Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 12, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 12, 1973
[00.18.18] Senator GURNEY. One thing that has been a puzzlement to me is Why you disbursed money to Mr. Liddy at all, because Mr. Sloan also testified that he disbursed something like $199,000 000 to Mr. Liddy? Mr. PORTER, That is right. Senator GURNEY. Why didn't Mr. Liddy go directly to Sloan for all the money? Why get some from you? Mr. PORTER. I do not know, sir. All I can do, is answer the question. In December, -Mr. Magruder told Liddy that he was going to come to me and that I was to get funds from Mr. Sloan. I was not aware that Mr. Sloan was also giving money to Mr. Liddy. The last, money I gave to Mr. Liddy, I think it should be pointed out, was in March of 1972, with the exception of the $3,300 that I was directed to give him in early May of 1972, which I--- Senator GURNEY. Did you know during any of this period of time that you were disbursing moneys to Mr. Liddy that he was also getting moneys from Mr. Sloan? Mr. PORTER. No sir; I did not. Senator GURNEY. In your testimony last week, too, you mentioned this conversation with Mr. Magruder after he had come from the, White House, as I recall, and quoting from the record, you said: "he also told me there were going to be several indictments and listed off a series of names, a number of names, people that he thought would be indicted." Who were these people that he thought would be indicted? Mr. PORTER. I believe, and then I would ask the counsel's help on this one, I believe the names that he mentioned were Mr. Mitchell, Mr. LaRue, Mr. Mardian, himself, and Mr. Magruder, Mr. Haldeman, Mr. Strachan, Mr. Dean, Mr. Colson. Mr. Dorsen, does that run the list? Mr. DORSEN. I do not remember. I think that is it. Senator GURNEY. Did you and he have any discussions as to why he thought they were implicated? Mr. PORTER. I am sorry, Senator. Senator GURNEY. I say did you and he have any discussion at that particular time as to why he thought they would be indicted? Mr. PORTER. No, sir. Senator GURNEY. Now, then, let us go to the California visit. That, of course, was when the news broke about the Watergate break-in, out in California that morning. And you mentioned that you were at breakfast with a number of people. Now, who were these people? Mr. PORTER. Yes, sir. I came down to breakfast at about 8:30. This was at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Mr. Caldero, who was working on the celebrities portion of the activities of that weekend, was with me. We sat down at the table next to Mr. and Mrs. LaRue, Mr. and Mrs. Mardian, and Mr. and Mrs. Magruder. It was during that breakfast--I was reading the paper; I think Mr. Caldero was, too, that I overheard Mr. Magruder say, does anyone know where I call find a secure phone? And nobody did, apparently. And he leaned over and asked me and leaned back in his chair over to the next table and said, "Do you know where I can find a secure phone?" I said that we had a phone, an outside line up in the Mitchell's suite. He said, "No, that was not good enough." I said, "Why do you need it?" He, said, "Well, Liddy wants to talk to me." That was all he said. I said, "Well, why don't you just go to a pay phone, pick a pay phone at random and call him." I do not know whether he did that or not. Senator GURNEY. Did he leave the room then? Mr. PORTER. I do not, believe so. Senator GURNEY. There was also testimony that I think it was your wife, in a chat with Mrs. Magruder, got the information that Mr. Magruder was on the phone all morning long. Mr. PORTER. That is right. Senator GURNEY. With Key Biscayne. Mr. PORTER. Yes, sir. Senator GURNEY. Can you amplify that any further? Do you know who he talked to? Mr. PORTER. No, sir, all I can say about that conversation further is that Mrs. Porter did mention to me that morning, Sunday morning. I guess she later has now told me that she went in to have a cup of coffee with Gail, I think, Mrs. Magruder, and our rooms were like across the hall. And I believe Mr. Magruder's parents at that time were with him also. Carol came, back and made a comment to me that Gail had said to her that Jeb had been up since very early in the morning, all morning, she said, on the phone to Key Biscayne. And that was the not of the conversation. Senator GURNEY. Did you see Mr. Magruder at all the rest of the day? Mr. PORTER. On Sunday, Senator? Senator GURNEY. Yes. Mr. PORTER. I believe I saw him that morning. He introduced me to his parents and I said hello to them. Senator GURNEY. Was there any conversation at any time during this day about the break-in? Mr. PORTER. No, sir, because Mr. Magruder was making arrangements at that time for air transportation back to Washington and he, left the group and flew back-to Washington some time Sunday morning, I believe. Senator GURNEY. What hat other people did you see during that day--that is, principals in this--Mr. Mitchell, Mr. LaRue, Mr. Mardian, anybody else? Mr. PORTER. Are you talking Saturday or Sunday, Senator? Senator GURNEY. Well, the day of the, the morning of the break-in. Mr. PORTER, Yes, sir. There was a meeting, a California political meeting, at the Airport Marina Hotel, at about 10 o'clock or 10:30, I believe, and the arrangements were that Governor Reagan was going to stop by the hotel and pick up Mr. Mitchell, which he did. We went down to the Airport Marina Hotel, and it was at the Airport Marina Hotel that I noticed, again noticing a lot of rather private conversations going on, [00.24.09]