Mr. ULASEWICZ. No, sir. Senator WEICKER. Domestic security nature? Senator WEICKER. Dirt? Mr. ULASEWICZ. No, it would be of a political nature. Mr. ULASEWICZ. All right, sir. And there were other assignments which were of a different nature which were not of that type. Senator WEICKER. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman. I just thought it important that the entire job that Mr. Ulasewicz had be characterized. I suppose that I, like many others, can't fault in any way what's a wonderful sense of humor, Mr. Ulasewicz. But I must confess that a long time ago, I lost my sense of humor on the activities that you have described here today. I tell my friends, as a matter of fact, that it seems that today's Watergate joke becomes tomorrow's testimony. I would only ask you this question to try to appropriately frame the description which you gave to me. Do you know where Mr. Liddy is right now? Mr. ULASEWICZ. Yes, sir. Senator WEICKER. Where? Mr. ULASEWICZ. He is in prison. Mr. ULASEWICZ. In prison-I am not certain of that. Senator WEICKER. Mr. Sturgis? Mr. ULASEWICZ. The same. Senator WEICKER. Mr. Martinez? Mr. ULASEWICZ. The same. Senator WEICKER. I think what we see here is not a joke, but a very great tragedy. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman. Mr. LENZNER. Mr. Chairman, may we have the photographs that were used earlier introduced as exhibits in today's testimony? Senator ERVIN. Yes. [The photographs referred to were marked exhibits Nos. 78 through 86.*1 Mr. LENZNER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That is all I have. Senator ERVIN. Senator Montoya, do you have any further questions? Senator MONTOYA. I have no further questions. Senator ERVIN. Senator Talmadge. Senator TALMADGE. I have no further questions, Mr. Chairman. Senator ERVIN. Then on behalf of the committee, I want to thank you for your cooperation with the committee. It may be necessary to recall you later in another phase of this matter and therefore, you *See pp. 2228-2230. will remain under the same subpena. As I understand it, you are willing to reappear on adequate notice being given to you as to the time and place. Mr. SUTTER. That is correct. Senator ERVIN. Thank you very much. Mr. SUTTER. Mr. Chairman, may we thank the committee for the courtesies that have been extended to us, particularly in these august chambers. Senator ERVIN. Thank you. Mr. SUTTER. And that we have agreed with both counsel for the minority and the majority that we will render ourselves available pursuant to that subpena at any future date. Senator ERVIN. My information is that your client has cooperated fully with the committee. Mr. SUTTER. That is correct, sir, he has. Will counsel please call the next witness? Senator ERVIN. Mr. LaRue, will you stand up and raise your right hand? Do you swear that the evidence that you shall give to the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mr. LARUE, I do. Senator ERVIN. Will you state your name and address for the record? TESTIMONY OF FRED C. LaRUE, ACCOMPANIED BY FRED VINSON, COUNSEL Mr. LARUE. Yes, sir, Fred C. LaRue, 1026 Hallmark Drive, Jackson, Miss. Senator ERVIN. I note that you are accompanied by counsel. Will counsel state his name and address for the purpose of the record? Mr. VINSON. Yes, Mr. Chairman. My name is Fred Vinson, member of the District of Columbia Bar, 800 17th St., NW. I am here on behalf of Mr. LaRue. Mr. DASH. Mr. LaRue, I understand that you do have a brief statement to make. Would you like to read that to the committee? Mr. LARUE. Yes, sir. Mr. DASH. Would you please read it, sir? Mr. LARUE. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, my home is in Jackson, Miss. Since 1969, however, I have spent a substantial part of my time in Washington, D.C., first working on the transition of administrations, then as a special consultant to the President, and since January 1972 I have served as a special assistant on the Committee To Re-Elect the President. I learned that the Democratic National Committee headquarters had been broken into on June 17, 1972, shortly after the occurrence. Prior to that time, I did know of the existence of a proposal to conduct political espionage by electronic surveillance. I learned of this plan at a meeting I attended in late March 1972; and this is the only time I heard it discussed. At that meeting I recommended against the plan. It was not approved in my presence, and I have no personal knowledge of its approval by anyone. After the Watergate arrests and subsequent to June 17, 1972, my knowledge and involvement increased. I learned from Mr. Gordon Liddy on June 20 that he, an official of the committee, had in fact been involved in this fiasco. I later sat in on meetings with Mr. Magruder and others at which the protective story he had evolved was discussed, and I joined in that coverup, at least by acquiescence. Then I was the recipient of several deliveries of cash which, at various times, I was called upon to distribute to a number of persons in satisfaction of commitments made by others to the defendants in the Watergate trial. I am fully aware now that what I did then was wrong, both ethically and legally, and I have faced up to that fact and I am prepared to accept the consequences. It is difficult to recreate a mood and even one's own attitudes in a time of stress; but when this was transpiring, I had no intent to violate the law. I was motivated solely by my concern for the Presidential campaign in which we were engaging. I have given my full cooperation, to the best of my ability and recollection, to the staff of this committee in preparation for these hearings. Furthermore, I have, and will continue, to fully cooperate with the Watergate prosecutors and the Federal grand jury inquiring into these matters. I am prepared to try to answer any questions you may have for me. Mr. DASH. Mr. LaRue, when you state on page 2 of your statement that you are fully aware now that what you did was wrong both ethically and legally and that you have faced up to that fact, are you referring, Mr. LaRue, to the fact that you have pled guilty to a one count information for conspiracy to obstruct justice? Mr. LARUE. That is correct. Mr. DASH. That count has to do with the relationship that you had with the parties that were involved in the coverup of the Watergate matter? Mr. LARUE. Yes, that is correct. Mr. DASH. We will get more into those details and when we do, would you please let us know what portions of your answers refer to that plea of guilty? Mr. LARUE. Very well. Mr. DASH. Mr. LaRue, how long have you been associated with John Mitchell on political affairs? Mr. LARUE. To the best of my recollection, Mr. Dash, since the latter part of 1966 or early 1967. Mr. DASH. What was your role in the 1968 election? Mr. LARUE. I was special assistant to the campaign director, John Mitchell. Mr. DASH. Did you work in the White House after the 1968 election? Mr. LARUE. Yes, sir. Mr. DASH. What position did you have and how long did you have it? Mr. LARUE. AS I have stated in my opening statement, initially I worked on the transition of the administrations. Later I became special consultant to the President. Mr. DASH. Now, when did you first begin working at the Committee To Re-Elect the President? Mr. LARUE. January of 1972. Mr. DASH. What was your role there, Mr. LaRue? Mr. LARUE. I was a special-well, later on I became special assistant to the campaign director. Initially, there was no campaign director, and actually no title that I know of in the initial period. Mr. DASH. To whom did you report? Mr. LARUE. To the campaign director or to Mr. Mitchell. Mr. DASH. Now, are you still associated with the committee, Mr. La Rue? Mr. LARUE. No, I am not. Mr. DASH. During the time you were with the Committee To ReElect the President, were you compensated in any way? Mr. LARUE. No, sir. I volunteered my services. I did receive, at the rate of where I received $1,500 a month as reimbursement on expenses. Mr. DASH. During this time were you privately employed? Mr. LARUE. Yes, sir, I am self-employed. Mr. DASH. Could you state the nature of that business? Mr. LARUE. Investment businesses, primarily real estate invest ments. Mr. DASH. So you had your own company during the time you were donating your services to the committee?" Mr. LARUE. Yes, sir. Mr. DASH. Mr. LaRue, prior to the meeting you referred to in later March 1972, in Key Biscayne, did Mr. Magruder inform you at any time of any meetings that he had with Mr. Mitchell concerning an intelligence plan that Mr. Liddy was preparing? Mr. LARUE. No, sir. Mr. DASH. Do you recall an incident sometime prior to the March meeting in Key Biscayne where Mr. Liddy and Mr. Magruder had an altercation and you may have served as a peacemaker? Mr. LARUE. Yes, I do. Mr. DASH. Would you please tell us what that was all about and what role you played? Mr. LARUE. As I recall, Mr. Dash, I was asked by Mr. Magruder to sit in on a meeting that he was going to have with Mr. Liddy, which I did. I think the subject of this meeting was an altercation that Mr. Magruder and Mr. Liddy had had. My understanding was that Mr. Magruder had, in effect, reprimanded Mr. Liddy for failure to carry out some project on a timely basis, and this reprimand was I think, in the presence of some other people. Mr. Liddy was very incensed about this, a very heated argument ensued between Mr. Magruder and Mr. Liddy. Mr. DASH. What, if anything, did you hear Mr. Liddy say in this heated argument to Mr. Magruder? Mr. LARUE. At one point in the argument, Mr. Liddy told Mr. Magruder that if he did not like the way he was doing his job that he could get someone else to do his dirty work for him. I think he suggested Mr. Magruder asked him if he had anyone in mind, I think he suggested the name Howard Hunt. Mr. DASH. Did you have any idea what he meant, "To get his dirty work done for him?" 96-296 73 - pt. 6-5 Mr. LARUE. NO; I did not. It was my understanding that Mr. Liddy was working on some intelligence activities, my understanding was, in connection with the Republican Convention that was to be held in San Diego. Mr. DASH. Were you aware that Mr. Liddy was receiving sums of money from the Republican campaign? Mr. LARUE. No, sir. [Disturbance in audience.] Mr. DASH. Neither my question nor your answer accomplished that, I am sure. Now, you were not aware then from your testimony that Mr. Liddy was involved in any intelligence plan or planning than the one you have just testified to with relationship to the convention? Mr. LARUE. That is correct. Mr. DASH. What brought you to Key Biscayne at the end of March, I take it, it was around March 29. When did you go to Key Biscayne? Mr. LARUE. As I recall, March 22 or March 23. Mr. DASH. What was the reason for your going? Mr. LARUE. Accompanied the Mitchells on a vacation. Mr. DASH. All right; who else was there? Mr. LARUE. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, their daughter, Miss Forzberg, Mrs. Mitchell's secretary, Mr. Caulfield, who was Mr. Mitchell's security man. Later on we were joined by Mr. Tom Wentz, who was another security man and myself. Mr. DASH. Did Mr. Jeb Magruder come down to Key Biscayne around that time? Mr. LARUE. Yes, sir, it was later, several days later, as I recall, March 29. Mr. DASH. Do you know what the purpose of Mr. Magruder's visit to Key Biscayne was about? Mr. LARUE. Yes, sir, I do. Mr. Magruder and Mr. Flemming came down to Key Biscayne to discuss several political problems, and to discuss with Mr. Mitchell several activities that needed decisions made relating to the campaign. Mr. DASH. Were you present when the so-called agenda items were being discussed between Mr. Magruder, Mr. Mitchell took place? Mr. LARUE. Yes, sir. Mr. DASH. How many were there? Mr. LARUE. I can't recall any specific number, Mr. Dash. Mr. DASH. Was it a large number? Mr. LARUE. Yes, sir. Mr. DASH. Now, prior to the actual meeting in which the agenda items were discussed, were you given a copy of any of these agenda items? Mr. LARUE. Yes, sir, I was given-I requested a copy of all of them. Mr. DASH. All right. Was any particular one of interest to you? Mr. LARUE. Yes, sir. In reviewing the items-priorityizing them for the meeting the next day, I ran across a paper which discussed or outlined a plan of electronic surveillance. There was a budget attached to this. Mr. DASH. Who gave you that, those agenda items? |