Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 6, 1973 Testimony of Hugh Sloan
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 6, 1973 Testimony of Hugh Sloan
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 6, 1973 Testimony of Hugh Sloan
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 6, 1973 Testimony of Hugh Sloan
Samuel Dash, attorney. Now later that evening, did you receive a telephone call? Hugh Sloan. Yes, sir. They said we will take this matter up with individuals on the political side of the campaign and you will get a call from someone in the political organization asking you to go to California tonight. Samuel Dash, attorney. Did you in fact get a call that evening? Hugh Sloan. Yes sir, from Mr. LaRue. Samuel Dash, attorney. From Mr. Fred LaRue? Hugh Sloan. Yes, sir. Samuel Dash, attorney. What did he say to you over the telephone? Hugh Sloan. I don't recall precisely, but he impressed on me the urgency of departure to the extent of suggesting that I had a reservation on, I believe, a 6 a.m. flight at Dulles. He urged me to take a room at the Dulles Marriott that evening and to leave my home immediately.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 6, 1973 Testimony of Hugh Sloan
Samuel Dash, attorney. Now, you were in California from a period of July 7 through July 12, is that true? Hugh Sloan. Yes, Sir. Samuel Dash, attorney. Now, when you returned, did you have a meeting with Mr. LaRue again on July the 13th? Hugh Sloan. Yes, sir. Samuel Dash, attorney. Could you just briefly tell us where that meeting took place and what the conversation was about? Hugh Sloan. At the Watergate restaurant. Samuel Dash, attorney. Was there any significance to your meeting at the Watergate restaurant? Hugh Sloan. I thought it was somewhat black humor, but he evidently resided in the Watergate himself.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 6, 1973 Testimony of Hugh Sloan
Samuel Dash, attorney. What was the conversation about, Mr. Sloan? Hugh Sloan. I have really forgotten how we led in. He d asked me to come back, I believe it was a call from him, it may have been a call from one of the attorneys, asking me to come back a day early. I left Mr. Stans in Des Moines, had lunch with Mr. LaRue. We began to review the entire situation. I said, I think what he was doing was reviewing the options that might be open to me. He, I think, impressed on me at that point that I might have some campaign law problems that I ought to think perhaps about taking the Fifth Amendment with regard to any testimony that might be forthcoming. I had been thinking about this whole subject for quite a while on this trip and I said, told Mr. LaRue, I said, you know, it is obvious to me that there is a climate of suggestion and I cannot relate it to specific conversations of either, well, in the case of perjury, I can with Mr. Magruder, but with regard to taking the fifth amendment, I cannot. But it was obvious to me that I should take one of those two courses of actions to essentially stay in the good graces of the campaign organization. I indicated to him that I was prepared to do neither, that I felt I should tell the truth and if I had problems, I ll have to face them. I said I think it is in the interest of everybody under those circumstances for me to resign. I said, I can see no way, for instance, that I can accept the advice of counsel of a committee that has a clear responsibility to represent an organization, they cannot represent my personal interests down the road when to me there was an obvious conflict of interest developing.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 6, 1973 Testimony of Hugh Sloan
Samuel Dash, attorney. What did Mr. LaRue say when you mentioned that to him? Hugh Sloan. He said that he did not, he did not fight me on the subject. He said, well, it might be in the best interests of everybody. I will check with the political side of the campaign and why don t you check with Maury Stans? Mr. Stans was due back the next morning. I said, well, I will go in and see him in the morning. He said, no, why do you not call him tonight? I did call Mr. Stans that evening and I said I had lunch with Fred LaRue and under the circumstances I think I ought to consider resigning. And he said, wait a minute, let's not discuss this on the phone, I will be in the office He said I will be in the office in the morning, but do not come in because I have a meeting with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. You will have a call from my office following that meeting. I went in the next morning, saw Mr. Stans, was advised at that time that he had already informed the Federal Bureau of Investigation that I had in fact resigned. Samuel Dash, attorney. You had not resigned at that time, had you? Hugh Sloan. No, sir. I had every intention of resigning. I went to my office and wrote up a pro forma resignation letter which stipulated personal reasons and left the committee and began seeking a lawyer. Samuel Dash, attorney. You did in fact retain counsel? Hugh Sloan. Yes, sir. Samuel Dash, attorney. About when did that occur? Hugh Sloan. The same day. Samuel Dash, attorney. And your present counsel who now appears with you? Hugh Sloan. No, sir. Samuel Dash, attorney. Who did you retain? Hugh Sloan. Mr. Ed Tappich. Samuel Dash, attorney. What did you do shortly thereafter? Hugh Sloan. Excuse me, I missed your last question. Samuel Dash, attorney. There come a time when you did retain Mr. Stoner, is that true? Hugh Sloan. Yes, sir.
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 6, 1973 Testimony of Hugh Sloan
Samuel Dash, attorney. Did you shortly after your resignation, and could you give us the date, go to see the shortly US attorneys, assistant US attorneys, Mr. Silbert, Mr. Glanzer, and Mr. Campbell? Hugh Sloan. Yes, sir. Samuel Dash, attorney. Were you with your counsel at that time? Hugh Sloan. Yes, sir. Samuel Dash, attorney. Did you report to them generally about all that you have been testifying to here in terms of activities, the cash transactions, the approaches that were made to you by Mr. Magruder? Hugh Sloan. Yes, sir. Samuel Dash, attorney. What date was that? Hugh Sloan. I believe the first time I met together with Mr. Stoner, Mr. Silbert, Mr. Campbell, and Mr. Glanzer was probably July 20. Mr. Stoner had met with the attorneys prior to the time Samuel Dash, attorney. And it is your testimony that principally everything that you have testified before us is about what you gave to the US attorneys at that time? Hugh Sloan. Yes, sir. Samuel Dash, attorney. And did you testify before the Grand Jury? Hugh Sloan. Yes, sir. Samuel Dash, attorney. And what date did you testify before the Grand Jury? Hugh Sloan. July 31st. Samuel Dash, attorney. And was your testimony before the Grand jury principally based on what you have testified before this committee? Hugh Sloan. Yes, sir. Samuel Dash, attorney. And did it focus on the efforts of Mr. Magruder to ask you to agree on a term of money that was given to Mr. Liddy and indeed to commit perjury? Hugh Sloan. Yes- I would say approximately half of my Grand Jury testimony related to Mr. Magruder's approaches to me. Samuel Dash, attorney. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman