Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974 (2/2)
Impeachment Hearings: House Judiciary Committee, July 27, 1974 (2/2)
[01.30.17] Mr. WALDIE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I think the charge that the coverup was really continuing at the very highest level is embodied in this declaration that the President -was making false or misleading public Statements for the purpose of cementing the coverup. All the activities of those below the President became manifested in terms of the certainly when the President himself says, "That this matter is now being investigated thoroughly and that the results we will give to you are the only results that need be given." Now, there may be some question as to whether the President had within his knowledge, facts up through and until April 30, 1973, because all of these statements were made at a time, when we, did not have in our possession, the edited transcripts. The President then on April 30, May 29, and August 15, and August 22, Continued to make statements that were less than complete. Now, the question is, -was the coverup continuing on April 30 and dates subsequent thereto? It is my own contention that the coverup was continuing in those public statements because there is no question that the erroneous statements actually from April 30, May 22, August 15, and August 22 were clearly known to the contrary to the President because he had edited transcripts of all his conversations. He had full transcripts of all his conversations. The last public statement the President made of this issue to the Nation was April 30 of this year, April 30 of this year, 1974, and he as he has said in every one of these statements to the Nation, tonight I am giving you the definitive story , the real Watergate. Everything you need to know about Watergate is contained and he pointed, as Mr. Latta did last night, to his 47 volumes of edited transcripts. And he said, up to this point you have not had the full story, though he had made about 10 public statements, saying we had had the full story, but this the definitive full story, the edited transcripts -which he is releasing to the Nation. And he said after you have read these, you need no more information. It is all there. Now, we ought to examine was he telling the truth to the public on April 30 of this year when he said all the truth of Watergate is contained in these edited transcripts? The Nation relied on it as the President thought they would and believed this is the final statement about Watergate. Everything up to this point has been less than full because the President says now it is a full story, though it goes back to April 30, 1973. The President says in April 1974, what I told you before April 30, 1973 was not the definitive story but this is. Everything now is in these transcripts. Well, everybody heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Well, thank God, the President finally has told us the full story of Watergate and that is about time, and we are pleased and we are relieved that the President has now told everything there is to know about Watergate. The committee began. examining the edited transcripts and the committee got ahold of tapes from which those transcripts had been. transcribed, and the tapes on our equipment compared to the President's edited transcripts were incredibly more incriminating and, in fact, Produced a great deal more of the story of Watergate, so that the last Public statement of the President, April 30, 1974, that is the full story of Watergate, again has been false and misleading in the extreme because it was misleading in every aspect in those mistaken transcripts, those altered transcripts, misleading in a, manner beneficial to the President, intentionally omitted and deleted, intentionally deceptive and misleading. The, allegation "making false or misleading public statements for the purpose of deceiving the people of the United States"" is an allegation that has been sustained amply as recently as April 30 of this very year. I yield back the balance of my time. The CHAIRMAN. The time of the gentleman from California 11,118 expired. All time has expired and the question now occurs, on the motion Of the gentleman, from Alabama. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. [Chorus of "ayes."] The, CHAIRMAN. All those, opposed. [Chorus of "noes."] The CHAIRMAN. The noes appear to have it. Mr. SANDMAN. Mr. Chairman? The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from New Jersey. Mr. SANDMAN. OR this I demand the ayes and nays. The CHAIRMAN. Call of the roll is demanded and the clerk will call the roll. All those in favor of the motion please signify by saying aye, All those, opposed, no. . The CLERK. Mr. Donohue. Mr. DONOHUE. No. The CLERK. Mr. Brooks. Mr. BROOKS. No The CLERK. Mr. Kastenmeier. Mr. KASTENMEIER. No. The CLERK. Mr. Edwards. Mr. EDWARDS. NO. The CLERK. Mr. r. Hungate. Mr. HUNGATE. NO. The CLERK. Mr. Conyers. Mr. CONYERS. No.------ [01.36.21--TAPE OUT]