Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 7, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 7, 1973
[00.58.52] AFTERNOON SESSION, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 1973 Senator ERVIN. The committee will Come to order. I understand the first witness will be Mr. Porter. We intend to recall Mr. Porter at a later date and it is the hope of the chairman that, at this time, we will only go Into questions about his knowledge or lack of knowledge of the budgeting and break-in of the Watergate and any alleged attempts to cover up that episode. The counsel will call the witness. Mr. DASH. Mr. Herbert Porter, will you please take the witness chair? senator ERVIN. Mr. Porter, will you stand up and rise your right hand? [PORTER standing to be sworn in, right hand raised] Do you swear that, the evidence, which you shall give to the Senate, Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities shall be the truth the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mr. PORTER. I do; so help me God. Mr. DASH. Mr. Chairman, Mr. David Dorsen, assistant chief counsel, will ask the opening questions of this witness. [IT IS VERY STRANGE HOW MUCH DORSEN RESEMBLES SAM DASH] Mr. DORSEN. Mr. Porter, could you please give your full name and address" TESTIMONY OF HERBERT LLOYD PORTER, ACCOMPANIED BY CHARLES B. MURRAY, COUNSEL Mr. PORTER. Yes, sir; my name is Herbert Lloyd Porter. My Present address is 32451 Mediterranean Drive, Laguna Niguel, Calif. Mr. DORSEN. Mr. Porter, I see you are represented by counsel. Could counsel please identify himself? Mr. MURRAY. Charles B. Murray Is my name, sir. Mr. DORSEN. Mr. Porter, I understand that you have a brief Opening statement Would you please make it at this time? Mr. PORTER. Thank you. My full name is Herbert Lloyd Porter. I am also known as "Bart" Porter. I was born and reared in California. I served 2 years as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, after which I spent 7 1/2 years in the marketing of data processing computers and software. Having never been involved in any political campaign or other political activity, I was both honored and excited at the opportunity to help in some way toward the reelection of Richard Nixon to a second term in the White House. Prior to joining the Committee for the Re-Election of the President in May 1971, I served a brief period in the White House, working in the office of the Director of Communications Herbert G. Klein. My function at the Committee for, the Re-Election of the President was to organize the surrogate candidate program. My title was director of scheduling. I was also responsible, for organizing all celebrities, entertainers, and athletes for the campaign. Almost all my time, while at the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, was spent organizing and directing the activities of these several groups. Stories have appeared in both newspapers and magazines mentioning my name in connection with what has come to be known as Watergate. A few of these stories have been fairly accurate, some half true, while others have been totally false. The record will show that I have made no comments to any reporters or newsmen over the past several months, This may or may not have been wise on my part, but I was trying the best I knew how to protect my wife and my three children from the consequences of any excess publicity. I have cooperated fully with both the Federal prosecutors and members of the investigative staff of this committee, and I have made full disclosure to them. I also wish to state that in cooperating with both the Federal prosecutors and this committee, I did so voluntarily and, in the case of the Federal prosecutors, I appeared at my own request, At no time did I ever seek immunity from either group, nor did I authorize my lawyer to do so. I have made no deals. I have, agreed only to tell the truth. I will answer all questions, put to me by this committee regarding testimony heretofore given by me. At no time did I ever have, any intention of covering up a criminal act. At no time did I knowingly engage in any coverup of the Watergate burglary. I had no prior knowledge of the Watergate burglary. And up to this very moment, I have no knowledge of the involvement of others. I have been guilty of a, deep sense of loyalty to the President of the United States. The facts speak for themselves. Finally, may I say that this whole affair air has had a most, devastating effect on my personal life. Because of the unfavorable publicity, I have been terminated from a lucrative position in private industry, a fact which, in turn, has caused me to forfeit, at substantial loss, the purchase of a new home in California, where I was born and planned to live, This is my situation, Mr. Chairman. I am now ready to answer any and all questions to the best of my ability. Mr. DORSEN. Mr. Porter, in your opening statement------ [01.04.11--TAPE OUT]