Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 5, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 5, 1973
[00.38.12] Senator BAKER. Did you destroy the Gemstone invoice? Mrs. HARMONY. Yes, I did. Senator BAKER. Why? Mrs. HARMONY. Mr. Magruder asked me to destroy it. Senator BAKER. Did he tell you why? Mrs. HARMONY. No, he didn't have to tell me why. Senator BAKER. Then I would like to know why, Mrs, HARMONY. Because Mr. Liddy had been discharged from the committee, it had the word "Gemstone" on it. I was familiar with the word "Gemstone" and the way I had used it, I thought probably a lot of the members of the committee were not aware of that. [pregnant pause] Senator BAKER. Mrs. Harmony, why would you be concerned for the destruction of this material? You knew, that Mr. Liddy was no longer there. You knew from newspaper accounts of the break-in at, Vie Watergate complex. You knew that this invoice had reference to Gemstone which had to do with clandestine, although, as you put it, not necessarily illegal, activity. You knew, apparently, that it was so sensitive that it Ought to be destroyed. Mrs. HARMONY. Yes, sir. Senator BAKER. Now, what in the total concept of your perception of Gemstone as an operation what, led you to believe independently or led you to concur in the, judgment, of Mr. Magruder that that information ought to be destroyed, ought to be shredded? What were you thinking of when you thought that? Mrs. HARMONY. Senator Baker, after I had been aware of the break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters, I know that the telephone conversations that I had typed had come from there. They I identified with Gemstone. Senator BAKER, Were there any other Gemstones involved, other than Ruby 1, Ruby 2 and Tuesday- I mean Crystal? [Laughter.] Mrs. HARMONY. Those are the only ones I recall, sir. Senator BAKER, I am sorry, tell me again. Mrs. HARMONY. Those were the only ones I recall. Senator BAKER. There were no other gems involved? Mrs. HARMONY. I don't recall that: there were. Senator BAKER. Did you destroy any other information, any other document besides your stenographic notepad which you have testified to, and the Gemstone invoice? Mrs. HARMONY, And some material when Mr. Liddy and I cleaned out his files, that, he asked me to destroy that had his handwriting on. Senator BAKER. Do you know, what the contents of those documents were? Mrs. HARMONY. I do not. As I said, they would have been drafts and something retyped and probably just put back in the folder for no particular reason. Senator BAKER. He did not express or state a reason for the destruction of these particular documents? Mrs. HARMONY. No sir. Senator BAKER. Did he, later? Mrs. HARMONY. No. Senator BAKER. At any time? Mrs- HARMONY. NO. Senator BAKER. After the break-in? Mrs. HARMONY. This was the day he left the committee. Senator BAKER. Did he come to your house and pick up some material? Mrs, HARMONY, Yes sir, he did. Senator BAKER. Did be tell you anything then about why he came to your house to pick lip material? Mrs, HARMONY. Senator, I took the things home because it was late- late in the evening. He had been discharged from the committee. I think probably I offered--I know I offered to take the things out for him. I mean, you know, rather than go through the whole thing with everbody that night, which might have proved a little embarrassing at that particular time, he said, you know, I have been fired, I said, why dont you let me take it and you can pick it up. Senator BAKER. When be did pick it up, did he tell You Why he' wanted certain material and why he wanted other material destroyed? Mrs. HARMONY. No sir. Senator BAYER. I hate to press you on this, but you understand that Mr. Liddy has so far not testified, either in court or before this committee, and I am struggling more than I ordinarily would to try to get at this subject matter. But did Mr. Liddy tell you, assign you any reason for wanting to reclaim certain of that? Mrs. HARMONY. They were his personal articles. Senator BAKER, Can you verify that they were in fact personal), articles? Mrs. HARMONY. Yes sir, I think so. Senator BAKER. Can you tell us of what nature? I Mrs. HARMONY. There was a personal file folder that I am aware of, There were pictures from his wall, his law degrees. There was a Couple, of volumes of the Criminal Law Reporter that you put in a binder whatever that is; his gun control files, which were quite voluminous. They belonged to him. They were his personal possessions. Senator BAKER. I have a lot of other questions, Mr. Chairman, I think that the witness has been very patient. I understand, Mrs. HARMONY, if we need you to return, you will return. [00.43.09]