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
[00.23.41] Senator BAKER. In my wildest imaginations, I never dreamed I would sit here and have an argument with you about Federal financing of campaigns, but, I am prepared to do that. And as my good friend John Gardner, who is president of Common Cause, and I talk about from time to time, there is the problem. There is the question of financing political campaigns, but just for the brief purposes of this moment, I have a great fear -not only of the abuse of money, especially cash, but I also have a, great, fear of the Federal bureaucracy taking over the electoral system. So before we go that extra mile I think we- ought to give careful thought to the alternative possibilities that are available to us. Do you have any other suggestions, Mr. Sloan, on how we could provide for reasonableness, candor, openness, and accountability on the financial side of politics? Mr. SLOAN. Sir, I think One Of the really great tragedies of this particular campaign is this situation of having one law in effect for part of the campaign and the new law in effect for the balance of the campaign, because I think the whole campaign financing law is being judged in terms of the conduct in this transition period. I do not, believe, for instance, that the present law has been given a fair chance. I think no professional fund raiser would argue with the premise of disclosure. It is a great help in a, way. It takes a lot of the temptations, out of the way or the pressures. I think most of us were glad to See it. But having it come in the middle of the campaign we had to deal with the only rules that existed at the time in the earlier period. I would like to see at least for one more Presidential campaign, the laws that now stand given a fair chance. I think there is a lot Wrong with them but I do not think it has had a fair chance in its present form. I think all of the abuses at least in terms of the campaign to -which I can address myself to, if you will call them abuses are totally related to the earlier period or this transition period, I think that in the effort that, was made to comply with the new law with any contribution that was understood to be a Contribution post-April 7 period, and 1 am not talking about these funds here I am talking about the general receipts. 1 think our campaign did' a magnificent job, I think it is a workable law. I would agree with you, I would rather see an overall ceiling for money period On a campaign than the intermediary but, its restricting choice or like to see a time limit of a campaign restriction, but, I think it is one Of the, great tragedies of this situation, the inability to look at the new law and its workings in a dispassionate sense. Senator BAKER. Thank you, Mr Sloan. I have one. other line of questions that will not take very long, You have covered the material in general with Mr. Dash, the counsel for the committee and Mr. Thompson. I would like to know a, little, more about the extent. and scope of the knowledge of Mr. Stans and Mr. Mitchell of the Watergate operations insofar as you have that, information. Mr. SLOAN. Senator, aside from ]what I have read in the newspapers I have no direct knowledge. Senator BAKER. Did you ever talk with Mr. Stans Dr Mr. Mitchell about the Watergate situation" Mr. SLOAN. -Not to Mr. Mitchell. I met with Mr. Mitchell only on one occasion that has been referred to earlier. During that week, I traveled with Secretary Stans. He, had numerous conversations with, as I understood it from what I could hear at his end of the conversation, presumably with Bob Mardian and Fred LaRue, the people who were understood to be handling the Problem from the political campaign standpoint. Mr. Stans was extremely defensive in all of the conversations I heard. He insisted from the end of the conversation I heard, he said, "Dammit, this is not a finance problem, you guys have to handle it and you have got to keep it away from Sloan and myself because we have nothing to do with it." Senator BAKER. Do you know what he was talking about? Mr. SLOAN. I am making an assumption, Senator, but I think a pretty obvious one, that this was about the only issue being discussed at this point. Senator BAKER, How would you characterize Mr. Stans' attitude or demeanor at that time? Mr. SLOAN. I think he was angry, I think he was upset with the Political campaign, political side of the campaign. Senator BAKER. Did you ask him what he meant? Mr. SLOAN. No sir. Senator BAKER. Thank you. [00.28.57--Robert MacNEILL in studio]