Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974 (1/2)
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974 (1/2)
[00.21.03] Mr. HOGAN. I will be very pleased to do so, Mr. Chairman. If the Chair would advise me at that -point in the expiration of my time, I will conclude in midsentence and yield. May I continue? The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman is recognized. Mr. HOGAN. Mr. Gray reported this fact to Mr. Dean, that he was going to have a meeting with Helms. SO on the morning of the 28th, Ehrlichman telephoned Gray and told him to cancel the meeting with Helms because he did not want the meeting to take. place at which Helms would tell that there was no CIA involvement. Gray canceled the meeting. The same, day Gray instructed his FBI agents to go out and interview Ogarrio, and continue to try to locate Dahlberg. Also on the 28th Dean asked Walters if, even after knowing there was no CIA involvement, Dean asked Walters if the CIA could stop the FBI investigations of the Dahlberg and Ogarrio checks. Walters refused to do so. Since he could not use CIA to block the investigation, Dean then acted directly, called Gray and insisted that for national security reasons or because Of CIA interest, that Gray's instructions to interview those two men should be withdrawn. Gray did cancel the interviews. But a few days later, Gray called Walters and said that he would interview them unless CIA put into writing its objection. CIA refused to do so and Walters sent Gray a memo saying that CIA had absolutely no interest. They expressed their dissatisfaction with the way the White House, was interfering with their agencies and their concern that the President's interests were not being served by his aides. These above activities were set in motion by the President, and limited the investigatory efforts of the FBI. Now there are other problems I was going to detail but I will not be able to but I do want to call to the attention and recollection of my colleagues the conversation whereby Gray called San Clemente and got Clark MacGregor on the phone and he said to Clark "that I want to talk with the President about his aides trying to misuse"--these are Gray's words not ours-- "misuse the CIA and the FBI." A few minutes later the President called Mr. Gray and did not in any way allude to any conversation he had with Mr. MacGregor or Gray's concern and congratulated Mr. Gray for doing an outstanding job in the hijacking. Mr. Gray could not contain himself any more, he blurted out, "Mr. President, your aides are trying to destroy You. They are misusing the FBI and CIA." And then Mr. Gray testified there was a perceptible pause and the President said, "Go on With your aggressive investigation, Pat." He did not even inquire about this involvement of his aides trying to misuse the FBI and the CIA. I only wish I had another hour to detail more specifies in this area but unfortunately, I do not and I will yield to the gentleman from California, Mr. Danielson. Mr. DANIELSON. Mr. chairman at this point I -wish to save time but in support of my amendment to include congressional committees, I wish to reefer to and by this reference incorporate the comments I made this morning at the time of the amendment and also my comments made on the day before yesterday, July 25, with respect to the House Committee on Banking 'and Currency. There is further evidence in support of such activities with respect to the Senate select committee and this committee and I also incorporate them by reference. Due to the shortage, of time I yield to my brother, Father Drinan. Mr. HOGAN. I think I still have the time but I will be happy to yield to the Congressman form from Massachusetts Mr. DRINAN. Thank you very much. I want to point out the necessity of retaining this section because it deals with something very fundamental, that by Federal law, any person who influences or seeks to influence or intimidates or impedes any witness in any proceeding, commits a crime. Let us take the summer of John Dean during that particular year. On June 21 he is assigned to this case and he sits first of all, with Mr. Gray and the FBI people at every single interview when people from White House go before the FBI. Is Mr. Dean seeking to influence or intimidate or impede? He happens to be the President's counsel. And all of the people who saw Dean there, -who knew, recognized that this is most unusual, especially after the President on the very day after Mr. Dean was assigned, said that the White House has had no involvement whatsoever in Watergate and the President's counsel is there on the phone, day after day, for 2 long weeks with Mr. Patrick Gray. Well, Dean and Ehrlichman really could write a book on how to be a double agent of the FBI. Did he seek to--did he succeed in influencing? That is not the question. The offense is done even if he endeavors to influence. Mr. Dean was before this committee. I cannot imagine him intimidating but he can influence and he can impede and he was very successful. [00.26.20]