Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 5, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 5, 1973
[00.54.18] Senator MONTOYA. Mr. REISNER. are you aware of any plans along these same lines with respect to the conduct of the Demo National Convention in Miami? Mr. REISNER. No, sir. Senator MONTOYA. Now, do you know whether or not Mr. Magruder employed any of the individuals that were engaged in the bugging or trying to disrupt the campaign activities on the part of the Democrats? Mr. REISNER. No, sir. The most accurate--I mean the most information I have ever seen about that has been in the newspaper recently. Senator MONTOYA. Did you know Mr. Segretti? Mr. REISNER. No, sir. Senator MONTOYA. Do you know whether or not he visited CRP headquarters? Mr. REISNER. I don't know. I wouldn't have recognized him. Senator MONTOYA. Now, when you kept the log, did this particular log which you presented to the committee reflect all the appointments that Mr. Magruder had? And can you tell us what other individuals at the White House Mr. Magruder met? Mr. REISNER. Well, sir, to my knowledge, the diary that was kept by My secretary would reflect his schedule accurately. All individuals that he met with, unless he would have just stopped by their office to see them, would be reflected in that calendar. Senator MONTOYA. Did Mr. Magruder meet very frequently with Mr. Liddy in his office or in Mr. Liddy's office? Mr. REISNER. I do not know about Mr. Liddy's office. I do not imagine that he did. It seems to me that he probably met with Mr. Liddy on a number of occasions, but not frequently. Their relationship was not one that--they did not, get along very well. Senator MONTOYA. NOW, it, is my understanding, as has been testified to here, previously that on the evening when you and Mr. Odle decided to take out some secret, files from Mr, Magruder's desk, you took what was known as the advertising file and that you turned over what has been called the strategy file to Mr. Odle to take home with him. That is correct, is it not'? Mr. REISNER. Yes. I took home some things in addition to that. Senator MONTOYA. What else did you take home? Mr. REISNER. I took home--the first thing that I remember taking out of Mr. Magruder 's desk was a document which was the June wave of polling information. There was a wave of polls that was conducted in Me spring. That was the most, sensitive polling information that we had. There was some analysis of that, polling information. There was also a file, a large, thick file that contained the operating plans in the key States that we considered important, following, beginning In July. In addition to that, there was this advertising file. In fact, what that was was not our advertising file concerning the November group at the Committee for the Re-Election of the President advertising; that file concerned the creation of the Democrats for Nixon, which had not at that time been created. Mr. Connally had not returned from his trip and it was very sensitive at that time. Senator MONTOYA. Why- was it, sensitive? Mr. REISNER. Well, I do not, think it was agreed to at that time that Mr. Connally would head the Democrats for Nixon. In addition to that, I know that there were a number of Democrats all over the country who might or might not wish to be supporters of the President. Senator MONTOYA. Was the advertising file such that it contained advertising or plans for advertising, something derogatory against Democratic candidates? Mr. REISNER. No. I believe that all it Contained at that time was-- the Democrats for Nixon did later conduct negative advertising. I Mean it was shown on national television. But at that time, all that that file contained, to my knowledge, was the ad copy for the ad that was going to represent the formation of the Democrats for Nixon. Senator MONTOYA. Up to that time, you did know what was in the Gem file or you knew that there was something very strategic in the Gem file? Mr. REISNER. Yes, sir. All I knew was that Mr. Magruder considered it important. [00.59.01]