1973 Watergate Hearings; 1973-11-07; Part 2 of 6

the pain so he's been at his own firm here in the district for i believe over ten years so i believe he's a democrat that he headed up the maryland virginia district committee for the national hispanic finance committee a number of your mama and you indicate that progress has been made to thank us for him on a work program so he had already received some government contracting before this program by the administration then during the course of our efforts possible to receive jesus

well we have that for you spanish speaking american businessmen the chairman where you did business was qualified or not doing look over grand ole days of abuse the program people agency level of the devices the firm was totally unqualified women have to explain that to have them explain it to these firms that i would say generally speaking that most of the firms that's made proposals won't qualify this question of the season as you

mentioned the first was on a plea on all of libya are qualified the agency would report that you and you would not press for crack that's right it was not support the administration was more qualified than another was aboard the preference would be given to one of support is but i think that that was an exceptional situation you have the racist organization once they qualify for yes i think so i don't even not deal directly with its contractors consultants security that it was yes i think that we as the mysteries of my staff bits and checking on him to its really agencies were really at the contracts well i'll another number just like there were friends of those systems tells

the rest who as you say was the head of the head of the sea of maryland and virginia is that it or finance committee for the president on that and i your march thirty one report page three the bottom of a nineteen year of what you were red grant application of polio for us of washington of the state then if you look at that fifteen page to seven of the department of transportation working with on the raid seventy pound raptor jet way associates in washington dc and then they're in a comment about the quality of the chairman of

the dc maryland and virginia section of the nationalists finance that they said and were just selecting a fugitive bother them what they thought all the minor ones that thirty seven to pay recommended they award a fifty thousand dollars contract to us and so he says that raises the standard that they are not related sooner separate companies but a separate company also watching is yes out that particular ram recommendation as they owe over to other spanish speaking and then you

it was well as misconduct was you is that the fall in charge of our communications at this has been speaking and he was referred for the government mysterious as a tv show as firms in the communications business devoted a lot of his free time to postpone day in terms of assisting him and setting up a viable option occasions organization i don't recall having to now there was also a nominee number and they refer to put your car on behalf of an organization or all of the presidential sport is that as you are yes i don't recall the name of syria

giving national spanish speaking men that we made happen that's it they too and i met underwood and lighting lamps believe it is another weekly report at that that's true and it isn't and increasingly worse air out of labor it will average out to about eighty million dollars owe if this is

the time with the ending of that call us embassy the considerable smaller labor for their appointments and they just needed assistance in terms of increasing that to make it more viable opposition all of that was that time executive assistant in his defense sure that the policy making responsibility for this man speaking about davison who was part of responsiveness you know labor says listen responsibility this tradition excuse me with the human disappears a well i think in the relationship to the population of spanish speaking it's

very small and over again and try to push for even more money this was very first times that the spanish speaking community haven't got any money so i don't want to pray with another plant thirteen maverick thirty day off on the river's myself there was return the ten forty five the peace bell little it and

be perfectly fine again you're reporting you're working with officials and rub it with them on the gate at mandela man wrap up from the bottom a letter i think they really let down seventy eight the piano part you report in another week we reported monday working with john lilly the bottom of labor on media event to announce a keynote mandela deserved for job training for spanish speaking america that will be staged in los angeles a panic that that went through as another organization

you were i'm looking at a lot of the pain and on page three which is that that went well and the report anyone hear weekly reports on an avalanche or drink is especially richard record executive director assert about why that is san jose california director went to the democratic convention as the mcgovern value on certain and file if true we want is no action taken against them now and because of that

violation of anti regulation along with isis as an employee of a federally funded program and seventies and i was just that was is applied an idea this effort you're what to bring to the attention of those who could bring this but i actually in the heat political activism election season an amazing question would your recommendation of activities for reelection the president why i think we tried not to give those who wear hats to

get involved in the political arena our recommendation was that they can articulate the achievements of the president's been speaking and not campaign and then thank you before the campaign no i don't recall now the spanish speaking american organizations that were contractors and one was the year that the associates and i think that was a mr sanchez it's

just not in the family you look at that thirty seven thirty six was he considered a supportive person for the administration i think it was called a lot of attention from various sources that he was active with the democratic national committee and with susan justice as well is having well before i think that view from eugene robinson we mentioned his name out there to do is rub that as he was fun and responsiveness to an opportunity at a small business in a strange this is one of his lawyers libya

with iran i'm working most recently he was awarded a five year grant with two thousand dollars of that await an experimental school program and also received an eighty eight sba contractor overjoyed about who violate bilingual education programs united states appears you will read in my vision as president consideration for the labor force scented of the crap this is a classic example of not necessarily in which is making a living alone but these are grants that we were aware of which

indicate it may have a few others i would recommend that it's not too late to stop the proposals at the bottom of labor and now i'm nineteen the pope says the days of the mall we haven't we do my mother was not malign i'm saying this was now a company was really not supportive and video recommendation you make is that because it's i was that would you have any information that they were not qualifying organization also the

year what was going on in terms of the business that is that were given to a labor and others that i've referred to online is appropriated by congress was coming from a living will who's us businesses in this version the living of us think that's a lot more people and that because the surge has happened you'd be close ally of democratic efforts your recommendation was that the people and the clarity that i got into with qualification do with a spanish speaking american contractor but it was certainly am an effort and the effort would not

be because of his lack of support for the administration well mr sanchez i believe he graduated on diego said that what that was was a really need a program is earlier in our discussion which was good for business how when you hit a certain amount of money a certain amount of sales volume like two or three million people yet he's nominated for widely on the us demonstration there was an effort to utilize the aid money for disadvantaged that contract and shelter program and that's of one such a contractor

do well and you've won the law so that another person and he did that kind of money would get it true that the myth of sciences i believe so yes indeed now in this favored disadvantaged group and a day and that policy the us about other varieties as for the atlantic and which under the special arrangements and which he'd only had one year of that plant operating a new hire people in visitation of the magnets to thirty years it was never without enough to finish up that one year and the possibility is that i don't think i'll

make it great again you'll see the regulation a blow fan of them appointed by nineteen seventy two the millennia that have fretted about a lot of innovation are you a little update and the question of your success a similar opportunity or because of a gun and a program we congratulate you make is it's rather small businesses that his rabbit had an intuitive

up now obviously wants he wants he gets this graduation letter and the longer fits within this program it actually may not i longed to be in the position to receive that it's annoying and it can be both in the private and public support professor of spanish speaking american and that is not often seen the time is right in this case yes hugo

was solicited by mr reyes a medical technician i would think so as an individual who was doing well here in the area i'm sure that this raises generations by finance committee for this because what happens but i don't know for a fact mr sanchez today's report memoir i don't recall when i had lunch with him and i did have lunch with them and also with someone else white house now you know images i just made an admission million tells you know whether the rest of american tradition with his with his affiliation i don't recall discussing also asserted that when he was the director of

federal compliance script over at the transmission and focus on happiness do you recall what was said there wasn't head the puppeteers because became the pope there used to be the reports and he reportedly working with kingsley as ray dismissal of the eeoc by what was the eeoc equal

employment options question of what what one thing that mr kingsley was the head of the operation under he knows ms rodrigues and i have gotten several phone calls letters saying that his violence who was in a civil service job was actively campaigning in various spanish speaking means for ten point nine something and forty seven that's it let's play that's why i

guess that's the americans association of the united latin american citizens supreme council meeting anaheim calif and i've spent a great deal of time attempting to undermine our efforts with a little comment following i have posters of nixon and my local hill and the little pregnant girl wearing a finger quote unquote during the bag when he addressed the group over the microphone with a pompom and the hospitality run for the reelection of president any president i recognize has already been unelected that president is the media he was the national stage on the mind

later the vietnam and it could be that thought lacked was getting the republican nominee anyone like to invite schreiber to the october supreme council meeting in washington is my belief that one of the reasons the theater and robert on an around and speak up for him is that is so that they will be in that was recovered administration that governs a lot of my belief that it would be wise to terminate it and the position of the gsa the video say his lawyers becoming the republican and the memorandum of recommendation was that somebody would invite over fiber somebody from the democrats' little what would you consider the substance of this memorandum political activity there was a lot more that is written down here in terms of his political activities but that generally speaking yes i would also say

that he struck a number of people as the forint has posters of nixon in his office for most obscene and disrespectful of the office of the presidency i was that was where it was reasonable discussion with chairman until brown and we'll see who was the head of the agency but he was not nothing compared to my knowledge at the wedding on what has to have been from what this person is reviewing are working in similar positions eleven republicans on offense this this too as an actor although

maybe proper based on a violation of his activity was taken against him because it was directed against the administration of wooden stretcher you know a person named judgment and this is african and is so used to be a judge on the sheer if it was what kind of core he's from houston texas was a three time national president blank recent discussions between the judge in some members of our staff is to support the president's re election your weekly of the nie on page two on the criticism

i met with the government is that great interest and support rather lifelong democrat a national leader with obama and the mexican american community and the fab forty four mr maher more votes for his memo fall we're going to take a short break the television coverage of the senate watergate hearings will continue after a pause for a station identification on a bridge coverage of the hearings is being broadcast as a public service where local public television station this is pbs public broadcasting service the fb

terry and ride

continues its coverage of hearings by the senate select committee on presidential campaign activities it again and correspondent peter good never go back to the hearings chief counsel sign that she's questioning william are mortal about attempting to obtain support for mr nixon among the spanish speaking community in texas this is a series of memos a lot of letters the first one is a memorandum of august eighteen nineteen seventy two a memorandum from you john clarke with a fire juggler you know he was part of our city recruiting tea dear to us subject of the memorandum to the government is that aid agencies come up for the federal bench in texas seventy you know won an operation like this injunction and appoint president

obama let the largest chicano service organization the country to be a real coup if we could've pointed out by that time on august twelve eighteen he had accepted his position as the head of the spanish speak american that democrats for the president now with a loaded after having a meeting with a baseball team was a judge what was it just one time use in private practice dentistry and if you're an agent welcome to say that than it was let's see you again and the ticket to hear your interest in supporting the reelection of president i want emphasize that if you're a woman president look

forward to seeing you ever let national convention all the things too when my mother's the assistant to the president and and on june eighteen just friday that we try to live up to that meeting as a memorandum which is to apply person might explain why was it for anybody from lucien is that it yes another whether would see just bananas would receive this memorandum to the right in the men that turned out to be you and that says with reference to your appointment tomorrow for an interview as three time national chairman of the league of united latin american citizens let us presidents serving on about the national budget committee for amanda's and has campaigned vigorously for democrats humphries it's the eight fifth elections is well known democrat and press for the president's record and says the spanish speaking of disenchantment lack of recognition from democrats but fernandez is considering taking action on public

support the president there were discussions involving the possibilities that and this time in washington along with other leading democrats for press conference that you know while we get mad about the invention of the killing as a fourth president and his hope that this will bring about a recognition that he has received from democrats the final decision will be made within a few days if the national a convention like the july first election and get them committed now than it was but later we receive any viewpoint he was offered decommissioned ship on the consumer safety products commission earlier this year and attended down because he said he didn't want to and washed now in number and that it reflected those labs that you had this response in

this program have something to do with him grant rents animators on to quantify that summits that we have and i think we've shown you a list of i don't know we have an opportunity to examine that we have taken this from various rancid referred to and it's a three page list which total forty five times nineteen eighties the ball talk about sixty thousand sixty minutes is eighty nine thousand dollars in grants for actually sixty one million dollars in grants you ever see a lot of reasons all of those awards adding to fill the gap as you explain their memos this edition like

to clarify that we these grants were not achieving these were contracts that we were trying to get for spanish speaking contractors and organizations i'm not in the ghetto these than the effort your testimony is the effort the effort amount to about sixty one man of rats that we can identify right and again and this is while as to the question of this because that's this time this out these amendments that you could then if i ever attempted direct towards us that speak american businessman contractors and large what was tied up to a response of this program and responses program was an effort to reward too as you would qualify to be stepping into the recall five support of

business running contractors or the ministrations of the southwest there was and i think again i went off and as state that was to be banished asian american contractors but in this case a more than others those who were supporting the administration is that there's like a very much the witness to be examined next to mr don sanders assistant minority council committee chairman no your knowledge of any firms any minority enterprises receive any contract for which they were not qualified and that were of an event that had the situations you have knowledge of any firms not qualified being encouraged to make education for pensions

it was and understand them from your testimony that it was the policy of innovation to put contracts and awards into the hands of minority enterprises in order to increase their share in the business activity in the united states is that correct this was this not a policy based on official regulations that the department of labor and the small business administration and it does not have some statutory basis in the economic opportunities that what was it that the thrust of those the official policy is to actually encourage the participation of minority enterprises in there the peaks

but the pain anyone working on either direction or in association with you solicit applications from firms who were not qualified but he acknowledged that it wants applications for many unqualified firms were made that you or anyone associated with you pressed for awards for such firms this list and that indicates that there was a total of

sixty million dollars and contracts and ramps a resume awarded to minority enterprises and i think that had he known as mrs ms ferguson has represented in that they were not affected these contracts respected by far more increased contacts of one company hitting on that should be read in context proposals that we were in the we were involved in this is it in fact a listing contracts and grants which were effective or if they were affected which were included some of them were i think it

is literally a week the jewelry associates in the way that certainly can make an estimate of the total amount of money which might be available for awarding of contracts and minority enterprises i think we've tried to do this book that because there wasn't any way of calculating this know in the departments agencies i don't think that ever happened in fact this is the first time ever seen the list of

proposals of proposals of the business and they're not able or stadium in psalm which might've been available no sir kinsey was and sure that might be over already break out in terms of spanish speaking of firms or white friends on the line or if your calculate the amount which was awarded to johnny without warning which shoe which doesn't encourage minors as nelson i think our main objective was to get the help these individuals and

firms to get there composer gress and two good reason we've never to my nose calculated the money money than any individual musician sharon ordered it to solicit anytime any votes than any persons who were associated with many minority democrat votes gets any votes for the reelection of president nixon was your knowledge of anyone working under your direction are associated with you soliciting votes from a person's connected with my art enterprises nothing worse i just find that point that i think that here the officials over the committee for the election as well as

the nation's banking committee finance committee took that responsibility within the waco did you soliciting contributions from any persons associated with minority enterprises in terms of the nation's banks finance committee again the chairman and his committee won't actively solicit any contributions we never did that was once and so that i'd like to bring to your attention in terms of aid that's the american firm in texas jong un's name is audio of venice and he's the head of state i think having calling for the origins of audio

analysis from dallas he's doing believe nineteen seventy seven discussed with my deputy ms rodrigues fact that he did not want to make a political contribution to even finance committee or to be texas fifty fifty that he contacted them as troublemakers and indicated that he did not wish to make a political contribution do you do those two organizations and every day he felt very close to what we're trying to do in terms of this spanish speaking in reno throughout the federal government

and suggested that he would like to make a donation to what we were trying to do so he gave about mr rodrigues and i didn't know the exact data point was two thousand dollars in cash and various dollar amounts to want to be used for some of our specials activities that they know this period of time i think we sponsor about five or six receptions or dinners mostly here in washington for the spanish speaking leaders from throughout the country and there were costs incurred for postage printed invitations the freshmen senators and it was most that money was spent for those functions the other part of mr augustine the eight hundred and two thousand dollars in cash which i had why don't you open my office locked in a file cabinet to be used by the presidents i believe sixty eight

inaugural monday and one of things that we tried to do was white house list commentators many spanish speaking people came into washington through various means and one thing that we did we didn't do when it came to the officers didn't some momentum success color photograph of the president at the gold pan with the president's signature isn't that against some of the things are in that was done before next election how do other instances and there were maybe only to its remaining recall they were individuals not necessarily contractors rolled saying he wanted to contribute to our arsenals presidents campaigns we sent those letters back to those individuals suggesting now they can make a contribution will find those records in

my files the white house why didn't you send over to the finance committee will be settled in the streets this is a matter of mechanics but it suggested that they send it directly i think in most cases that i can cause of one another hence the personality problems of those admissions by finance committee plus it's legally not my job to accept any political contributions to throw the money directly to the finance committee's could be an appearance of some kind would you have thought that by sending it directly to the finance committee didn't even the appearance of some way perhaps this this is two thousand dollars which mr

salinas is being misinterpreted did this derivative solicit that from history means i don't believe still serve mystery news i think wanted to make some kind of contribution this was tangible way of doing a jew suggested mr increase contact and mr nelson they had known each other previous to this day don't know i believe that mr greene is called him saying he wanted to make some kind of contribution to have a discussion about a previous asked me now tell me about the situation and ideas and need their final judgment to go that route that we did in fact this money then never found its way to the finance committee or crp for use in the campaign right and he didn't want to know

you see at least one is really personal email server but you know you said you're not in the records i think also there where you also have directed by any person's jr reporting in the white house to see political contributions from minority of the officials would you have the judge that you're infected not unusual in an authorization like i'm i'm sinning just emphasize it i didn't see my role in terms of soliciting any kind of contribution are trying to directly with these

contractors grantees there was more on the trust of getting things done for business degree weather and it was in the white house or any of the department's new person to get any responsibility whatsoever for any aspect of the decision or soliciting funds and that where we can work that closely with the other special interest groups or individuals that were also buying it would be fair to say that one of your responsibilities was to ensure that the administration received

such recognition for awards which were made the minority enterprises is there anything illegal and is that the kind of spirit once things that we want to publicize the very proper way any appointments that grants or contracts with the spanish speaking community got from the federal government to make sure that the spanish speaking media throughout the country that this kind of attention what do you do as doing anyway based on your experience in wars the occasion to observe any practice whereby congressmen and senators and they make public announcements of grants and awards which are given to a person's of firms within their own districts than to democrats and republicans

and in such a public announcement by management center nearby racine some measure of recognition for this award and this is you know whether fifty three you know whether there is solicited sanchez for competition i don't know the full facts with respect to seeking persons to fill positions within the executive branch of government you know in any person's receiving appointments two vacancies for which they were not well

i don't recall i think those were carefully screened recruiting efforts on a national basis to find the best qualified most competent men or women joining the decision but you know if there were any that are grants awarded on the basis of your recommendation well i think it was a combined the recommendation of a number of those people and responsiveness group and vigils and officials at the committee for the reelection and an operation unfortunately i would say that agency and also a big hand in making that decision you did not in fact have the final authority over a new decision

that said that occurred on a number of occasions and you can tell why this list is that the joint committee employers bees buzzing oh wait you in charge of this particular division that decision is making by mr golson i'm just now and when i was done i believe sometimes seventy one i don't recall exactly when did you really start to activate the

nation we started in seventy one knows that a lot of your memoir and it has dated nineteen seventy two study about march and april i think there were some before hamas shares an interviewer what are you doing in nineteen seventy one was working both in individuals force of get positions throughout the executive branch and also especially today when did you start working on these projects to try to get grants for these minority organizations laden was about the latter part of seven months and how many inmates would you say you knew that throughout your organization at the white house for these minority groups we've never campaigned was that senators i can tell you how many of the documents looting and did you get any reports they were in the nineteen seventies

i know as an opening statement that on page two you make a statement to president nixon set out to do something about meeting the needs of the spanish speaking he created a statutory cabinet committee and opportunities for spanish speaking people in the president do this is against how did you do that the legislation signed that was nineteen sixty nine you recommended when they recommended initially believed there was a another organization under president johnson called the inner agency it was an uneven job and then i introduced a bill in the senate on my own initiative that recommendation from the president and that's how this was created

this is one for the record here can you tell us what they may have done for the people i remember hand of a concentrated on getting wet ones and not that it is going to the cabinet to many people i think so often says they were also we work together and that's a very closely and these things into place they were also very actively involved we wanted to find qualified individuals physicians members of that committee will steffen advisory council were notified of these opportunities and yet they were a number of other things

in twenty eleven emily one i do know that mitt romney has won over the country campaigning seasons i did it but i do know that literally has won over the country campaigning for president nixon received a lot of having mastered to have taken a kitchen's decisions and what you do about a law they are scientists did you were sitting down then did tell him just how grateful he should veto the administration for all the plants which he had received i'm sure you didn't get him down with the cat people and abundant labor and telling about these things and get back also saw him to show his appreciation at the real contribution was that these states that in

subsequent testimony would you deny this and so now you'll remember a meeting that you had with him that india but the candidate contributions one season and with that mr wimmer of the department of labor you said and that was that today before you submit the memorandum of july it i don't recall exactly and i was at that day and that day you chose that may have suggested to him that he should make a contribution he refused know reading it to the best of my recollection senator there was no discussion whatsoever in terms of any point the