Mitchel Approved Er Ate, Payoffs, Reportedly Says Ruder
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il7,_3 Mitchel Approved er ate, Payoffs, ruder Reportedly Says By Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein Washington Poet Staff Writers Former. Attorney General John N. Mitchell and White House counsel John W. Dean III approved and helped plan the Watergate bugging operation, according to President Nixon's former special assistant, Jeb Stuart Magruder. Mitchell and Dean later arranged to buy the silence of the seven convicted Watergate conspirators, Magruder has also said. Magruder, the deputy campaign manager for the Presi- dent, made these statements to _federal prosecutors- Satur- day, according to three sources in the White House and the Committee for the Re-election of the President. The sources said that Magruder is sCheduled to testify before the Watergate grand jury today and is expected to repeat the statements under oath. One of the sources went so far as to say that Magruder's statements and other information developed by the prose- cutors—especially regarding the payments of cash to the_ conspirators to remain silent—are expected to result in the criminal indictment of both Mitchell and Dean. Dean's resignation as counsel to the President is con- sidered imminent, according-to--sources in the White House. Two sources in the executive branch said yesterday that White House chief of staff H. R. (Bob) Haldeman also. may resign as a result of recent Watergate dis- clothres. There is no known evidence to link Haldeman to criminal involvement in the bugging, the sources said. Magruder, who served at the White House as a deputy to Haldeman and later as Mitchell's principal assistant at the President's re-election committee, "chose to talk be- cause he felt the walls were coming in on him," one source said yesterday. Magruder will not be granted immunity from prose- cution, the sources said yesterday, but he hopes to receive some sort of favorable treatment. President Nixon was briefed on the Justice Depart- •;-JOHN- vcDiAir - ment's recent findings tegignittion believed. imminent - Sunday, a day after Magruder spoke to the prosecutors. On Tuesday, Mr. Nixon, in his Meanwhile, Ttle New. York statement announcing "major developments" in the Water- Times_teported . its - editions gate case, said: "I have expressed to the appropriate au- today that Attorney General thorities my view that no individual holding, in the past Richard Kleipdienst has dis- or present, a position of major importance in the admin- qualified himself from further participation in,the Watergate istration should be given immunity from prosecution." _ inquiry because the investiga- The details of Magruder's visit to the prosecutors be- tion is focused on some of his came known less than 24 hours- after President Nixon y- past associates.' Jack -Hushen;..a made his remarks. 4: Justice Department spokesman, The Presideht said he personally "began -intensive new said "no comment" when asked inquiries into this whole matter" on March 21, partly as a •about • Ur report _last -night result of "serious charges" that had come to his attention. 'added: "If it happened, ••••", ••• it- is a common, everyday oc- After .10 months of White. House denials of involve.: currance around the Justice De- ment of' presidential aides in the Watergate bugging and partment" in cases involving other political espionage and sabotage, the President said potential conflicts of interest. Tuesday he will suspend "any person in the executive The Times quoted Mitchell as branch who .might be indicted by the grand jury." . 'saying that Kleindienst's with- Magruder could not be reached for comment yester- - day. His attorney, James J. Bierbower; would not comment drawal' is an "entirely appro. last, night 'on the contents of The Washington Post story. priate and correct decision for "I will confirm that he will testify before the grand jury Dick to have taken." ; when he is called," Bierbower said. In addition, The Times said Informed of the contents of the story last night, Gerald that Dean is reported by asso- Warren, -deptity White House press secretaryr-issued the ciates to b'e ready to implicate following statement: "The White House is not prepared others in the Watergate af- to react to a story based on sources. At a (future) time fair if he is indicted_ when the .rights of individuals would not be jeopardized Magruder, 38! was choSen by by a_comment; an appropriate comment will be made." the White House to coordinate President Nixon's 1972 inaugu- Earlier yesterday, Ronald L. Ziegler,..White House-press ration. He has been a target of secretary; told reporters, "I'm not going to answer any the federal grand jury investi- questions on the subject (Watergate) no matter how they gation since it reopened its in- are phrased." quiry last month. A spokesman for Mitchell, who has previously denied He testified on Jan. 23 at advance . knowledge ' of -the bugging, said the former the Watergate trial that he had Attorney General would have no comment on the story. no knowledge of the Watergate bugging, but said that he help- According to The Post's sources, Magruder provided ed establish what was supposed the prosecutors with a first-hand account of a February, to be a "legal" and "ethical" 1972, meeting in Attorney General Mitchell's office to dis- intelligence- gathering opera- cuss and approve the illegal electronic eavesdropping oper- JEB STUART MAGRUDER See- WATERGATE;-Al2,- Cot, 1 . • ,ioILMagruder testified that he 1 faces jury today authorized the. payment -of -at least $235,000 to Watergate con- spirator Liddy to •rutt the WATERGATE, From Al Dean has acknowledged to operation. ' ' others that he was involved Watergate. At the Liddy, who is serving a jail ation at the in arranging the payments, sentence of at least six years time, Mitchell was the nation's one of the 'sources said; but and eight months for his con chief law enforcement officer. he has maintained that he was victicin, has repeatedly refused Those who attended the acting on orders. • to cooperate with the federal meeting were Mitchell, Dean, FrederickX. -LaRue, a for- investigation. Magruder and convicted Wa- mer White House aide and one of Mitchell's most intimate as- Government investigators tergate conspirator G. Gordon considered Liddy's silence a Liddy, . according to the sistants for years, was also in- --sources' account of Magruder's volved in the payments—re- roadblock to the new effort to portedly totaling well over anawerthe many questions that statements. remained after the Watergate Convicted Watergate con- $100,000—the-sources-said. _ trial. spirator James W. McCord Jr. LaRue, who investigators jury have said helped direct a Mitchell, the pipe - smoking testified before the grand former"attorney general, was and Senate Watergate com- "housecleaning" at' t h e re- a senior partner in a prestig- mittee that he. was told' by : election committee in which Liddy that .there was such a documents were destroyed af- ious New York law firm that meeting in February at which 't ter the. Watergate buggging, Mr. Nixon joined. after his de- the bugging was planned and was subpoenaed by the grand feat in the 1962 California discussed. )ury yesterday, the Associated gubernatorial campaign. The McCord's testimony was ' Press reported. two men soon- became—close based on hearsay, but Madru- The Post reported earlier friends, and mitahell was said der's statements to the pro- to be Mr. Nixon's most 'trusted this month that following the adviser. secutors provide. evidence, that ' Watergate bugging, . LaRue can be used • to obtain convic- received $70,000 in Nixon cam- Mitchell was Mr. Nixon's tions, the sources said. paign funds from the same campaign manager in 1968 and The prosecutors also have re- account that financed the - il- assumed the post of attorney ceived statements from other legal electronic eavesdrop- general in the first Nixon ad- persons who- can testify that ping. Federal investigators; ministration. Mitchell and Dean were in- are now attempting to learn' Mitchell resigned as attorn- volved in the arrangements` to if that money was used to` ey general on March 1, 1972, pay the seven Watergate con- pay the .Watergate conspira- to assume command of the spirators for their silence, the tors for their silence. j Nixon re-election effort. The sources said. director of the successful 1968 campaign, Mitchell was then considered the President's chief political adviser. Mitchell's• reign as head of the Nix-on `re-election cam= p'aigri lasted exactly four months and one day. He re- signed from the "post-last July ltwo-we-eks:after_.the -Water- gatg break-in sire to si3end. more time with his wife,. Martha. Mitchell de- nied any link .between his. res- ignation and the Watergate affair. • A week- )5efor-e- the-resignal lion,. Mrs. Mitchell hadissued a • public ultimatum . to her -husband—to-:--choose— befween !"politics and me." "I'm not going to stand for all those dirty things that go ion," Mrs. Mitchell said. Last Sept. 29, The Wash- ington Post reported that Mitchell—while Attorney Gen- drawal is an "entirely appro- eral—controlled a secret cash - Asked if the. President's The Dean_ investigation was priate and correct debision for fund that was used to finance friendship with the former -at- cited repeatedly in the follow- Dick to have taken." political .sabotage against" the torney general could "save ing months by White House In -addition, The Times said Democrats:- Reached by tele- him," she said, "That's a good spokesmen when asked wheth- that Dean is reported by asso- phone at his home in New question, isn't it? That's what er presidential assistahts' were ciates to be ready to implicate York at the time, the former involved• in the Watergate af- Attorney General called the I keep asking myself." others in the Watergate af- The White House has said fair: • fair if he is indicted.