1973 Watergate Hearings; 1973-07-19; Part 1 of 5

it's big its mission is so that memo and the list of great financial power and rachel mr ron paul it very

likely the celebrations it is and the senate of the united states a resolution to establish a select committee of the senate could conduct an investigation and studying it extended family in which illegal improper or unethical activities were engaged in by any person it's acting individually or in combination with others in the presidential election of nineteen seventy two campaign counters are other activity related to it from washington and that brings

to gavel to gavel videotape coverage of today's hearing of the senate select committee on presidential campaign activities years and that senior correspondent robert mcneil that evening it was an incredible day at the watergate hearings a variety show composed a dramatic testimony by two men who look so much alike that even people at the committee to re elect the president couldn't always tell them apart a colossal hoax perpetrated on the senate committee and that vintage sermon you just heard from senator sam irvin and the king james version of the bible someone impersonating treasury secretary george schultz center that mr nixon had agreed to release for controversy are white house tapes the committee's been so anxious to get the tapes that a beaming sen levin jubilantly announced the agreement to the nation on television only twenty minutes later he had to confess to the same national audience that he'd been the victim of a hoax now being investigated by the fbi the white house did say the president will have a

decision on monday this is today where fred larue and robert muddy bills added agility the evidence of a complex effort to cover up the watergate scandal but their testimony also further complicated the story with more unresolved conflicts the telephone books came during the committee's luncheon bright germans call to a payphone in the area the man identified himself as treasury secretary scholtz to limit the controversy was over that the president had agreed to release those tapes and that's peter kay reports from the scene of the crime dozens of homeless man who took place first of all it was the family's secretary george schultz chairman sam irvin and said that the whole matter of the white house tapes and unsettled the white house would turn them over to the committee and the probable senators coburn and baker to congratulate the lighthouse congratulate each other congratulate the committee and predict all kinds of great things nothing happened that there was the white house counsel under democratic committee counsel say and there's right afterwards during the american city women in

an orchard talking about and so chairman of an actor is a truth is that most and went to the phone went back into the room and called the rules are preparing george shelves after first making sure we was talking to and he said never heard of it don't know what you're talking about and misled senators coburn and baker an extended announcement much to their embarrassment and shivering and i went to pieces and he had no conversation with me today the level that it was somebody else at that all the conversation in the region about telephone itself gravity

witnesses oh yeah if you can upset and distressed embarrassed at those calling every day but i don't is that it damages both parties are much bigger than that among those affected so we couldn't agree with you what connection do and then i was

on the committee we ought to try to find a way to gain access to the relevant part of the stage without having to go through the aaa all about attitude for confrontation over executive privilege it appeared after that ersatz paulette we negotiated with the belly and have what we need all of us who live here in the exalted easter often accused correctly no doubt of thinking that all real life exists somewhere out a straight line between boston on the north washington's all in addition to the record right now is does black also report on the results of the survey it impacts that conducted the day it has to do with the release of those presidential traits which is rapidly becoming a major issue of debate in this country today we talked to the editorial writers on forty two newspapers of varying sizes in various parts of the country we have what their papers had said about the issue eleven of the forty two have yet to editorialize on the grounds that they're not yet it was that important that they were waiting until president nixon

formally replied of the committee's request for the tapes of others too felt very strongly that president nixon should not surrender the tapes to disgusted without coming to firm conclusions and twenty seven psalm sixty percent say the president should honor the committee's request now those who were not the tapes ruling released include the largest newspapers in america the new york news the wall street journal washington post chicago tribune new york times los angeles times they're joined by smaller papers like the st petersburg times tampa tribune in portland oregonian dayton daily news anniston alabama star in the boise idaho statesman and the burlington iowa caucus but the richmond news leader disagrees saying the president should not release any tape before the committee concludes its hearings into the matter a possible presidential run ball and oklahoma times and daily oklahoman are preparing an editorial that says all presidential paper should remain confidential there in the president's term the san diego

union a longtime nixon supported the middle position say nothing of the tapes would be made public and that endangers the course of justice or protect any person from trial or punishment of most of the papers with most of the circulation agreeable the portland oregonian which simply said the president should change his mind well today's headlines may have gone to the controversies over presidential debates there were major developments in the testimony to help you walk through those years and that's our by our viewing died and our number one fred larue says he concluded on june seventeenth at jeb magruder knew the break in was planned for the night before describing his role in delivering money the watergate defendants who reveals his luster nation was two hundred and eighty thousand dollars from gordon strong in the second hour robert martin takes the stand and says his role in the watergate affair was like being caught in quicksand he adds he learned that john mitchell was present when a dirty tricks but it was approved only

did not know if it contained binding plan in the third hour senator evan begins by saying i am pleased to announce that treasury secretary schultz called on the tapes would be given to the committee mike shuster has been grossly news between those announcements martin justifies the g gordon liddy implied that president nixon had authorized ellsberg breaking he said lady tried to cover his tracks so much even shredded soap represent collected from hotels in the fourth hour martin says he never asked john dean if he could see fbi reports on the watergate investigation and he says he was not aware that jeb magruder was committing perjury i had a member of his grand jury appearance he says he only concluded later in the final armani and testifies that he once told him that charles colson was clean of watergate entanglement now to senator evan stripes the proceedings you know

i gather and a special consultant to the president and vice president and others often on that for what will be a and it'll have to be a liaison capacity are between them discover on this

much later you know in cambodia right you were ms mitchell wanted to call on mr mitchell i ask this because of that time the political arena just a moment there's a

lot of competition disney mr russo the us to beam was aware that the seventy five thousand miles on the grand scheme the rent cover ups the economy mr grech assume that you are aware of this is all the ground cover ups the measure my practice to let mr mitchell was aware of this as all ground over skiing i would say shannon through better than when mr

mitchell suggested to the committee that he was not aware of the cover activities he was absolutely correct i did not gather from the true victims testimony at least add know or the cover of the activity is to move the one word used quite frequently and your testimony about this fall but also the other mr lester spence several people that expense accounts including yourself grip of women religious the stands have expensive on the sitcom like most of the service and others for

example an annual summer transactions you indicate that four thousand five hundred dollars was distributed the rest of the group are expenses that most of the builders of the tools through to anyone a list of expenses so far or just add a step and this is a video i made this decision and forth you and the kid that you weren't without a salary would you receive an expensive than three hundred dollars a month rent he also testified that during that period

business the same mr hawkins is all about the same amount the total amount of expenses rather than for their expense accounts did you really mean the cross was also think this is that i've known as tempers a reporter just a twenty minute foreign languages that claims to the committee in addition to all that or i don't want to be competitive i presume you've written

testimony was to be an ocean she won a big report i'd like to get your views on abortion rights we've heard of meetings and meetings asian governments and central ninety key biscayne and oftentimes the participants at the flying to these meeting places from washington to widen their lead in washington i showed them that there were a couple of meeting him on key biscayne onto because they didn't fight club the spends probably most of the protests were in

washington and what color to key biscayne well is it as a kind of each meeting the president was a relatively the president being present that location we were staying in that we would have been aware of the taliban or a non specific recollection of all this the meeting and he had this game show anytime seeley famous living chances are you going to improve the front end of the nerve rich gratin that one of the previous meetings this notion of the usual minivan see the libyan rebel

you remember jupiter's activities that would be at that theater will propose that because the other election committee on that notion the only you plan to measure and it's your testimony that the lower class and discuss that nigeria's you're in your discussions and the plans will involve one of the cia or the fbi discuss the plan

to vote for them i'm not sure about it and your questionnaire that the plan called hall assistance from the fbi or the cia you're talking about the rich getting even sure not to my recollection at midnight it was to be done without the assistance of these revelations that it now understanding measure with any discussion we would be capable of this you have laws the committee on the reason you were involved in some of the most extraordinary meetings now you're sitting before us

and we've asked this question of new walls of the witnesses in retrospect you were recommended any legislation to prevent the us returns of those activities and which you weren't on one would recommend there's money mr mitchell

sure so the re election of president nixon was hal about all the considerations were insignificant you can share with us election so officially the commission of crime would not be considered significant other senators update even a statement like that i did not consider myself permission thank you what would your

response to a question that was also witnessed mitchell wouldn't live with that senator i do fb that's true yes on all response to the article but that time period and muslim i would i would very

true well sure just for the record you were charged with several crimes review pleaded guilty to one would you like to many circumstances for many years you pled guilty do you

well that's one way to put it is for the past week nineteen seventy three court records the committee said that

these thousands of the rhetoric of the letter at watergate special prosecution for twelve nineteen seventy three and resume of a conspiracy you're right and the federal election campaign act and

these are the facilities and with respect to information he's the fourth century ordinarily a lot of potential well this is information

hillary clinton's perjury investigation state is it they are senator separate visa it's

been great but their bags that remain unclear in my mind or at least not really standing other leverage and they're misunderstood you know i'm sure that now i'm sure i'm not certain that understood john yesterday you said that must magruder indicated after the telephone call from washington to california last night was the night he was going into the democratic national committee headquarters that was my understanding of it and i haven't checked their record am i mistaken about that or mr mcgregor thank you what would you say i think

that's huge that i think that people in that last night baby tonight order statement statement what's your name it's a means testimony began and the democratic national committee headquarters do you have any other information that he could give us are misdemeanors and i like your previous information about the impending injury and the dnc they discuss it with you

indication or information what was your reaction when your statement and he said well last night was the night they were gonna break and the dnc you know this was an urgent call from a career in california where ewan mcgregor a number of others were present and here comes a principal campaign official saying all last night was that like what was your reaction reaction eventually us

mr bays restoration that's taking it a show truly lewd future will people pay to record that he made a statement to me and say no one of three do you convey that information to anyone else mr mcgregor like the same or similar statement to anyone else at that age again the impression that others are as ellen california medication also knew that that was the night they are going away camp how you present when mr mitchell received that information that in fact there had been an entry into the dnc chair giving information what was his reaction

reaction of one worshiper and you just drizzle that report yesterday senator or rejuvenated are the dirt and gravel as blue on another point you indicated that someone said contact my name's meeting or attorney general climate change i understand them to ask him to contact police columbia about the release of certain people oh my mr mediate right ok so the suggestion

was michel to call lady someone to kali who is the quality of her overcoat for someone to call lady or litigate online daters are climbing to find out what one out for while levine i can't answer questions was the call and that made it you know years ago but you don't recall it was the results of that telephone pole mr liddy another regulator learned any response or the result of that almost twenty years have been i think

mr mitchell right mr bridges yeah that suggestion that anyone other than you and mitchell think mr mcgregor i was aware of this or nothing mr martin sure there aren't esther is obviously one of the most important parts of your testimony as it relates to other parts of this record as

it's been developed so far is the essence of the meeting in florida well mr lee maynard's recently mr mcgregor i believe my the third recent taste ability plan for mr mitchell's attention i'm sorry to belabor the point begin if you will and tell me how it was presented what mr mitchell's reaction to it was what other information can give me any about that john mccain there's no discussion a long meeting with other campaign managers were literally handed just to make sure

and it was mr mitchell and again and again this was the first of several interruptions performance today the freshman coming forward on an emergency medical services bill as the senators return to the hearing senator baker will continue his examination of friendly rude it's

been huge california and

you you know we really were forty five were there any plan about

what motion whatever conversation about watergate the border and what is the capital and social and lots of greens you know it's really met with anyone else that in california during that can read about the watergate affair that's really going back briefly to be meeting in florida where your recollection indicates that mr michel referring to recent day stability plan said well we don't have to talk about pretty world then the land rather subjective considerations but i would appreciate your impressions

of what are not is where you want to plan an irrigation got the word that risk is greater than the word or words to that and you say well we don't have to decide on that now together with any other information you can give us about this creating the impression in your mind that janet mitchell then or later a quota did not oppose the tv on other information well they got that this was something that mr mitchell well german that enthusiastic about terminating

you don't know you were supposed to play you're right in october that's right

just to pay i think that ikea testimony as its reporters your unique situation fact that receive immunity although prosecutors and again prosecute you on other matters other than the one information but guilty to thank you it seems to me that when you take into account that letter indicating they do not intend for us like

no other batters at an accepting only the single now justice but the only remaining in this connection with the pill ru ru away from any attempted to get worse it was both russia's budget you've indicated that you know on who morgan was pay our money that used canine

that's right well you know europe mr rivers january fourteenth

in what capacity major european data you have at home now you associate aside from individuals nineteen eighty one thousand and thirty thousand dollars forty thousand strong you associate any institution a

corporation or organization with his money on the side an eighty one girl my understanding that if the committee were major election not at that than i am the scientists and where is that money one

time money were you oil that question and this right here well sir

ms bailey dollars money

lazy thank you reporting geneva you're

crazy it is as senator no relation to write any own uranium for me or any votes or are you really wore it has become so we'll really find the details of the right you have details of that are medieval political

any questions michel martin i mean really the information we

need money as a couple of meetings in which to respond to you know to the best of my recollection at the mount of being super bowl will use the law ms marcelle kosman welcome ej to the right end of the democratic national committee and ended in court the size or larger

i know oh great disney as

bill specifically you know warnings the plane

six days but i certainly think you're able to cancer should be a lot of very clearly as to what a lot of these meetings were and what information was given an estimate or refer to ask my question of you not details of any specific there any specific meaning what exactly the details of thirty six meetings making that oh geez no i'm sure of it you know

europe they did disclosure discussion regarding the ongoing investigation of mortgage today show specifically any specific information a cruel inconsistency in

the case with mr mitchell but as i've indicated to it in so far as general time period a number of reviews i think you should be recalled was passed so basically with that yes sir confronted with the possibility of a deposition made too

nineteen seventy two well were you and mr martin instructor the night before the interview lilly you instruction on the night of the ninety five mr mitchell to interview leading to marriage in baseball no fb