U.S.A.: WATERGATE EVIDENCE FROM ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL PETERSEN DESCRIBED AS "DYNAMITE".

Record ID: 1064123

  • Title: U.S.A.: WATERGATE EVIDENCE FROM ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL PETERSEN DESCRIBED AS "DYNAMITE".
  • Date: 13th July 1974
  • Summary: 1. SVs Petersen at hearing (6 shots) 0.29 2. CU McClory speaks 0.51 3. CU Seiberling speaking 1.10 4. SVs & GVs Hearing (6 shots) 1.34 5. CU St. Clair speaking 2.29 SCHERER: "Henry Petersen, Assistant Attorney General and fierce defender of the Justice Department actions in the Watergate case, Petersen was today's witness before the committee, there to talk of the briefings he gave President Nixon after White House aides began talking to the Watergate Grand Jury. Petersen talked with the President about a dozen times, in mid and late April last year. His testimony was considered essential today in assessing the President's mood and attitude about a cover up long after the President had admitted knowing details of White House involvement." MCCLORY: "I think he's the most important witness because he was in direct personal contact with the President in connection with the Watergate investigation with regard to subjects relating to the break-in of Dr. Fielding's office, the Ellsberg doctor break-in, and these are subjects which are very critical to the whole impeachment inquiry." SEIBERLING: "I don't want to go into the details of Mr. Petersen's testimony because I think that would not be according to our rules, but if I could characterise the impression that I have on the testimony as a whole, I would do it in one word: "Dynamite". SCHERER: "Seiberling later softened his comments, simply to indicate that he was referring to the importance of those conversation, not any blockbusters from Petersen. The committee have made no final determination as yet, but indications from this afternoon's session are that there will be no public meetings, not even the climactic sessions later this month, when the committee will debate the actual articles of impeachment." ST. CLAIR: "I don't mean to imply by any means that they ought to ignore the evidence, because quite clearly they would not." QUESTION: "Do you think they'll recommend impeachment?" ST. CLAIR: "You know I have given up a long time ago, trying to figure out what a jury is going to do." QUESTION: "We had a report that Jerry Warren at the White House this morning indicated that he expected the committee would go for an impeachment. Does that change anything?" ST. CLAIR: "I don't know how he could form any such judgement. I'm quite prepared to abide the event." QUESTION: "But clearly the way he did it was by responding to a quesiton by saying that the President was aware of your remarks on the Hill, or Jerry Warren was aware of them, and that the President agreed with you that probably the committee would vote to recommend impeachement, but that he was confident that on the floor of the house the Preisdent would be vindicated." ST. CLAIR: "Well, I met with the President this morning and he didn't tell any such thing to me, so I can't comment." Initials BB/2002 TH/DW/BB/2021 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 27th July 1974 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Access Restrictions:This media cannot be downloaded as there may be copyright restrictions. Please contact us for more information
  • Location: WASHINGTON, U.S.A.
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAEOX8Q9ALC1H4141M7L0KO2CPU
  • Story Text:
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS - SOURCE TO BE VERIFIED
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register