Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 13, 1973 Testimony of Maurice Stans
Watergate Hearings: Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, June 13, 1973 Testimony of Maurice Stans
[00.28.30] Senator TALMADGE. I will ask the staff to give each member of the committee and the witness and the court reporter a copy of these documents for the, purpose of identification. Show Mr. Stans one, please, immediately, so he can begin refreshing his memory. Mr. STANS. Yes; I remember these memorandums. Senator TALMADGE. That is a document you wrote, both pages? Mr. STANS. Yes. Senator TALMADGE. Mr. Chairman, I ask that they be inserted in the record at this point and appropriately marked as an exhibit. Senator ERVIN. Let it be marked as an exhibit and received. [The document referred to was marked exhibit No. 30. [00.29.22] Senator TALMADGE. I will read part of it. "It will be necessary for us to establish a system of control over the purchasing and distribution of all articles, such as bumper strips, banners, pins, jewelry, and so forth," other details there. Page 21 "I think we need a lapel pin for our 1972 contributors," et cetera. Would that not indicate to you that you had more than a casual interest in the operations of the campaign? Mr. STANS. Let us take them one by one, Senator. The question of accounting for the sale of articles like, jewelry and pins and so forth was a new one. We never did that in previous elections, we did not do it in 1968. It Was customary for people running a store front location to get jewelry and sell it and put the proceeds into some purpose, locally. The new law changed that, It required us to account for every dollar of receipts, and being aware of that I told Mr. Sloan by this memorandum, in the second paragraph, "I would appreciate it if you would work with the campaign people in setting up a procedure for 1972." Now, I did not consider, I do not consider, this a detail. I consider it a rather important element, in our responsibility to account to the, General Accounting Office. Senator TALMADGE. NOW, that, Was dated February 28, 1972, was it not,? Mr. STANS. That is correct, sir. Senator TALMADGE. More than 2 months before the new accounting procedure contributions and disbursements went into effect April 7, 1972? Mr. STANS. About 5 weeks, Senator, yes. [00.31.12] Senator TALMADGE. Five weeks. Why would you consider so important the, matter of bumper strips and banners and pins and jewelry and so forth, and there on that board is over $1 million in cash disbursements unaccounted for? Mr. STANS. I did not get the question, Senator. Senator TALMADGE. The question is [laughter] why were you spending all your time worrying about bumper strips and right there on that board you have got deposits of $750,000 and disbursements of $1,777,000? You are considered to be one of the most able certified accountants in America, why did you worry about bumper strips instead of those funds? Mr. STANS. Well, Senator I suppose this is argumentative, I worried about bumper strips and Jewelry. The accounting for proceeds of sales of articles was an important responsibility under the statute, Now, most, of this, material on the chart, as we have already learned happened before April 6, only a few items on there happened after April 6, and there was no responsibility under the law on the Treasurer to account, for that money but he was accountable for the proceeds of sales of any Jewelry or items of that type. Senator TALMADGE. And didn't you send out an interoffice memo on May 3 stating that you were greatly concerned that thank you letters to contributors be sent out within 48 hours of the receipt -of the contribution? Mr. STANS. Yes, sir, I did consider that a very important function of the fundraising effort to see, that people were thanked very promptly Senator TALMADGE. I will ask the staff to show Mr. Stans; a copy of the next document and give a copy to each member of the committee staff, and I want to insert, that into the record appropriately numbered and marked the next exhibit. Senator ERVIN. Let the document be entered us an exhibit and marked with the appropriate number Senator TALMADGE. Mr. Stans, do you admit writing that memorandum also to Mr. Sloan? Mr. STAINS. Yes sir, I do. [00.33.37]