Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 7, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 7, 1973
[00.46.08] Senator WEICKER. I can understand that, but, I just want to get back to the point, I am trying to develop, that at, the time of your troubles, there, were those who stood with you and those who stood apart from you? Mr. SLOAN. And there were quite a few in the middle,. Senator WEICKER. All right. Mr. SLOAN. And I think, Senator, this may help answer your question. It was very difficult in each and every individual case to determine where those individuals stood, because people just were -not, talking to each other about, the pertinent issues at, this point. Senator WEICKER. But, you did know that you were one of the few people, that were insisting on telling the truth and you would not deviate from that; is that not correct? Mr. SLOAN. Yes, Sir; but at that point in time, all the forums that were potentially on the horizon for doing that had disappeared. I had done what, I thought was right. No resolution of the matter had been raised on the basis of what had said, because. basically, I had very limited knowledge, only of the fact that from a factual basis, all I could ever say was that I gave certain individuals certain money. In the case of Mr. Magruder, it was a ease of, yes, I knew I had been approached to do that, but in case of testimony, here he gives a Contrary testimony, I can full well, certainly in that period of time, fully understand the he prosecutor's position, unless they had additional Information, which I had no way of knowing, where he Simply could not proceed with that, where they had one man's word against another's, I felt there was nothing I could do, nothing more was going to come out, it, was all over, I had essentially lost. Senator WEICKER. Why did you try to have lunch with Mr. Chapin? Mr. SLOAN. You are not talking about the earlier meeting, you are, talking about the luncheon when I called him when he had gone to United Airlines? Senator WEICKER. Right. Mr. SLOAN. I think it was essentially, sir, the same kind of situation that it was with Bob Haldeman. Here was a man I had worked with for 2 1/2 years. I had not seen anything of him since the one time I had seen him in that whole period of time. I was about to leave town, he was about to leave town. I had seen a number of people at the White House over this intervening period. I think it was purely social. Senator WEICKER. Was there any concern in your mind that there were those in this picture who seemed to be ending up with rather good jobs, both within and without Government, while you seemed to have been left standing by yourself? Mr. SLOAN. Well, in going back to the Haldeman meeting and his very definitive definition to me of administration policy with regard to individuals who would not be appointed to positions in Government--now I do not know whether he meant positions that actually required Presidential confirmation--or Senate confirmation, excuse me--but I think it was only a few days after that, after that meeting with Bob Haldeman, which I felt very good about, because he had indicated to me, you know, I realize some mistakes were made, there is nothing being held against you, good luck in the private sector. But within, I think, a very short period of time after that, Mr. Magruder's appointment to the Commerce Department was announced and at that point, I just threw up my hands. In answer to your question, yes, sir; it was obvious to me that not only did they not address the problem of people, I think they had, fairly strong indications were involved--I perhaps can understand the intent to postpone it until after the political election, but there was certainly no attempt, even at that point, to take these people out of the picture. Senator WEICKER. In other words, that possibly, integrity is a disability in this matter? Mr. SLOAN. The way it is ultimately believed to be resolved, I would not think that it is a liability. I think it takes a long time. Senator WEICKER, Let me get back, if I could, to the meeting with Mr. Haldeman. You indicated there was some talk about the Segretti matter and he explained that this would turn out all right. Mr. SLOAN, Yes, sir; he said when this received the full light of day--I am not sure of his precise word-, or paraphrasing--that it would be understandable to the American people. Senator WEICKER. Now, what else was discussed; 45 minutes is a considerable period of time. The Strachan payments, which you Surmised went to Mr. Haldeman, was this a matter of discussion during that session? Mr. SLOAN. No, sir, no subject matter with regard to the finance campaign activities came up at all. It was not my purpose to be there to discuss any of that matter. Senator WEICKER. In other words, neither the payments to Liddy not to Strachan. none of these matters were discussed at all during that 45 minutes? Mr. SLOAN. Yes, sir. Only that discussion was re really a minor--not on those Matters, on really very broad matters that I referred to a Minute ago, in explaining that the team had left, me, in that, type Of context. I mentioned that I had been approached to perjure myself and take the fifth amendment, but I did not feel it was appropriate to make specific allegations as to individuals. I felt that that had already been addressed in the judicial processes and the point was, moot. 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