Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 12, 1973
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 12, 1973
[00.45.56] I will quote my conversation with John -Mitchell as best I call paraphrase it. It is not, precise. But I saw John Mitchell a relatively short time after and said, "Sloan tells me that Gordon Liddy wants a substantial amount of money. What is it all about?" And John Mitchell's reply was, "I don't know. He will have to ask Magruder because -Magruder is in charge of the campaign and he directs the spending." I said, Do you mean John, that if Magruder tells Sloan to pay these, amounts or any amounts to Gordon Liddy that he should do so?" and he said, "That is right." NOW, that is my recollection in a paraphrase of the discussion that took place. I went back to Sloan and reported it to him And found Out, that he had already talked to and had the same information. Mr. EDMISTEN. NOW, let's go through the transaction that Mr. Sloan testified to here with reference To payment, of cash to Mr. Herbert Porter after April 7. Did he have a conversation with you? Mr. STANS. I would like to go back to the previous answer and add one more point. Apparently, from the testimony, Mr. showed Mr. Sloan a budget of $250,000 against -which he intended to draw. To the best of my knowledge, Mr. Sloan did not tell me about, that, budget and I did not know that Mr. Liddy had authority to draw an amount of money of that size. Now, with respect to Bart Porter, I think that Mr. Sloan's recollection is somewhat confused, because my understanding of it, is somewhat different. I had learned prior to April 7 that Mr. Porter had a cash fund in his safe, that he sometimes received money from one or more sources and used it to pay for certain campaign purposes: I objected to that, because I wanted there to be only one treasurer in the campaign So there was an understanding which Mr. Sloan has confirmed in his testimony that, Mr. Porter would not receive any more. money from him. And to the best, of my knowledge, he did not receive any money from Mr. Sloan after April 7. Now, subsequently, some date. in August, I asked Mr. Sloan how much money he had given Porter after April 7, and he said none, More importantly, on September 6, I met with Mr. Sloan's attorney, and the attorney for the committee, to learn some more information about Mr. Sloan's activities after April 7, and Mr. Sloan's attorney told us that after April 7, Sloan had given Porter only $500. Both the committee's attorney, Mr. Parkinson, and I have our notations of that conference. Subsequently as you know, it was developed that Mr. Porter had received $5,300 from Mr. Sloan and that that was cited by the General Accounting Office. Later, it evolved that the amount was $11,000, and I understand Mr. Porter- testified last Friday or Thursday that, he received $17,000 from Mr. Sloan, So I have no knowledge of those, transactions or the, use to which they were put, except what I have learned subsequently in testimony, Mr. EDMISTEN. So we have some conflicting testimony again regarding the transaction. Mr. STANS. I do not want to be critical, but I believe that Mr. Sloan's memory in that respect is faulty and perhaps confused. He may have discussed with someone else the question of authority to give money to Bart Porter. [00.50.37] Mr. EDMISTEN. NOW, Mr. Stans, did you learn of the payment, of cash of some $350,000 from the finance committee to Gordon Strachan and when that, payment was made? Mr. STANS. Yes, I learned a little bit more about, it I think than Mr. Sloan did because back in February Of last year I heard from someone--I think it was; Mr. Kalmbach, but I am not, sure--that the White House would like, to have some of the 1968 money that he, had turned over to our committee, to use for special polling purposes. NO amount, was mentioned at, that time and I have no recollection of any other discussion about, this subject, until after the $350,000 was given by Mr. Sloan or Mr. Kalmbach to Gordon Strachan. I believe that, Mr. Kalmbach takes full. responsibility for that transaction. At later date, I asked Mr. Sloan if the White House had ever gotten the money it wanted, and he said, "Yes, they got $350,000". I do not, think that the. difference in our recollections is material on this point, because I certainly would not, have objected to the item in any event, had I been asked about, it, beforehand. I did not object, to it, when I. heard about it in February. I think it was a perfectly proper transaction. [00.52.10]