Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 12, 1973 (1/2)
Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 12, 1973 (1/2)
[00.35.28--Sen. ERVIN.] Senator ERVIN. The committee will come to order. Mr. Sanders. Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Stans, the exhibit just handed you has been marked for identification and we are going to defer that, I would like you to review it again and we will take that matter up at such time as you return for further testimony before the committee. I want to ask you a few more questions about Gordon Liddy's assumption of the job as counsel for the finance committee. At the time that occurred, were you aware of any conflict that he had been having with Magruder? Mr. STANS. No, I wasn't. I didn't learn about that -until quite recently, It is a very interesting development, because I am not, quite sure why Mr. Magruder was so generous in giving me Mr. Liddy's services. But on the other hand, I think Mr. Liddy did a good job as counsel. Whatever else he did or may have, done was something else, but as counsel he did an effective job. Mr. SANDERS. Did it ever appear to you that he was perhaps not devoting full time to his responsibilities as legal counsel for the finance committee? Mr. STANS. Not, that I observed. Mr. Liddy was one of those who attended the daily staff meetings and his attendance was quite regular. I recall only once or twice when he said he had some mission to do outside of Washington and asked if he could have a day off. That was not, particularly unusual. I gave him responsibilities that required daily follow-up and he did the follow-up that was required. For example, just before April 7, it, was necessary for every committee to file with the General Accounting Office a registration statement and to file a qualifying statement with the Treasury Department. That included not only our committees in Washington, but each of the 51 States. Mr. Liddy had that responsibility and he gave me regular reports on what was happening and which one was in default and which one wasn't. And I thought he administered it well, Mr. SANDERS. I believe you did say earlier that you did have some awareness that he had some responsibilities with regard to the San Diego convention? Mr. STANS. This is something that, as I have said, I picked up quite casually, and as I recall it, late in May. And I am not quite sure, but I think it came from Magruder, but it may have come from some other source. Mr. SANDERS. YOU would judge that that was not specifically within the scope of responsibilities as legal counsel for the finance committee? Mr. STANS. No, it was not. But apparently, when Mr. Liddy came to the finance committee from the campaign committee there was an understanding that he had or Magruder had with Sloan that he was going to give something like 96 or 98 percent of his time to the finance. committee, but he had a few things still to look after for the campaign committee. I don't think I was aware of that at the time, but, I heard about it somewhere along the line. Mr. SANDERS. At, the time of Mr. Liddy's termination, were you consulted by Mr. Mardian? Mr. STANS. Yes. I believe the date was June, 28 of last year. Mr. Mardian called me to his office and handed me a memorandum to read. It was to the effect that Mr. Liddy had failed to cooperate with the FBI, had not answered their questions, and Mr. Mardian recommended to me that he be discharged and asked for my approval. I put my approval right on the form and Mr. Mardian undertook to call Liddy in and tell him that his services were no longer required. Mr. SANDERS. At that point, were you aware of any facts which indicated involvement by Mr. Liddy in the Watergate, in the illegal entry of the Democratic National Committee? Mr. STANS. I was not. Mr. SANDERS. Did you at any time have a conversation with Mr. Liddy concerning Segretti? Mr. STANS. I don't recall ever discussing Segretti's name with anyone until I read it in the newspapers some months ago. I do not know Donald Segretti and never discussed him with anyone. Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Stans, did you have any awareness of an effort on the part of Mr. Magruder to induce Mr. Sloan to falsify testimony., Mr. STANS. Not until Mr. Sloan told me about it, and I don't recall how soon it was after it happened. I think it was a, matter of some days after it had happened, Mr. Magruder had come to me and asked me how much money Sloan had given to Liddy and I said I really did not, know, that he should talk to Sloan about it, And that is about the substance of the, discussion I had with Magruder. I do not recall whether he named any amounts or not, but he was probing to find out and I could not help him on it, [00.41.33]