Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 7, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 7, 1973
[00.19.47] had-excuse me, sir. Senator INOUYE. Was that the only reason for destroying the records? Were you afraid the information might, be incriminating? Mr. PORTER. No, sir. In fact, just, the opposite. I made sure Mr. Reisner had seen it all. I just, physically, I had no reason to keep them. I had balanced with Mr. Sloan. He was satisfied. I was satisfied that, there, would be no questions regarding the money. I had asked Mr. Reisner to act as an independent auditor; he did. I started fresh, and threw the little slips of paper away. Senator INOUYE. Mr. Porter, after the Watergate trial, you sought a good Government job, did you not? Mr. PORTER. Yes, sir, I did, Senator INOUYE. And when Mr. Malek, through the White House, was not helpful, you went to Mr. LaRue and told him, "Listen, Fred, you know what I did at the trial. I have been loyal, I do not, expect to be treated better than anyone else, but I do not expect to be treated worse." And Mr. LaRue said, "I know, I will Contact John." Mr. PORTER. That is correct, sir. Senator INOUYE. Did this happen? Mr. PORTER. I think basically, yes. Senator INOUYE. Who is "John"? Mr. PORTER. I presume that is John Mitchell. Senator INOUYE. After that, did Mr. Magruder tell you that Mr. Haldeman had called Mr. Malek to insure that YOU would be taken care of? Mr. PORTER. Mr. Magruder told me that he had talked to Mr. Haldeman and that Mr. Haldeman had called Mr. Malek and had told him, in effect to kind of back off Porter, I think was the wording. Senator INOUYE. DO you know for a, fact, that 'Mr. Haldeman was aware of the situation? Mr. PORTER. 'NO, sir? I do not. I only, know what Mr. Magruder told me. Senator INOUYE. Did you got, a good Government job after that? Mr. PORTER. No, Sir; "not through that particular process, no, sir. on my own, I contacted one, of the department secretaries whom I knew personally, made arrangements to talk to him, and through a series of interviews, was offered a position in the Government at the end of March. At, the same time, as early as the latter part of January, I had been seeking employment in private industry, to have a choice between the two 'When the' time came for me to make a choice. Senator INOUYE. Was that that job subject to clearance by Mr. Malek? Mr. PORTER. I do not, know, sir. Senator INOUYE. Now, you advised the committee that You were in California on June 17 in the company of Mr. Mitchell and who else? Mr. PORTER. Mr. Mitchell, Mr. LaRue, Mr. Mardian, Mr. Magruder Mr. Raymond Caldero, who was in charge of our celebrities at that time. Senator INOUYE. And at that time, you received a call from Washington, or someone did receive a call. Mr. PORTER. That was in the morning. This was at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Mr. Caldero and I had come down from our rooms; at 8:30 to have breakfast. We sat down at a table next to Mr. and Mrs. LaRue, Mr. and Mrs. Mardian, and Mr. and -Mrs. Magruder. Senator INOUYE. So that is when you first learned about the Watergate break-in? Mr. PORTER. Well, in looking backwards, Senator, I guess you would have to say so, but at the time, no. The phone call that you are referring to is one that Mr. Magruder had received already, I think, because he came back to the table, and not to me, but to the people he was sitting with, said, "Do you know where I can find a secure phone?" And there was a discussion at the table, apparently, about where one might find a secure phone. And he turned to me, and he said, "Do you know where I can find a secure phone?" I said, "What for"? He said, "Well, Liddy is trying to call me, or wants to talk to me on a secure line." And I said, "'Well, we do have a direct outside line in the Mitchell suite, why don't you use that?" He said, "No, that is not good enough." I said, "Well, why don't you go out to a pay phone and call him back? Nobody's going to, you know, that is about all the security you are going to get." That was the end of that conversation. Senator INOUYE, Who took care of the situation there? Mr. PORTER. I beg your pardon, sir? Senator INOUYE. Who took charge of the situation there? Mr. PORTER. I am not sure I understand the question. Senator INOUYE. When this call was made, were the others agitated, or were they not? Mr. PORTER. Senator, I do not remember at the time. I think my back was to them and I do not remember seeing any expressions or conversation. Mr. Magruder appeared quite open about it at the time, in a loud voice. Senator INOUYE. Were you aware of a telephone call that Mr. Magruder made on June 18 from California at 4 in the morning? Mr. PORTER. You would have to qualify that, Senator. I understand that Mr. Magruder made or had phone conversations early Sunday morning with---- Senator INOUYE. Who was the party he contacted in Key Biscayne?, Mr. PORTER. I do not know, sir. I only know that-in fact, I think Mrs. Porter, who was sitting behind me, told me that Mrs. Magruder had told her-we were all kind of sitting or living in a suite of rooms on the same floor--that her husband had been on the phone all morning with Key Biscayne, I think was the quote, That is the, only Place I can remember where that statement might come from. [00.25.38]