Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 7, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 7, 1973
[00.14.10] Senator BAKER. If you make a contribution to this country by serving, as an example, a deterrent to others having that attitude, it might make some atonement, for that submerged conscience, but time will tell that, we will have to wait and see. Mr. PORTER. I had that in my statement, and took it, out because I thought that was rather self-serving to make because that, is how I feel. Senator BAKER. Before I ask this last, question, let me point out, that, this inquiry is not, that, of an amateur philosopher or psychologist but rather in pursuit of the. statutory jurisdiction of this committee, which is not only to find those things which may have been illegal but improper as well. Mr. PORTER. I understand. Senator BAKER. Call you tell me, 'Mr. Porter, how we might ventilate the structure of campaigning how we might expose to the fresh breeze Of conscience and personality the organization of a presidential campaign SO that young men and old men assert their sense of right or wrong instead of doing so-and-so because someone told them to. Mr. PORTER, I think you are doing a damn fine job right, now, Senator. [Laughter.] Senator BAKER. It is a painful thing, you know. Mr. PORTER. Yes, sir. Senator BAKER. And it is a terrible way to have to do it. Do you have any other suggestions? Mr. PORTER. I have often thought we had too much money. [00.15.55--HUMOR] Senator BAKER. Money is the--I am sure the chairman would approve of this. [Laughter.] And in deference to the chairman I will save it for him. [Laughter.] Mr. PORTER. I am waiting myself to find out which one he is going to apply to my case. Senator BAKER. Mr. Porter, I believe that is all I have. I would like to yield to Senator Inouye. Senator INOUYE. Thank you very much. Mr. Porter, you have in your interview with the staff said it was a standard operating procedure that Mr. Haldeman of the White House be kept totally informed of everything that went on; is that correct? Mr. PORTER. Senator Inouye, 1 believe I told the staff it was my understanding that certainly in my area that major policy decisions and that sort of thing that Mr. Haldeman's aide, Mr. Strachan, always got copies of everything that we had, everything that went on in my division, and I am sure got copies of everything that went on in other divisions. Senator INOUYE. To the smallest detail such as a guest list? Mr. PORTER. Yes, sir. Senator INOUYE. Did you advise Mr. Haldeman as to cash disbursements? Mr. PORTER. No, sir. Senator INOUYE. Are they a bit more important than guest lists? Mr. PORTER. I am not sure I understand the question, Senator, Senator INOUYE. YOU just indicated that Mr. Haldeman was desirous of getting everything including guest lists of parties. Now, I asked if you had advised Mr. Haldeman of cash disbursements, $67,000 worth, and you say no, I was just wondering, don't you think $671000 is a bit more important than just a little old guest list? Mr. PORTER. I think the two, one doesn't follow the other. The money that was disbursed through 1-1 me as a conduit Mr. Magruder was aware of and it would have teen Mr. Magruder's responsibility to relay that situation to his superior, Mr. Mitchell, and if he wanted to, Mr. Kalmbach, not Mr. Kalmbach, Mr. Strachan or Mr. Haldeman That was not my function, no, sir. Senator INOUYE. I presume you kept a record of all your disbursements? Mr. PORTER. I did. Senator INOUYE. What happened to the record, sir? Mr. PORTER. At the end of March 1972, 1 received a phone call from Mr. Sloan saying that he would like to balance out, because April 7 was approaching. I, to protect myself internally, called upon Mr. Reisner, who has testified before this committee, to come in and act as a disinterested third party to review what I had in--I had on a little secretarial steno pad, an in-and-out sheet, if you will, a record of my copies of my receipts and cash on hand. Mr. Reisner did that. I called Mr. Sloan. I told him the figure, $52,000, that I had received from him from whatever the beginning of time was until that point. He agreed to that. I did not have an accounting function at the committee. In fact, nobody at the Committee for the Re-Election of the President had any accounting or disbursing function, so to speak. That was the finance committee. And I had no need for the records, and I threw them away. [00.19.47] I