Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 5, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 5, 1973
[00.11.31] Senator WEICKER. Now, the materials that, were removed from 'Mr. Magruder's office by you an and Mr. Odle--Mr. Odle said that he returned the file on Monday morning. Would that be correct? Mr. REISNER. Yes, he did--I read his testimony. I believe that he did say that it was Monday morning. My recollection of his returning that file was not that it was Monday morning but, you know I do not,- I Senator WEICKER. Do you have any idea as to whether or not Mr. Odle would have known what was contained in the file which he took home? Mr. REISNER. No, I do not have any Idea. Senator WEICKER. By the nature of the phone conversation? Mr. REISNER. No, I 'do not. Senator WEICKER. But that was the same phone conversation which indicated to you-- Mr. REISNER. Which file it. was. that is correct, Senator WEICKER. [continuing.] Which file it was. Mr. REISNER. But as to the substance--- Senator WEICKER. But as to the contents--- Mr. REISNER. NO, sir, I do not have any knowledge of that. Senator WEICKER. Do you know of any phone calls as between Mr. Magruder and Mr. Colson? Mr. REISNER. Yes, sir. Senator WEICKER. Concerning demonstration projects? Mr. REISNER. OK. I have read that. There was a story in the news recently. Senator WEICKER. I am interested in your knowledge and not what you have read. Mr. REISNER. OK, It is my impression that Mr. Colson was--let me go back. I think I have described earlier in testimony here that at the time of Mr. Hoover's death there was a demonstration. I think it was here on Capitol Hill. At that time, it seems to me. Mr. Magruder received a phone call in which he was instructed to get counterdemonstrators. Now, I was not monitoring the phone call. I was sitting in front, of him when 'he received the phone call; so I do not know exactly who it was. It was my impression that it was Mr. Colson that did that. The reason that I say that, is that, I think I subsequently said I. expressed some surprise about the activity. And he indicated to me Something along the lines of, "It is a throwaway; we have got to do things like this, because that allows us to say no when it is important." Senator WEICKER. Now, were there any other projects aside from' the conversations you have referred to that were discussed as between Mr. Magruder and the person whom you thought to be Mr. Colson? Mr. REISNER. OK. When I say thought to be, you know, it, was my impression that it was from the circumstances, and if asked who I thought it was, I thought it was Mr. Colson. But I cannot say that. It seems to me that Mr. Magruder also was called on a subsequent occasion. The reason I remember this is that he made some joke about the fact that he had gotten himself in trouble. The way he had gotten himself in trouble was that he had removed an individual who was supposed to be sitting in front Of the White House wearing a McGovern button. He had said, he had called it off. He had placed that individual there initially, I guess, and then had removed him. He received a phone call and again, it was my impression, but impression is as Close as I can come, that he had gotten himself in trouble and, therefore, replaced that demonstrator. Senator WEICKER. Now, during the period from June 19 to June 23 was there a general house cleaning of files and removal of so-called" sensitive material from the Committee To Re-Elect the President? Mr. REISNER. Well, as to whether other individuals of the com- committee removed material, I do not know. As to what material there' was in the committee, you know, I cannot be certain. But I have testified here today that I was asked to go through Mr. Magruder's files and to centralize the sensitive political material, that anything that is sensitive material takes on an added meaning. I do not mean that as Gemstone material. There was no other, as far as I know. Senator WEICKER. All right, within your knowledge, do you know where the orders came from as to this house cleaning? Mr. REISNER. No sir, I do not. Senator WEICKER. Prior to July 1, 1972, to whom were major committee policy memos distributed? Mr. REISNER. Prior to-I am sorry? Senator WEICKER. July 1 of' 1972. Mr. REISNER. Well, the major policy memos would have gone to Mr. Mitchell for his decision. Senator WEICKER. All right, after July 1, 1972, where did all major committee policy memos go? Mr. REISNER. To Clark MacGregor. Copies of them would have gone to 'Mr. Haldeman and additional copies would have gone to interested people in that particular decision. Senator WEICKER. Did Mr. Strachan play a role in the dissemination of the material as to whom it would go to? Mr. REISNER. Subsequently Mr. Strachan was the Contact point in the While House and, therefore, those memos that we were discussing would have been sent to Mr. Strachan for Mr. Haldeman. That was the purpose of sending them to 'Mr. Strachan. [00.17.10]