Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, July 10, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, July 10, 1973
[00.34.18-MITCHELL tries to dodge THOMPSON'S questions about MITCHELL receiving documents from wiretaps and bugging] Mr. THOMPSON. You never saw any Gemstone documents that you remember? Mr. MITCHELL. -NO, sir. Mr. THOMPSON. In retrospect, would there be any materials that Were a product of electronic surveillance Without your knowing that they were? [00.34.28-MITCHELL unwittingly gives an admission of "business as usual" in the John Mitchell Justice Department-I know a wiretap when I see one!] Mr. MITCHELL. No; I would believe that electronic surveillance, after my experience in the Justice Department--I do not know in what forms they are; I have not seen them to this date,. But after my experience in the Justice Department, I think I would have a pretty good idea of what the, source of it might have been, unless it was totally disguised. Mr. THOMPSON. So Mr. Magruder was in effect pushing Liddy and he did come into possession of these documents and he -was either doing it, I suppose, for his own benefit or somebody else's benefit. I mean that seems to be patent on its face, doesn't it? Mr. MITCHELL. Well, it was probably that whoever was doing it, it was in the misguided concept, that it was in the interests of the campaign But as I have, observed before, I couldn't conceive of -what would be in the Democratic National Committee on the 30th of May or the 17th of June that would be in the interest of the process of the campaign of the reelection of the President at that particular time. It just doesn't make any sense to me. Mr. THOMPSON. At the, time that the break-in occurred, what was your professional political judgment as to how the President stood with regard to his chances for reelection? Mr. MITCHELL. Well, we go back to the middle of June and, of course, he had improved substantially from his previous lows vis-a-vis the, then front runner, Senator Muskie. That, looked like he was on the ascendancy. [00.36.05] Mr. THOMPSON. Had not some, polls indicated that, at one time or another, Mr. Muskie was ahead of Mr. Nixon? Mr. MITCHELL. Yes; but I believe if my recollection is correct, that this was somewhat earlier than in June. Mr. THOMPSON. You didn't consider him in trouble at that time? [00.36.22] Mr. MITCHELL. When you are running a campaign, you consider anybody who is likely to get, the nomination against your candidate, you may have a substantial amount, of trouble with them, particularly when you look at the basis of the registration of Democrats vis-a-vis Republicans and I am sure all of you gentlemen are aware of that factor, [00.36.41-THOMPSON makes a pointed question about MITCHELL'S potential motivations to try to cheat in the election] Mr. THOMPSON. The extent of the problems you might visualize might have something to do with the measures you might take to confront it, would it not?' Mr. MITCHELL. I am not sure I understand the thrust of the question. Mr. THOMPSON. Well, I, would think that, if you thought you had the nomination or the, election locked up, that you would sit back and take no chances -whatsoever, any person running a campaign, if you could avoid them. On the other hand if you considered yourself in trouble, you might take, risks that you would not other-wise take. I am not even saying necessarily illegal risks. [00.37.16] Mr. MITCHELL. They are both hypothetical questions as of June 17, with respect, to the first one. I don't believe that anybody thought the election was locked up, certainly with respect to the time element Of June 17, with the potentials of the people that, might become the Democratic candidate at the convention that was taking place in July. There were a, great deal of uncertainties as to who the candidate, might be and as to what the circumstances might he vis-a-vis the incumbent who was seeking reelection. Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Mitchell, let me ask you about another point. Here is in excerpt from the civil deposition which you gave in the Democratic Party suit against the Committee To Re-Elect the President and I think I am quoting you verbatim in your testimony, when you were asked this question: "Was there ever any discussion at which you -were, present or about which you heard when you were, campaign director concerning having any form of surveillance of the Democratic National Committee headquarters?" Your answer was: "No, sir, I can't imagine a less productive activity than that." Is that a correct--- [00.38.31] Mr. MITCHELL. I think the total context, as I remember it, Mr. Thompson, had to do with the discussion of Mr. McCord and the security group. The answer was given in that context. Mr. THOMPSON. But this particular question, "Was there ever any discussion at, which you were present"--and of course, I assume just from reading this question that that would involve any discussion with anyone. Are, you saying that, it is not your, understanding of It? Mr. MITCHELL. My recollection of the testimony that I gave had to do with the so-called security group in the Committee To Re-Elect the President, which discussed Mr. McCord and the security group. And the answer was in response to that., to my recollection. [00.39.16]