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Mitchel Approved er ate, Payoffs, ruder Reportedly Says

By and Washington Poet Staff Writers Former. Attorney General John N. Mitchell and counsel John W. Dean III approved and helped plan the Watergate bugging operation, according to President Nixon's former special assistant, . 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 statement announcing "major developments" in the Water- Meanwhile, Ttle New. York gate case, said: "I have expressed to the appropriate au- Times_teported . its - editions 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 istration should be given immunity from prosecution." participation in,the Watergate The details of Magruder's visit to the prosecutors be- _ inquiry because the investiga- came known less than 24 hours- after President Nixon tion is focused on some of his made his remarks. y- past associates.' Jack -Hushen;..a The Presideht said he personally "began -intensive new 4: Justice Department spokesman, inquiries into this whole matter" on March 21, partly as a said "no comment" when asked result of "serious charges" that had come to his attention. •about • Ur report _last -night 'added: "If it happened, After .10 months of White. House denials of involve.: ••••", ••• it- is a common, everyday oc- ment of' presidential aides in the Watergate bugging and currance around the Justice De- other political espionage and sabotage, the President said partment" in cases involving Tuesday he will suspend "any person in the executive potential conflicts of interest. branch who .might be indicted by the grand jury." The Times quoted Mitchell as Magruder could not be reached for comment yester- . 'saying that Kleindienst's with- day. His attorney, James J. Bierbower; would not comment - last, night 'on the contents of story. drawal' is an "entirely appro. "I will confirm that he will testify before the grand jury priate and correct decision for when he is called," Bierbower said. ; Dick to have taken." Informed of the contents of the story last night, Gerald In addition, The Times said Warren, -deptity White House press secretaryr-issued the that Dean is reported by asso- following statement: "The White House is not prepared ciates to b'e ready to implicate to react to a story based on sources. At a (future) time others in the Watergate af- when the .rights of individuals would not be jeopardized fair if he is indicted_ by a_comment; an appropriate comment will be made." Magruder, 38! was choSen by the White House to coordinate Earlier yesterday, Ronald L. Ziegler,..White House-press President Nixon's 1972 inaugu- secretary; told reporters, "I'm not going to answer any ration. He has been a target of questions on the subject (Watergate) no matter how they the federal grand jury investi- are phrased." gation since it reopened its in- A spokesman for Mitchell, who has previously denied quiry last month. advance . knowledge ' of -the bugging, said the former He testified on Jan. 23 at Attorney General would have no comment on the story. the Watergate trial that he had no knowledge of the Watergate According to The Post's sources, Magruder provided bugging, but said that he help- the prosecutors with a first-hand account of a February, ed establish what was supposed 1972, meeting in Attorney General Mitchell's office to dis- to be a "legal" and "ethical" cuss and approve the illegal electronic eavesdropping oper- intelligence- gathering opera- 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- WATERGATE, From Al Dean has acknowledged to spirator Liddy to •rutt the operation. ' ation at the Watergate. At the others that he was involved ' in arranging the payments, Liddy, who is serving a jail time, Mitchell was the nation's sentence of at least six years chief law enforcement officer. one of the 'sources said; but he has maintained that he and eight months for his con Those who attended the was victicin, has repeatedly refused meeting were Mitchell, Dean, acting on orders. • FrederickX. -LaRue, a for- to cooperate with the federal Magruder and convicted Wa- mer White House aide and one investigation. tergate conspirator G. Gordon of Mitchell's most intimate as- Government investigators Liddy, . according to the sistants for years, was also in- considered Liddy's silence a --sources' account of Magruder's volved in the payments—re- roadblock to the new effort to statements. portedly totaling well over anawerthe many questions that Convicted Watergate con- remained after the Watergate spirator James W. McCord Jr. $100,000—the-sources-said. _ LaRue, who investigators trial. testified before the grand jury have said helped direct a Mitchell, the pipe - smoking and Senate Watergate com- "housecleaning" at' t h e re- former"attorney general, was mittee that he. was told' by : election committee in which a senior partner in a prestig- Liddy that .there was such a documents were destroyed af- ious 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- friends, and der's statements to the pro- The Post reported earlier mitahell was said . secutors provide. evidence, that this month that following the to be Mr. Nixon's most 'trusted can be used • to obtain convic- ' Watergate bugging, . LaRue adviser. tions, the sources said. received $70,000 in Nixon cam- Mitchell was Mr. Nixon's The prosecutors also have re- paign funds from the same campaign manager in 1968 and ceived statements from other account that financed the - il- assumed the post of attorney persons who- can testify that legal electronic eavesdrop- general in the first Nixon ad- Mitchell and Dean were in- ping. Federal investigators; ministration. volved in the arrangements` to are now attempting to learn' Mitchell resigned as attorn- pay the seven Watergate con- if that money was used to` ey general on March 1, 1972, pay the .Watergate conspira- to assume command of spirators for their silence, the tors for their silence. the sources said. j Nixon re-election effort. The 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 phone at his home in New spokesmen when asked wheth- that Dean is reported by asso- question, isn't it? That's what ciates to be ready to implicate York at the time, the former er presidential assistahts' were others in the Watergate af- Attorney General called the I keep asking myself." involved• in the Watergate af- fair if he is indicted. story "all that crap." The White House has said fair: • Magruder, 38 was chosen by A month later, however, that Mitchell met there Sun- , bean's name emerged again the White House to coordinate Clark _MacGregor, .....who..,, suc- day..with.ppesidentiaLassistant last March, during Senate con= President Nixon's 1972 inaugu- ceeded Mitchell as Mr. Nix- , but.' Mrs. firinatiOn- -hearings - on. the President's nomination of L. ration. He has been a target of on's campaign director, ac- Mitchell has continued. to in- the federal grand jury investi- knowledged that a cash fund Patrick Gray III to be per- sist that her husband saw the manent director of the FBI. gation since it reopened its in- existed, although he said it President. The purpose of the wiry last month. was not used for illegal or Gray disclosed that he had White House visit has not been turned over secret FBI files He testified on Jan. 23 at improper activities. MacGreg- disclosed by either Mitchell or the Watergate trial that he had or named Mitchell as one of on the Watergate case to Dean, the White House. and in, response: to question- io knowledge of the Watergate the officials who had access . Dean,- 34, worked for the bugging, but said that he help- to the fund. ing; agreed that. the presi- ?d establish what was supposed House Judiciary Committee dential counsel "probably" lied Increasingly in recent weeks, and for two years as associate to be a "legal". and "ethical!) Mrs. Mitchell, has complained when he told FBI investiga- ntelligence - gathering opera- director of the National Com- tors that. he - Would "have to bitterly that her husband was mission on Reform of Criminal Lion. being made a scapegoat in the check",, on. whether Hunt had Magruder testified that he Law. Shortly after Mr. Nixon's a White House office. Watergate affair. first' inauguration in uary,jan authorized 016 payment. 'of : In an interview with The On iVlarch 26, 'it was re- east $235,000 to. Watergate don- 1969, he was named an • as- ported 'that McCord—quoting New York Times published sociate deputy attorney. gen- Liddy--had named Dean and ,pirator Li d d y to run Ihe Tuesday, she repeated-her con- Teration. eral in the Justice Department Magruder as having advance vigtion that _ her husband is headed by Mitchell. Liddy, who is serving-a jail ., knowledge of the bugging. The innocent of any wrongdoing The next year, Mr. Nixon White House denied the sub- ;entence of at least six years ineyh Watergate affair. She Ind eight months for his cons brought Dean 'to the White stance of the allegation and said she insisted he leave House, installing him as said the President had "abso- fiction, has repeatedly refused Washington because of "the o cooperate with the federal counsel to the President. lute; total confidence" in Dean. dirty things going on there" Last Aug. 29 the President Late yesterday afternoon nvestigation. and-that-now- "they're all try Government investigators announced that, based or an President Nixon went to . his ing to pin 'this, hnn." ' - investigation by Dean, "no one mountain' retreat, Camp, Da- ionsidered Liddy's silence a Asked by -the . -oadblock to the new effort to rri e report-rt in the' White _House staff, no vid, accompanied by Halde- er, "Did you de1 hunt out in one in . this- 'adininistration, man and EhrlichmSn. The inswerthe many questions that time?" Mr's.. Mitchell aid,; -etnalned after the Watergate -"I presently' employed;',Vias 'in- White House said. the - Presi- don't know. I re 113t don't volved in this very bizarit.zin- Lrial. - . dent was expected 'to return Mitchell, the pipe - smoking know." ,. cident . . to ,Washington this morning.