A Look Back at the Senate Watergate Hearings

[0:08] we are beginning these hearings today in an atmosphere of utmost gravity the questions that [0:14] have been raised in the wake of the june 17th break-in strike at the very undergirding of our [0:18] democracy if the many allegations made to this date are true then the burglars who broke into [0:24] the headquarters of the democratic national committee at the watergate were in effect [0:29] breaking into the home of every citizen of the united states and if these allegations proved to [0:35] be true what they were seeking to steal was not the jewels money or other property of american [0:39] citizens but something much more valuable their most precious heritage the right to vote in a free [0:46] election we will inquire into every fact and follow every lead unrestrained by any fear of where that [0:57] lead might ultimately take us after the call went out we responded from the area of 30th and k [1:05] down to the front of the watergate on one of the doors leading from the b1 level from the garage [1:11] into the b1 level looking at the door the door had been taped with a sort of a light colored mastic [1:18] tape where the door would shut and from all appearances the door would be locked but the the [1:24] lock is held in by the tape where the door will shut but it will not lock so this tape was on the edge [1:31] of the door yes sir forcing back the lock that would ordinarily spring and lock the door yes keeping it [1:37] from being locked yes sir and what what did you understand the purpose of that taping to be then [1:43] at that time it would uh would give anyone that was wanting to go in and out accessibility without [1:49] having to use a key or to pick or something unlock it we met up again with officer barrett down to this [1:58] area checking the officers that were open as we came down the hallway we came into this room here [2:04] through a glass door officer barrett was the first man through followed by myself and officer schauffler [2:12] officer barrett responded up into this area here and i started into this little secretary or cubicle [2:19] here officer schauffler was somewhere in this area and at this point i heard officer barrett yell hold [2:25] it come out where was where was where was that voice coming from sir yes where was that voice coming from [2:31] right in this area right in this area right officer barrett was right in this area at this time i [2:36] responded back out of the cubicle into this cubicle jumped up on a desk drawing my weapon and when i [2:44] looked over this glass partition there was five man standing in front of a desk with their hands either [2:52] raised above their heads or at least shoulder high one one of the man had was carrying a an awol bag an [3:00] overnight bag a semi-large brown bag with his coat draped over it and it contained various items [3:09] cameras bulbs clamps for clamping the cameras to the desk walkie-talkies things of that sort did you [3:19] later find out who they were yes sir could you name the persons who you arrested uh in that location by [3:27] by the by the names that you later found out who they were to be frank sturgis bernard l barker james [3:35] mccord eugenio martinez and um i think it's virgio gonzalez cover would be taken off of the telephone [3:49] and two of the wires connected with this would be interconnected in series with the wiring within [4:01] the phone itself political pressure from the white house was conveyed to me in january 1973 [4:10] by john caulfield to remain silent take executive clemency by going off to prison quietly and i was [4:23] told that while there i would receive financial aid and later rehabilitation and a job my participation [4:31] in the watergate operation on my part for whatever reasons i may have had at the time whatever [4:38] rationale i may have had at the time was an error was a mistake and a very grave mistake which i regret [4:44] approval for initial entry into the democratic national committee headquarters in washington and that [4:57] at a further date if the funds were available we would consider an entry into the presidential [5:04] contenders headquarters and also potential at the fountain blue hotel in miami that also include [5:14] use of electronic surveillance included electronic surveillance and photography of document photographing [5:20] of documents if you were concerned because the action was known to you to be illegal because you [5:27] thought it improper or unethical that you thought the prospects for success were very meager [5:34] and you doubted the reliability of mr liddy what on earth would it have taken to decide against that [5:40] plan the fact that i was involved in obstruction of justice the fact that i assisted another in [5:49] perjured testimony the fact that i made personal use of funds that were in my custody [5:57] it's far easier to talk about these things myself than to talk about what others did the president [6:03] told me i had done a good job and he appreciated how difficult a task it had been and the president [6:09] was pleased that the case had stopped with liddy i responded that i could not take credit because [6:15] others had done much more difficult things than i had done as the president discussed the present [6:21] status of the situation i told him that all i've been able to do was to contain the case and assist in [6:27] keeping it out of the white house i also told him that there was a long way to go before this matter [6:34] would end and that certainly i certainly could make no assurances that the day would not come [6:40] when this matter would not start to unravel what i had hoped to do in this conversation was to have [6:47] the president tell me we had to end the matter now accordingly i gave considerable thought to how [6:54] i would present this situation to the president and try to make as dramatic a presentation as i could [6:59] to tell him how serious i thought the situation was that the cover-up continue i began by telling the [7:06] president that there was a cancer growing on the presidency and if the cancer was not removed the [7:12] president himself would be killed by it i also told him that it was important that this cancer be [7:17] removed immediately because it was growing more deadly every day the central question at this point [7:23] is simply put what did the president know and when did he know it when do you think the president [7:36] found out about wadigate and the cover-up i haven't any idea senator i haven't any idea at all [7:43] because as i testified before that if the president had found out about it obviously he would have [7:49] pursued his responsibilities in that area very vigorously and um you were afraid to tell the [7:57] president rather you i won't say afraid but you uh preferred not to tell the president and didn't [8:02] tell the president because you didn't want the president to do what you call lowering the boom [8:06] that's exactly and if he had lowered the boom why the thing would have been exposed i don't think [8:13] there's any doubt and the american people would have learned about it they wouldn't have learned [8:17] about and it might have affected the votes of the american people it's quite conceivable is the [8:22] presidency so shrouded in mystique is there such an aura of magnificence about the presidency is there [8:32] such an awesome responsibility for a multitude of problems and and undertakings of this nation that [8:40] the presidency in some instances must be spared the detail must be spared the difficulty of situations [8:50] which in more ordinary circumstances might be considered by some at least to be frank open [8:56] declarations of criminal offense is the presidency to be protected in that way is the splendor of the [9:03] isolation so great that the president must be protected and if so in what cases it is my opinion [9:11] and my concern with respect to this particular presidency that he should not have been involved [9:20] in connection with these matters that bore directly upon his election and he should have been protected [9:27] from the knowledge of isn't it unfair that he's now undergoing the hostility and the suspicion of a nation [9:34] in this respect with the allegations of cover-up with the lingering suspicion about what he knew [9:40] well that greatly uh isn't that far more that's a that's a statement that i'm not prepared to accept [9:46] senator i do not believe the nation feels that way and i don't believe that anybody has come to the [9:52] point i think come to the point where come to the point where they have one shred of evidence that he was [9:59] knowledgeable of the break-in of the cover-up i think you and i are talking about two different things [10:03] mr butterfield are you aware of the installation of any listening devices in the oval office of the [10:09] president i was aware of listening devices yes sir when were those devices placed in the oval office [10:20] approximately the summer of 1970 i cannot begin to recall the precise date my guess mr thompson is that [10:35] the installation was made between and this is a very rough guess april or may of 1970 and perhaps [10:45] the end of the summer or early fall 1970 are you aware of any devices that were installed in the [10:53] executive office building office of the president yes sir at that time this is a rather remarkable [11:04] letter about the tapes if you notice the president says he's heard the tapes or some of them and they [11:09] sustained his position but he says he's not going to let anybody else hear them for fear they might [11:15] draw a different conclusion there came a time when you were administering an investigative unit [11:26] yes in in a in a literal sense that's true a literal sense yes sir but not in an actual sense [11:35] here i am dueling with a professor no i'm not doing with you i'm just trying to get a professor if you [11:41] say actual it's actual congress is the only one that's got legislative power and i don't know [11:47] anything any law that gave the president the power to set himself up what some people have called a [11:52] secret police namely the plumbers if the president could authorize a covert break-in and you don't know [11:59] exactly where that power would be limited you don't think it could include murder other crimes beyond [12:06] covert break-ins do you oh i don't i don't know where the line is senator well where is the [12:11] check on the chief executive's inherent power as to where that power begins and ends well i'm [12:18] certainly not a constitutional lawyer senator president nixon had no knowledge of or involvement in [12:27] either the watergate affair itself or the subsequent efforts of a cover-up of the watergate it will be [12:34] equally clear despite all the unfounded allegations to the contrary that i had no such knowledge or [12:41] involvement at the time that i took the tape home and listened to it the existence of the tapes was [12:49] not known to anyone other than the the limited people that mr butterfield identified and it was not [13:00] contemplated i don't believe that its existence would ever be known i left the tape machine and the [13:09] tape at my residence that when i left the residence the next day and this is the question that the [13:16] people are asking is it possible that this tape during those 48 hours could have been doctored [13:24] i don't consider it to be possible i'm not asking will you ask the president to do it i'm not asking if [13:32] you think we violate the doctrine of separation of powers i'm simply saying would bob haldeman a witness [13:38] before this committee be agreeable as an individual if we can otherwise procure the tapes to them being [13:44] brought here and being played in public having been advised by counsel that in their opinion i'm not [13:58] creating a legal problem by the answer that i would give and that i would want to give without even [14:05] talking to counsel is that i would welcome that opportunity because they would confirm what i've told you [14:13] mr halliman i think that uh in in light of the facts that are are coming out both you and i would [14:20] agree that this went far beyond just a few men breaking into the water gate but rather it's uh [14:27] it's revealed it's revealed a situation both within the committee to re-elect the president and within [14:33] the white house whereupon uh everything that was touched was corroded no sir i will not in any way [14:42] shape or form ever except that allegation or contention there is no way that any man in this [14:50] country can make and establish the case that everything in the white house that everything [14:54] the white house touched was corroded and i think that does a grave disservice to this country even to [15:00] state it met mr chapin near the san clemente white house and we went to a small restaurant in the local [15:13] area and is it this meeting that he indicated to you that you were to act in secrecy so that there [15:19] would be no trace back to the washing to the white house that's correct now did he also talk to you [15:24] about uh the candidate you should spend most of your time on in terms of your political activities [15:32] yes sir he did and who was that candidate that was senator muskie and did he indicate why it's difficult [15:40] to recall any exact uh conversation at this time that was some time ago but uh senator muskie at that [15:49] time was certainly the forerunner shall we say of of likely prospects to to run for the democratic [15:57] nomination that the house of representatives adopt articles calling for the impeachment of richard m [16:09] nixon make no mistake about it this is a turning point whatever we decide