Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 7, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 7, 1973
[00.13.23] Senator MONTOYA. You weren't picking up any $5,000 contributions during those hectic days? Mr. SLOAN. No, sir; they would have to come in by mail. [Laughter.] Senator MONTOYA. You weren't picking up any $10,000 contributions during those hectic days when all of your manpower was being used internally to collect big amounts, were you? Mr. SLOAN. It would depend on the area. For instance, if a man went to New York and two men were working the same business office and one of them had $10,000, it would be easy to pick up. I would say if there was question of choice or priority or disproportionate amount of time in going up to pick up a lesser amount, we would not do that. senator MONTOYA. How many men would you say you had during the last few days on pickup missions? Mr. SLOAN, I am not sure, probably two or three people, maybe more than that, maybe as many as seven or eight moving around. Senator -MONTOYA. Did you have any pickup men in California? Mr. SLOAN. 1 am just not sure. Mr. Kalmbach, of course was out there, he was very active, he was in our headquarters during that period of time. He would go back on weekends. He may very well have brought money back in the general period of the last month. Whether it was picked up the last day or two I am not sure. Senator MONTOYA. Did you have a pickup division within the finance committee? Mr. SLOAN. No; this was not a structured thing, it was a matter of necessity in using whoever was available. Senator MONTOYA. Now when you went to Mr. -Mitchell's office to explain the situation and to tell him the FBI was downstairs waiting, would you please be a little more specific as to who accompanied you there, what conversation took place while you were in there, who opened up the conversation and what transpired? Mr. SLOAN. Senator, my best recollection was that when I had the call two agents from the FBI were in my office. I Was in a meeting with Fred LaRue. At this point in his office, he indicated tome I think, you ought to see John Mitchell before you go down. He at that point left me and went down the hall to John Mitchell's office, came back in a minute or two and asked me to accompany him back into the room. Present, to the best of my knowledge, would have been Mr. LaRue, myself, Mr. Mitchell, I know Mr. Mardian was there and possibly Mr. Magruder. I do not have a good sense of how I expressed my concern or anything I think it was an obvious time pressure here. The men were essentially sitting there; I was looking for sonic quick guidance. I indicated essentially, "What do you want me to say? These men are here" and I was concerned at that point. I could not, believe that they were not there to talk to me about finance and Mr. Liddy and the Watergate and everything else. Senator MONTOYA. I fully appreciate you were greatly concerned because the FBI was downstairs and you may not remember, I can appreciate your concern when you walked into Mr. Mitchell's office. But now you must have said something to Mr. 'Mitchell? Mr. SLOAN. Oh yes, I am sure I did. Senator 'MONTOYA. What did you say? Mr. SLOAN. I have no direct recollection of what, I said other than the purpose of my being there. Whatever I said had to be in that context. I needed some guidance. What do you want me to do. As I am sure the kind of way it was presented, Bob Mardian, as I recall, first put his hand on my knee and said the first, thing you have to do is calm down. At that point, Mr. Mitchell made his comment and that is the last recollection I have of that meeting. Senator 'MONTOYA. Did Mr. Mardian suggest to you anything that you might say to the FBI? Mr. SLOAN. No, sir. When I left that meeting, I had absolutely no guidance except to go down and see them. Senator MONTOYA. Did you have any guidance before you went in to see Mr. Mitchell from either Mr. Mardian, Mr. Magruder or Mr. LaRue? Mr. SLOAN. -No; I had no guidance at all. Senator MONTOYA, Did you engage in any discussions with them as to what you might say to the FBI? Mr. SLOAN. -NO, sir. When the matter came up it happened, it developed so fast that I assumed that Mr. LaRue by suggesting I see John Mitchell, the purpose of that was to give me some guidance. None was forthcoming. Senator MONTOYA. Now let us go into the California trip, I believe You were gone with Mr. Stans for approximately 5 or 6 days? Mr. SLOAN. Yes Sir. Senator MONTOYA. Now, did you stay in the same hotels with him' Mr. SLOAN. Yes, sir, I did after I joined him. I went out, on the. morning of the 7th which I believe was Friday Morning, and I did not join him until the evening of the 9th, which would be the Sunday night. From that point on the balance of the week I traveled with him, yes sir. Senator -MONTOYA. And did you share the same room or adjoining rooms? Mr. SLOAN. No sir. They might be neighboring rooms but they were not adjoining or the same suite. Senator MONTOYA. What duties did you perform when you were with him on this trip? Mr. SLOAN. I was, I think, merely a good listener at the fundraising meetings he had and met some of our people who were operating in our behalf in the field. I had no specific duties as such. Senator MONTOYA. What conversations did you have with Mr. Stans with respect to the Watergate affair and the cash disbursements that took place during this sordid affair? Mr. SLOAN. The Watergate obviously, I think the point in time, the principal emphasis in terms of what was as going on in the papers and what the level of concern was, was with regard to the Mexican checks and the Dahlberg matter. As a matter of fact, Mr. Dahlberg joined us, I believe, in Des Moines and spent quite a bit of time with Secretary Stans. [00.19.13]