Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 7, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 7, 1973
[00.02.00--Herbert PORTER testifying about his role in paying money to Gordon LIDDY and in committing PERJURY in the Watergate investigation at the request of Jeb MAGRUDER] [THIS FEATURES A VERY ENJOYABLE CHEWOUT OF PORTER BY SENATOR BAKER] Mr. PORTER. ..... in all honesty, that I really could not see what effect it had on reelecting a President of the United States. On the other hand, in all fairness, I was not the one to stand up in a meeting and say that this should be stopped, either. So I do not--I mean, there is space in between. I kind of drifted along. Senator BAKER. Now, you have reached now precisely that point that I would like to examine and I intend to examine it with other witnesses as this hearing proceeds. Mr. PORTER. OK. Senator BAKER. Where does the system break down when concern for what is right as distinguished from what is legal is never asserted or never thought about and you do not stand up and say so? At any time, did you ever think of saying: I do not think this is quite right this is not quite the way it ought to be. Did you ever think of that? Mr. PORTER. I think most people would probably stop and think about that. Senator BAKER. Did you? Mr. PORTER. Yes, I did. Senator BAKER. What did you do about it? Mr. PORTER. I did not do anything. Senator BAKER, Why didn't you? Mr. PORTER. In all honesty, probably because of the fear of group pressure that would ensue, of not being a team player. Senator BAKER. And the fear of not, being a team player was strong enough to suppress your judgment on what action you should take if you considered an action improper, if not illegal? Mr. PORTER. Well, I never considered any action up to that point illegal, No. 1. However, I was---- [00.03.38] Senator BAKER. Do you think an organization, a political organization, should be so anonymous, so military and obedient, so careful for the concerns of peer approval that each and every member of that organization at least, up until a, certain point and level in the organization chart, completely abdicates his conscience and judgment? Mr. PORTER. No, sir; I certainly do not. Senator BAKER. What caused you to abdicate your own conscience and disapproval, if you did disapprove, of the practices or dirty tricks operation? [00.04.20--PORTER attempts to rationalize--BAKER is not having it] Mr. PORTER. Well, Senator Baker, my loyalty to this, man, Richard Nixon, goes back longer than any person that you will see sitting at this table throughout any of these, hearings, I first met the President--- Senator BAKER. I really very much doubt that, Mr. Porter. I have known Richard Nixon probably longer than you have been alive, and I really expect that the greatest disservice that a man could do to a President of the United States would be to abdicate his conscience. Mr. PORTER. I understand Senator. I first met Mr. Nixon when I was 8 years old in 1946, when he ran for Congress in my home district. I wore Nixon buttons when I was 8 and when I was 10 and when I was 12 and when I -was 16. -My family worked for him; my father worked for him in campaigns my mother worked for or him in campaigns. I felt as if I had known this man all my life--not personally, perhaps, but in spirit, I felt a deep sense of loyalty to him. I was appealed to on this basis. Senator BAKER. Mr. Porter, I am sorry to interrupt you at point. We have a warning bell on a rollcall. I know I will return. When we do, I know you will continue this. [00.05.33--LEHRER in studio] LEHRER states that Sen. BAKER is attempting to get at the motivation of PORTER to give money for "dirty tricks", with PORTER'S answers suggesting that BAKER is overemphasizing PORTER'S importance in the affair. [PBS Network ID--title screen "SENATE HEARINGS ON CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES"] [00.08.12--LEHRER in studio] LEHRER states that ranking minority member Senator BAKER will resume his questioning of Herbert PORTER. [00.08.29--In to Sen. BAKER]