Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 12, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 12, 1973
[00.35.03] Senator TALMADGE. What did he say Mr. Mitchell had said? Mr. PORTER, He did not, sir. He said that, as I had stated earlier, that he had come from a meeting where my name had been brought up, and in that context he mentioned Mitchell's name. Senator TALMADGE. What did he say MR. Mitchell said? Mr. PORTER. He did not quote Mr. Mitchell directly, Senator TALMADGE. He didn't say anything in that regard? at Mr. PORTER. I think the answer to that question I should say Mr. Magruder in stating those who were present at the meeting I got a picture that there was a discussion of me and that he was bringing the message from the meeting so in that context--- Senator TALMADGE. What was the nature of the meeting? What Was it about" Mr. PORTER. I do not, know, sir. Senator TALMADGE. What did Mr. Magruder tell you occurred at the meeting? [00.36.00] Mr. PORTER. Magruder said nay name had come up and that there, was, first of all, he wanted to--he said he wanted to--assure me that no one higher than Mr. Liddy was involved in the Watergate, However there was a problem with the authorized funds given to Mr. Liddy and that apparently he, had taken some of these authorized funds that, had been authorized for what Mr. Magruder claimed to be legal purposes but embarrassing purposes, Senator TALMADGE. How did your name arise in that discussion? [00.36.30] Mr. PORTER. Well, Senator, that they apparently had decided at this meeting that they wanted to be able to say, to tell the investigators that the money had been authorized to Mr. Liddy for something, I believe, my words were, the other day were, a little more legitimate sounding than what they had been authorized for, and Mr. Magruder was going to do that and asked me, and I got the impression I was being asked by the others also, to corroborate that story, and to, in fact, replace one lawful authorization with another, one that would be less embarrassing but one that was not in any in my opinion, to my knowledge at the time, tied in any way to Watergate. Senator TALMADGE. As I recall you testified last week that Mr. Magruder urged you to commit perjury did you not? Mr. PORTER. I didn't use those words, Senator. Senator TALMADGE. That was the sum and substance of it, wasn't it? Mr. PORTER. Mr. Magruder asked me to corroborate and change the date of a conversation, yes, sir. Senator TALMADGE. Did he say he was making that, statement on his own initiative or authority or that it came from higher levels? Mr. PORTER. I don't believe those words were used but I certainly got the impression that they were from a group of people higher than Mr. Magruder. Senator TALMADGE. What group do you think it was? Mr. PORTER. The group that he said was at the meeting. Senator TALMADGE. Who were they? Mr. PORTER. Which was Mr. Mitchell, Mr. LaRue, Mr. Magruder, and a fourth person whose name I have not been able to remember for a year. Senator TALMADGE. You think that was the group that urged you to follow the Magruder pattern; is that the idea? Mr. PORTER. Yes, sir, it is. Senator TALMADGE. All right, Now, did Mr. Liddy ever give you some scaled envelopes? Mr. PORTER. Yes, he did. Senator TALMADGE. How many times? Mr. PORTER. I would say three or four times, Senator TALMADGE. What were his instructions when he gave You those envelopes? Mr. PORTER. Mr. Liddy asked me to hold them for him and with the instruction that if anything should happen to him that I should take those envelopes directly to the Attorney General at that, time, Senator TALMADGE. Who was the Attorney at that time? Mr. PORTER. Mr. Mitchell. Senator TALMADGE. Did he tell you what the contents of those sealed envelopes were? Mr. PORTER. No, sir, he did not. They were sealed. Senator TALMADGE. Were you curious about what they were? Mr. PORTER. I suppose in retrospect my curiosity was piqued somewhat but not enough--- Senator TALMADGE, Did you have any impression at the time as to what the contents were? Mr. PORTER. No, sir, I did not. [00.38.55] Senator TALMADGE. Did you ever wonder about the nature of what he gave you? Mr. PORTER. I thought about it, surely, Senator. Senator TALMADGE. That, if anything happened to him you were to give them to the Attorney General of the United States? Mr. PORTER. I am sorry, I missed that last. Senator TALMADGE. Did it excite curiosity in your mind that he, would give you scaled envelopes and tell you and instruct you if anything happened to him you would deliver them to the Attorney General of the United States? Mr. PORTER. Yes, sir; I am only human and I was naturally curious but as I say they were in my safe and I forgot about, them most, of the, time quite frankly, but they were there. Senator TALMADGE. Did you return them to Mr. Liddy after he came back? Mr. PORTER. No, sir; Mr. Liddy asked me on one occasion to shred them. He said, You know those envelopes I gave you. Go ahead and shred them." Senator TALMADGE. And you would do so? Mr. PORTER. I did. Senator TALMADGE. All three times? Mr. PORTER. Sir, I believe, all at, once, the four envelopes I had three or four different envelopes I had. Senator TALMADGE. You shredded them at one time, not after he returned? Mr. PORTER. No, sir- I shredded them all at one time. Senator TALMADGE. All at one time. You testified last week about a meeting you had with MR. Parkinson who, I believe, was the lawyer for the reelection of the President, was he not? Mr. PORTER. I am not sure exactly which committee Mr. Parkinson represented, Senator, whether it, was the finance committee or the reelection committee. [00.40.07]