Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 6, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 6, 1973
[00.18.45] Mr. DASH. And you had this discussion. Did he approve your going over to work in the campaign? Mr. SLOAN. Yes, sir, he did. Mr. DASH. -Now, you said you had a number Of Positions. Could you very briefly outline the positions you had in the campaign? Mr. SLOAN. Yes, sir, The Citizens for the Re-Election of the President was really formed after I went across the street to what has become our headquarters and remained the headquarters- building throughout the campaign. This essentially ran from the March period, formative period, up until probably some point in the summer or early fall. This committee essentially contained both political and financial functions in one committee, At a point in time., as I indicated in the summer or in the early fall the decision was made to divide the campaign into two separate committees one having the political function and one having the finance responsibility along the patterns that we had In the 1968 campaign. I assumed the chairmanship Of this committee which was in existence until February 15, 1972. At that; point in time Secretary Stans left his position as Secretary Of Commerce. He wished to restructure the committees in the campaign and to have a fresh start with coming into it, so we changed the name of the committee at that point. It had be en the Finance Committee for the Re-Election of President Nixon. It became the Finance Committee for the Re-Election of the President. He became the chairman Of that committee. I became the treasurer. This committee ran until the effective date of the new campaign law, which was April 7, 1972. Several days prior to April 7, probably the 5th or 6th, Was created the Finance Committee To Re-Elect the President which was to be the principal Committee in operation during the effective period of the new law. Secretary Stans maintained the same position in that committee as chairman and' I remained in the same position as treasurer. Mr. DASH. Now, as treasurer of the Finance Committee for the Re-Election of the President, could you briefly tell us what your duties were? Mr. SLOAN. The duties changed over a period of time. Perhaps could describe this whole process up till the time I left. As I indicated, in the early stages it would be an organizational one a function of planning, recommending what the requirements would' be in dollars amount for a Presidential campaign. The selection of personnel to participate in the campaign, the attempt to get qualified people who participated in the earlier campaigns to conic in, a general Organizational function. As we proceeded this involved formation of various Committees for receipt of campaign contributions. It involved asking people whether they would be willing to serve as chairman, as treasurer of these various committees, which totaled some 450 prior to the effective date of the law. So there was an organizational period here of seeking out people, getting people in place to be ready for a full-fledged campaign. With the advent of the new law the decision was complicated because I think this is an unprecedented situation in a Presidential campaign where you essentially have the ground rule,-, changed in midstream, So at this point there was a tremendous responsibility on my part to provide the organizational manuals to review the new law, to provide the instructions to the various State committees that we would set up and operate around the country in the post April 7 period. So there was a great educational function here, the banking function, of course, recordkeeping and so forth. Mr. DASH. Mr. Sloan, I know that you have submitted a statement to the committee. Before I ask my next question, which goes further into the facts, do you wish to read this brief statement that you have submitted to the committee into the record? Mr. SLOAN. Yes, Sir, I would appreciate that, opportunity. Mr. DASH. Would you do so. Mr. SLOAN, By way of introduction, I wish to advise this Select Committee that served in the finance area of President Nixon's reelection campaign from March 6, 1971, until my resignation on July 14, 1972, The last position I held in this regard was treasurer of the Finance Committee To Re-Elect the President. Since the Watergate break-in, I have cooperated with all investigating authorities including the staff of this committee, the Federal Bureau of Investigation the Federal prosecutors in Washington and in New York and the Office of Federal Elections within the General Accounting Office, I have testified before Grand Juries in Washington and in New York and testified at the trial of the persons indicted in' in Washington, D.C., and have also testified in a related trial in Miami, Fla. In addition, I have given extensive depositions in three separate civil cases relating to the 1972 Presidential Election Campaign and the matters which have become known as "The Watergate Affair." I stand ready to continue my cooperation and to answer all of your questions to the best of my ability. [00.24.26]