Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 29, 1973 (1/2)
[00.02.00-DEAN/BAKER split screen, DEAN answering questions about April 15, 1973 meeting with NIXON] Mr. DEAN.----I told him that I thought that Mr. Liddy was looking for some sort, of signal. He told me that he had got from Petersen, I believe, the President had the impression that Liddy was looking for a signal. I said, yes, that is my understanding, also, that Mr. Liddy is looking for some sort of signal. I said, what might be the signal is that you are to meet with Liddy's attorney. At this point, he picked up the telephone and called Mr. Petersen. Senator BAKER. "He" being the President? Mr. DEAN. "He" being the President. Once he got Mr. Petersen on the telephone, the President winked at me and said, like I was not in the office, began his conversation with Mr. Petersen about the fact that he was willing to talk to Liddy's lawyer if necessary to give Mr. Liddy the signal to talk. Mr. Petersen--I didn't hear the other end of the conversation, but he talked about some other things to Mr. Petersen. I don't know what they were. [00.02.56] Senator BAKER. What else? We are speaking of April 15, Mr. DEAN. That is correct. I recall also the President asking me about Henry Petersen and my assessment of Henry Petersen, and I assume this was prompted by the message that I had sent to the President earlier regarding Mr. Petersen when I sent a message through to him that I didn't want to talk to Ehrlichman. I told him I thought that Mr. Petersen was a man who was one of the most able criminal lawyers in the business, that he could give the President a good assessment of the entire circumstance. I told him that he ought to take his own personal counsel from Mr. Petersen. [00.03.43-DEAN discusses his meeting on April 15 with NIXON, after DEAN'S decision to go to the Prosecutors] Now, I didn't feel like telling the President that he had problems but I thought that I was giving the President a very clear signal that he might want to talk to Mr. Petersen about his own situation. I told him that I didn't think that Mr. Petersen would want to do anything to see the Presidency harmed and that Mr. Petersen was a very, very well respected man at the Department of Justice who plays it right down the middle and he will give you the best advice in the world. And that is my assessment of Mr. Petersen. Senator BAKER. What else happened? What else was said by the, President or by you? Mr. DEAN The President at that time expressed appreciation for my evaluation of Mr. Petersen. I recall, and this is not in my testimony because it is now falling on something that I remembered at the end of the Petersen conversation there was also some discussion about my feelings about appointing a special prosecutor. He said something to the effect that "I don't think we need a special prosecutor at this time, do you?" I said, "I think that -Mr. Petersen is an honorable, capable, man to handle the job." Senator BAKER. Was there anything else? [00.05.07-DEAN discusses his conversation with NIXON after his decision to go to the Prosecutors] Mr. DEAN. At some, point in the conversation, and I believe this was toward the earlier part of the, conversation, the question came up as to whether I had immunity from the Government as a result of my dealings with the prosecutors. I told the President that my lawyers had discussed this with the Government, but I assured him--and this is very clear in my mind, because it later came back to surprise me when I read a subsequent statement of the President--I told the, President that I had no deal, I can assure "you, with the Government at all. The President, at that, point said, and I remember this very clearly, he said, "John, I will do nothing, I assure you, to interfere in any way With your negotiations with the. Government." And that would be fairly Close to the words I believe he used. [00.06.10] I think I mentioned earlier also--I don't know if just. in this sequence of going through this particular meeting--that the President asked me if I remembered the Date at which I had given him the report on the implications Of the Watergate, and 1 said that, before I got my got my answer out, he, said, "I think that was on March 21. Do you recall if that, is correct or not? " And I said I had to check my own records to find out what date that was. [00.06.54-DEAN testifies that NIXON engaged DEAN in fact-checking vis-a-vis DEAN'S statements of the facts of WATERGATE] Senator BAKER. -NOW, let me examine that a little more. The President asked you what? Mr. DEAN. He asked me if I remembered what, day it was in March that I had given him my report on the implications of the, Watergate--some -words to that effect again. Before I got my answer out, he said, "I believe it, was on the 21st." I said to him that I would have to check my records or check the records to determine exactly what day that was. [00.07.26]