KF24 COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY HAROLD D. DONOHUE, Massachusetts ROBERT W. KASTENMEIER, Wisconsin EDWARD MEZVINSKY, Iowa Copy 2 EDWARD HUTCHINSON, Michigan CHARLES E. WIGGINS, California DAVID W. DENNIS, Indiana HAMILTON FISH, JR., New York WILEY MAYNE, Iowa LAWRENCE J. HOGAN, Maryland HAROLD V. FROEHLICH, Wisconsin Monday, July 22, 1974 (executive session). Monday, July 22, 1974 (business meeting). Monday, July 22, 1974 (executive session). Tuesday, July 23, 1974 (business meeting). (III) IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY Executive Session THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1974 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:25 a.m., in room 2141, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Peter W. Rodino, Jr. (chairman) presiding. Present: Representatives Rodino (presiding), Donohue, Brooks, Kastenmeier, Edwards, Hungate, Conyers, Eilberg, Waldie, Flowers, Mann, Sarbanes, Seiberling, Danielson, Drinan, Rangel, Jordan, Thornton, Holtzman, Owens, Mezvinsky, Hutchinson, McClory, Smith, Sandman, Railsback, Wiggins, Dennis, Fish, Mayne, Hogan, Butler, Cohen, Lott, Froehlich, Moorhead, Maraziti, and Latta. Impeachment inquiry staff present: John Doar, special counsel; Albert E. Jenner, Jr., special counsel to the minority; Samuel Garrison III, deputy minority counsel; Bernard W. Nussbaum, senior associate special counsel; Evan A. Davis, counsel; Richard H. Gill, counsel; R. L. Smith McKeithen, counsel; James B. F. Oliphant, counsel; George Rayborn, counsel; Hillary D. Rodham, counsel; Gary W. Sutton, counsel; William A. White, counsel; Fred G. Folsom, tax consultant; Robert McGraw, investigator; and Jonathan Flint, research assistant. Committee staff present: Jerome M. Zeifman, general counsel; Garner J. Cline, associate general counsel; and Franklin G. Polk, associate counsel. Also present: James D. St. Clair, special counsel to the President; John A. McCahill, assistant special counsel. The CHAIRMAN. Before we proceed, before we hear from Mr. Doar, I would like to take this opportunity to extend a happy birthday wish to our counsel, Mr. Albert Jenner. I know that even though this is another year, he is as young and as blithe in spirit as anything. So many happy returns of the day. [Applause.] Mr. JENNER. Mr. Chairman, for the convenience of the members, you have received two documents in your envelope. They go in tab 49 i [50] in the book and tab 62 [63]. Tab 62 [63] is the letter from 2 1 NOTE.-The tab numbers cited throughout the three volumes of executive sessions refer to paragraphs in previously printed publications of the Committee on the Judiciary entitled "Statement of Information" consisting of 12 books containing 21 separate volumes and "Statement of Information Submitted on Behalf of President Nixon", 4 books, all released by the Committee on the Judiciary during July and August, 1974. 2 The paragraphs of book IV were renumbered prior to publication. The numbers in brackets refer to the paragraph numbers in the printed volume." Mr. Cox to Mr. Shaffer and paragraph 49 [50] is the court of appeals decision. Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Chairman, I would like to direct an inquiry to the Chair. On national television last night, Mr. St. Clair advocated that all of the presentment to date made over the past 4 or 5 weeks by the staff to the committee be made public, be put on the public record. My question to the Chair is is this a request in writing from Mr. St. Clair on behalf of the respondent? The CHAIRMAN. Well, the Chair will advise the gentleman that so far as he recollects, Mr. St. Clair sometime back-I do not recall when, but there was a letter that was addressed to the Chair by Mr. St. Clair, in which he pointed out that there had been some material that had been leaked out, to use the word. I do not know that he used that word, but that was the tenor of the letter, and in the light of those leaks, that they were prejudicial and that Mr. St. Clair made a request of the committee that we would not only conduct our sessions in public view and openly, but that we would also make public whatever material had been developed. I believe that that was the letter that was addressed to us sometime ago. Do you recall, Mr. Doar? Mr. DOAR. Yes; we did receive such a letter that all material received in executive session be made public. We received that letter. The CHAIRMAN. But the committee, of course, decided otherwise. Mr. EDWARDS. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. Of course, remember, this is going to be an item that is going to be discussed in one of the business meetings that will be, I think, taking place sometime early next week, the question as to whether or not material will be made public, what material, if any, will be made public that has been developed in these executive sessions. Before asking Mr. Doar to proceed with today's presentation, I would like to call attention to the fact that this morning's report respecting the deductions taken by the President for the gift of papers contains 10 exhibits of documents which we have obtained from the IRS. I would like to point out that in my judgment, it would be improper to release these documents at this time. The committee members, I know, must have these in connection with the report that is in front of the book. However, there has been a recommendation on the part of counsel-I believe that it is absolutely imperative that we take the report respecting the deductions out of the front of the book and then have them pick up the notebooks at the end of the presentation so that these do not get out to the newspapers. I think when the committee votes what documents to make public, it can then review these documents and edit them and summarize them in whatever way they feel they want to make them available for publication if the committee so decides. I would seriously advise every member in the light of what has been, I am sure, called to the attention of everyone here, the fact that the question of leaks has become something that I think every member of this committee ought to view very seriously, since I must say that I believe it is not only unfortunate, but I think it is doing the committee a great disservice. |