much happens and that how well so and now

this it's b lunchtime for the committee and break down for us public television coverage of the senate watergate hearings will continue after this pause for a station identification on average coverage of the theories is being broadcast as a public service where local public television station this is pbs public broadcasting service the it's

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washington impact continues its coverage of hearings on the senate select committee on presidential campaign activities it again and bad correspondent jim lehrer after watched the senators heard the next with us russell the honor the goodyear tire rubber company this is npr news here's the evidence that you can be of concern for like a minute campaign acted differently but he's a big reason why a puerto rican

and generations it again the worker goodyear in nineteen twenty and i've spent my entire working like the garden as i became chief executive officer in nineteen sixty one i'm appearing here under subpoena just take the circumstances under which a cure maybe a political contribution the nineteen seventy two presidential election competition originated in a conversation i had with those to the least i was a weight and i had maybe as a result of our association and business advisory council and other groups

involving meetings between businessman and government official and immediate such a group in washington on her about sixteen or seventeen nineteen seventy two that i believe was concerned with environmental problem ms vance told me that he would be contacted me but by contribution to the committee for the reelection of the discussion occurred i'm a pretty informal conversation between verses i called mr stan there will be unnecessary for him to collect because i would send someone to see him i recall no discussion

among by home the contributions should be made or the method by which it might be me there was some dimension of making a contribution via april seven in order that they would not have to be publicly report i discussed the matter with mastercard and firestone weiss as result of that discussion <unk> firestone marks the nine eleven twenty thousand dollars in cash what do you see i did not in that meeting what was later informed mr stan he did not as and was an actual source of fun mr stang is a whole

torah congregation in the range of what he did not stay or imply that any parisian would mean for the larger contribution or not welcome was decided that leiderman and additional confirmation would be me twenty thousand and was turned over to mr standby mr meyerson at a second even worse japan on march fourteenth and this occasion one of the month two thousand dollars and you have a family you know or also the liver tumors just a i did not and that we need to understand that as on what's not

as to the source guess who's making a contribution came from volume discounts on page from suppliers in good years was absurd such a mouse or transfer united states tomorrow bank and channels from the coming to a misfortune i was never personally involved in the handling of these guys i mean by some over at for creative time prior to nineteen sixty seven certain other european suppliers or direct deposit wine discounts for a designated she all why the da standing near to us from time to time

a month or withdrawn from the sitcom and kept one of the control and cousin of an officer of the company no discounts for channel analyst fellow at the nineteen sixty seven when new financial officer gm robertson took all we can excel was finally terminated in nineteen seventy years no longer any question the source of the custody of any computation in memos to making the competition was never ended on and around a couple of books as intel and it was never taken on especially for as a deductible expect point out another contribution that describes only contribution made by cartier in connection with the nineteen seventy two presidential election was made solely

because we live in the best interest of the country it was not made with a view to obtaining government eight there was i question in any way and that making figures overseas that was there which was obtained a competitive bidding constitutes less than three percent of the sale but that happened this was made the couple is not any significant mitigation with the government and comedy material with any plans no big employer in charge of government was aware of the competition and there's no indication that any government official

was made aware of the competition like this year but the officers voluntarily disclose his special what the prosecution's that details good years nineteen seventy two contributions to finance committee for the reelection of the press at that time the company's board director wasn't former congregation for the first time while in such disclosure the company on august ninth nineteen seventy three requests of the finance committee who re elected president in return for a thousand dollar contribution the company has received a check on the treasure of the finance committee which really was wondering what the publishing company nineteen seventies mr dionne if you please give the committee of some idea of the nature of the business of

the year and he saw a familiar ring that is basically my way such as wilson breaks for their playing in manhattan chemicals are instances and barbers another but the chemical now we're very largely involve all the world and learn about an operations center sales for the year of nineteen hundred and seventy two was four billion or whether it's all the seventy six million mr young again and you're not suggest any particular amount or you were compelled to give a sector that is correct how was the figure the news of the year of twenty thousand dollars right that really

has been thank you the company's leader roy your knowledge did mr stearns ever request that cash now why was the contribution made in cash because rather casual and the cash that was available at qom earlier from the disconnect so that the nature of the funds would be a little clearer view that was awesome example in a hypothetical one how that cash might have been generated

water supplier of theological plotting this report estimates the rigors and easy for example let's say you were just a million dollars for the materials value layering elements you may not have one percent thank you what would happen money was kept on the part of americans that for us so that in effect the documents supply to the foreign subsidiaries by the suppliers would fail to reflect on a big discount that was being granted to this satirical years ever

well in the documents that would be that reflects the purchase by the goodyear subsidiary there would be no mention i gather of the quantity of this kind of information to that wall i think you have a minute i can tell it's been sixty three years with documenting the companies that made the contributions that this was not

a meeting on the invoices or other documents the fact that they were paying technically it what was your understanding as to the source of the funds that you know at the time a contribution was made in nineteen seventy two presidential campaign what was your knowledge of that time sort of you know they were pointing discounts about time and you also of course newton a reporter once or at the after the initial delivery of twenty thousand dollars to most fans i got was the firestone came back to an expressway in an interview for an additional twenty thousand dollars well with the twenty thousand dollars in

cash in the second occasion was five thousand dollars that you that's correct was there any reason why in the life of mr snyder's request for fifty thousand dollars that forty five thousand dollars rather than fifty thousand dollars or less was worth it you know they didn't come in time when you're your associates or contact with respect to the possible disclosure one was that what happened mr stanton's <unk> fire

songs on me throughout and understand the basic facts is it on nineteen seventy three industry stands as the names of innovations may oy vey he stated that was highly volatile can ask them they will eventually have to make public and most of the individuals and he said the committee record really showed with competition came from originally resisting that but executives including my own the bible quoting thousand dollars this was done for the group of executives with a clear understanding that they would not have any kind of an hour any work good at we thought the problem might

be armed robbers became known as a sizable contribution did you personally ask the company executives have their names could be used in response to the request on distance employees thereafter viewer was a firestorm receive a letter from mr parkinson asking confirmation of the contributions by the individuals you get is that have won in the exhibit one of you was the response of the company right now can follow the nations

is that the documents have to what occurred after that your communications with the finance committee we call in singing if you and those returns in connection with that request was that the first time that he notified the finance committee to re elect the president of the fines were corporate funds

the peace bell and now back to russell leigh on new ones vote were discussing the communications you had with the way your company head of the finance committee to reelect president at isu as the fortified represents a communications between your company of chinese and the finance committee to re elect president that's right other officials oh good one of the americans to clarify something silly and

testified during your opening statement that the account was so as it comes close in nineteen seventy at that time was a sum of money to the united states and transferred to the united states where we send some money kept and safe rooms i was the only asian nineteen seventy two with respect to the president and have you spoken to the two million mark and

at times you know now could you tell me what was the reason that you decided it was forty thousand dollars to be committed under president reagan you know what you want to save money to the committee if there's a

mistake the solid because we thought the reelection prisons and listened as the country knows the stories that's correct you know any reason that that has just days sure that i don't think that you could not raise some sort of other sources on our sports or does your company these executives no question and at a ten percent discount

mr kalb and that isn't what it uses and that system stopped in nineteen sixty seven as the correct that's correct and nineteen seventeen he had countless political currency the money isn't money in the account in nineteen seventeen years and says at times the company is at a system to generate tax agency discusses them it's bleak running into this compound or you

don't until now and the convention and it was worth it philip welcome that's right

that's right another section of the wall and all the patients the case of the vice president who grow for god when washington i'm going to do you know this

election will be over you did that's right he was allegedly there's money so it was a period of history no

no what went wrong you're right that's great mr houston has indicated this week about the country you're attending and there's more i question anyone who was

legal so did you volunteer information after american airlines arena what were the portable very serious weather event one of the musicians and she uses those matter of being discovered of the publicity that was a concern and witnesses

october seventeenth nineteen seventy three special ordered prosecutors that while he has deported more than political aisle and information we started the company with having committed a misdemeanor violation of section sixty in a nice to school by making and consent forty thousand our competition of the presidential election in nineteen seventy contact regular charges thaksin five years says by the court have been paid by the corporation and just about five thousand accidents and five thousand thousand dollars to the bridge that's right

thank you decision well this is very sad day for me when you say words again it's only american principle that the support for this committee to preserve it it's been fixed

committee the united states now that the committee has not received in response was a lot of concern in the committee's request that the committee meet with the president i'm steve inskeep might be possible and might be possible or

a little note in a civilized community when the congress can even communicate to the president joe this is we statements which i hardly consider it dignified response to what i believe was the prettiest request by the committee of the pro and i think best actor that conversation with iconic they report a sense of this kind of viking sent the wrong

a publicity stunt another period wizard system and it's all investigated and we have obviously a signal to do except about this case so we have a bit of a sensitive committee of course on that well mrs and sisters

it's been there we met another round of evidence on how nixon campaign fundraisers put the arm on american business last year now so how and why corp executives did what they were told even if they're not violating the law here now to discuss the matter with the uk is bob jackson the los angeles times a year one of the reporters who's covered watergate ever since it was a gleaming gordon liddy is it almost is rob jackson an investigative reporter for the los angeles times that after years of covering politics i think you and i and other reporters for the first time are seen really how funds are

raised and what kind of centrifuges are used to conceal donations i think it's very revealing peter i think much of this so we all have the feeling has gone on for a number of years but i think for the first time we're really documenting opening chapter in person these activities and i think it shows the day yesterday shows the the tremendous working relationship some of the love affair the ghosts are at times between big business and the end in big government i think one of the interesting things that came out today perhaps more than any time since these hearings have started is one type of memory and that is not so much the quid pro quo move a donation to get a flavor but the fear of the unknown and the tempo of the eighties i think the year the testimony we heard that indicates that the big corporations are our first of all well looking for that edge over their competitors and secondly as you point out there there's this great fear

that if they don't come across if they don't follow the year the plaintiff's request to send the implicit pressures requests over somebody republican fundraisers people who have been close to the white house that they're going to lose their competitive edge and in dealing with the government and the courts it's very competitive city and there are the big tech companies are having a lobbyist here have their own law firms in every little whale or looking for that air and of course in the case of chairmen have been very properly points out is one of the most heavily regulated businesses in the country remember the white house literally means life or death the president himself words rocks the awards major decisions the awards fares almost anything at the very time that the american airlines was being pressured to contribute a hundred thousand dollars american was was jockeying for position in a very competitive case a merger case with

the western airlines and as mr spader mentioned in his testimony this was you know they only have they lost out as it has finally turned out but all along a good time on that tour mr spader was funneling money into a crp beginning in the fall of seventy one until march of seventy two i know for me but american men have their attorneys in contact with the white house during this very same period trying to get information trying to plead their case and surely the airline could not help but believe that that at the same time we are funneling money into the treasury or the committee to reelect president this was probably going a long way toward getting them better access so really mr speaker wasn't

just being naive when he said he couldn't get an answer no i think pretty young on it businessman and i do think that he was that was being very candid though he talked about the fears of the un know the year it's just a case of the white house can do so much to you simply by ignoring you simply by refusing access to work at this company in and people who work for bob how do you think these executives come off of a sympathetic or do you think people are gonna be a little suspicious of them well i think people have a right to be suspicious i think that at the most these executives who have come forward are are reluctant hero as if they're heroes and all i think that done really what we've seen is the immorality of american business businessman who who admittedly knew they were doing wrong

as they told this committee when they contributed corporate filings in violation of the corrupt practices act but nevertheless did it and i think there has developed a relationship with the federal government and the big business for the government going hand in hand that they felt that to that even if it's wrong somehow i'd say it's acceptable it's accepted practice and i think that senator record put his finger on a very well toward the end of the hearings today when he said to russell young a good year that's a very sorry day as well i think that yesterday young really did not see what senator wyden turn that we first set weicker one on the point out that the young man said that you'd only come forward not a matter of principle but because a goodyear feared the adverse publicity when they heard this was going to become public anyway and affairs and that her family isn't very much as chairman irvin points out for a billion dollar million times up thanks very much

but the committee now take some time off for thanksgiving and other things and then comes back and twelve days were a finalist for a public testimony as the current plan at least but as our regular watergate watchers know everything is subject to change presumably the committee will take testimony then concerning the famous knock on gays and the equally famous argues donation to nixon for and be the revival but we shall say cannot forget rob jackson for the uk an impact on jim lehrer thank you and goodnight and the fighters want to washington november fifteenth to buy coverage of today's hearing of the senate select committee on presidential campaign activity his mission originally the washington educational and telecommunications association

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