Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 5, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 5, 1973
[00.12.33] Mr. LENZNER. It was Mr. Magruder who handed them to you in his office, is that correct? Mr. REISNER. Yes, he did. Mr. LENZNER. Did he hand what appeared to be stationery and that envelope together? Mr. REISNER. My memory memory of the envelope is that it was Slit open and that the stationery was either in it slit Open or on top of it and that they were together. Mr. LENZNER. What were his instructions? What were you supposed to do with these materials? Mr. REISNER. At that time, I was doing the activity that I described a few moments ago; I was preparing Mr. Mitchell's files for a meeting with Mr. Mitchell. Now, he was campaign director at this time and it was a daily activity. Mr. LENZNER. You were told--- MR. REISNER. I was handed the documents and I was asked to put them in Mr. Mitchell's files. The nature of that is that things that Mr. Magruder might have wished to take up with Mr. Mitchell were put in the file marked "Mr. Mitchell's file", and that is all. That does not indicate any more than that. Mr. LENZNER. Is it accurate also that you saw these on a third occasion in Mr. Magruder's drawer? Mr. REISNER. Yes, it is. Mr. LENZNER. On either of those occasions, were thaer also photographs with the stationery and the envelope? Mr. Reisner There appeared--well I am not certain whether the photographs were with the stationery, on the occasion I described, in which I was handed them and told- I do not know whether I was told or not. I mean, it was clear that, it was not for me to be looking at them, I do remember photographs or what appeared to be photographs with the stationery on that third occasion. Mr. LENZNER. Now, I want to direct your attention to June 17. On the evening of Julie 17, did you receive a call from Mr. Magruder at home? Mr. Reisner Yes, I did. I received a call at approximately 6 o'clock. I was asleep at, the time. Mr. LENZNER. Did he instruct you to go to the office? Mr. REISNER. Yes. The nature of his instruction was and the conversation, as I remember in was, Robert, we have some things that we would like you to get from the office and to remove from there. I think the nature of his description was that, we have some sensitive material that we want you to remove from the office. He then went on and said, and, Bob, there is a file there. It has--Mr. Magruder spoke on this occasion, and I think on other occasions, in a generalized way. I do not remember the complete sentences. It was, Bob, we have some things there. There is a file that has "Gemstone" in it, or, it has some papers called Gemstone in it, do you know what I mean? I said, well, I think so. He said, it is in a blue file. I said, I think I know where it is. He also said, and there are sensitive things in the office and we would like you to take them out, and just keep them over the, weekend. Mr. LENZNER. Did you go down to the office after you received that phone call? Mr. Reisner I did. Mr. LENZNER. And did you go to Mr. Magruder's office? Mr. Reisner I did. Mr. LENZNER. Did you see Mr. Odle there? Mr. Reisner Yes, I did. When I went into the office, Mr. Odle was there with a number of other people watching the evening news. Mr. LENZNER. Did you thereafter have a conversation telephonically with yourself, Mr. Odle, and Mr. Magruder? Mr. REISNER. Yes, I did. It was after the news was over, or certainly after the portion of the news in which the break-in which had occurred was discussed. The other people left the room and Mr. Odle suggested that we call Mr. Magruder. Mr. LENZNER. Would you Just briefly describe what Mr. Magruder said to you and Mr. Odle? Mr. REISNER. Yes. I think the purpose of the call and the first, discussion in the call was Mr. Odle wanted to describe what we had just seen on the news and what, the coverage was at that point. He went on from that and I think discussed in general security matters at the committee. It was my impression that he had previously talked to Mr. Magruder that, day about, security at the committee. He then went on and said, now, Jeb, I understand that--I was on the other phone at this point, which was not the one at Mr. Magruder's desk. He said, Jeb, now, there are these thing, that you have asked Bob to get Out, of your office. The reason he knew that was when I walked "to the office" I sat, down at, Mr. Magruder desk and removed several things from his desk. I removed a polling file and I removed what appeared to me to be one of the more important things in the file which was the analysis of the polls. I removed the operating plans which described the key States and our strategy following the phone call. And felt that the activity was perhaps a little bit foolish, to be sitting at his desk removing things. So I stopped. Subsequently, the phone call took place. At that point, Mr. Odle' brought up the fact that there were some things that I had already taken from the desk and he wished to know from Mr. Magruder what else there was that we should remove, He at that point was volunteering to be of assistance. I think there was some concern at that time for just the security of these documents. The senior campaign officials were in California and I think there was concern at that moment that they be in control of things. [00.18.20]