Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, July 10, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, July 10, 1973
[00.07.37-MITCHELL testifies denying that he played a central role in the coverup] Mr. THOMPSON. We have some evidence before the committee of a taped conversation between Mr. Ehrlichman and Mr. Kleindienst I wonder if you have any reason to believe that this or any other conversation that you might have had with Mr. Ehrlichman was taped? Mr. MITCHELL. In reflection, I would think that this conversation Probably was taped. Mr. THOMPSON. Why? Mr. MITCHELL. FOR or the reason that most of the time that I met, in John Ehrlichman's office, why, we sat on a sofa around a coffee table, and so forth. Mr. THOMPSON. This is the one, we heard about in the Pat Gray testimony about the documents? Mr. MITCHELL. Yes; I believe that is the same, coffee. table and set of chairs. But at this particular time, he invited me. over to sit in the, chair at his desk and fidgeted around a little bit. So it occurred to me that a in the pattern of operation might very well have had something to do with as to where the microphone was. [00.08.40] Mr. THOMPSON. Let me ask you one more question, Mr. Mitchell Obviously, the only verification, I suppose, direct verification of the fact that you were not the One who pushed Liddy, or to the contrary, the only one -who could definitely testify that, you did push Liddy would be Liddy himself. And, of course, he has not favored us with his testimony so far. I notice here a call in your logs on April 17 with a Mr. Peter Maroulis. Mr. MITCHELL. Maroulis yes, sir. Mr. THOMPSON. I believe he is Mr. Liddy's attorney? Mr. MITCHELL. That is correct. Mr. THOMPSON. Could you tell us the nature of that conversation? Mr. MITCHELL. Yes, sir, that was a return of a call to Mr. Maroulis, who had made a, call to me, and Mr. Maroulis -within a day or two' came to see me, He was looking for guidance. What had apparently occurred, according to Mr. Maroulis, and I have not checked this out, with the parties to know whether it is true or -not, but the President had made his statement by that time, whichever one it was, in which he, asked everybody to come forward and disclose, what they knew about this matter. I guess that might have, been--well, whatever date it was, the President or somebody on his behalf had asked, I believe, Henry Petersen to go to Mr. Liddy's local counsel here in the District--Mr. Kennelly, and Mr. Kennelly carried the message from Petersen to Kennelly to Mr. Maroulis about, the fact that the President wanted everybody to come forward. [00.10.32] Well, Mr. Maroulis had spent a lot of time--he is a personal friend of Mr. Liddy. It was his opinion that Mr. Liddy had a valid case on appeal because of the errors made, by the court, and other matters that were, involved, and he wondered if I could give him any guidance as to what the President meant by that particular phrase, which apparently had been quoted verbatim from Peterson to Kennelly to Maroulis. [00.11.05] I told him that I could not add anything to it, that I had not talked to the President about it; I knew what the, President's wishes were, but he as a lawyer was going to have to make his own decision as to what his client's interests were. Mr. THOMPSON. Is that, the, last, conversation you had with him concerning Liddy's position? Mr. MITCHELL. That is the only conversation I have ever had with the gentleman. Mr. THOMPSON. Thank you, Mr. Mitchell, I have no further questions. [00.11.30-MacNEILL in studio] MacNEILL states that the questions from THOMPSON were aimed at testing the credibility of DEAN'S testimony. [PBS Network ID-title screen "SENATE HEARINGS ON CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES"] [00.15.07-MacNEILL] MacNEILL states that Sen. TALMADGE will now question MITCHELL. [00.15.14]