CONTACT REPORT FOR APPEARANCE OF ROBERT R. MULLEN & COMPANY EXECUTIVE, ROBERT F. BENNETT, BEFORE THE GRAND JURY

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03210463
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 14, 2020
• Case Number: F-2016-01299
• Publication Date: July 11, 1972

�
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SEC"-
(When F led In)
CONTACT REPORT .
ORGANIZATION (Name & hal address)
�
*
Robert R. Mullen and Company
� Washington D. C.
FILE NUMBER*.
.�
DATE*
11 July 1972 (W(1)
(b)(3)
NAME OF 'ONTACT
TITLE
DATE OF CuNTACT
Robert F. Bennett
President
10 July 1972
CONTACTED SY*
CCS/CCB � (b)(1),
PURPOSE OF CONTACT
(b)(3)
Appearance of Robert R. Mullen & Company Executive, Robert F. Bennett,
before the Grand Jury.
ACTION
REQUIRED
SUMMARY OF RESULTS*
1. Mr. Robert F. Bennett, president of Robert R. Mullen and
Comparly, if,at withl or OCS/COD impuit uu 10 July 1372, (W(1)
at Mr. Bennett's request. Mr. Bennett said that he Wished to bring (b)(3)
the Agency up to date on developments concerning E. Howard Hunt and
the "Watergate Five."
2. Mr. Bennett related that prior to his appearance at the Grand
Jury proceedings last week' he had received a-subpoena for the company
'records because of the employment of E. Howard Hunt by the company and
Mr. Hunt's involvement in the "Watergate 'Five" affair. Mr. Bennett
said that he brought with him to a private meeting before the hearing
only records relating directly to Mr. Hunt and that he had informed the
U. S. Attorney,- Mr. Siebert. (phonetic), that a van would be required to
bring all records of the company relating to matters in which Mr. Hunt
had became involved. Mr. Bennett advised the U. S. Attorney that he
was willing to bring in all the records if desired or specific additional
ones if requested. The U. S. Attorney was satisfied with the records
brought in by Mr. Bennett.
� 3. Mr. Slehe.rx then ,asked Mr. Bennett whether newspaper reports
that the company was involved with CIA were. true. Mr. Bennett resprnc:ed
that he had not scen any such stories. At this point another member of.
the U. S. Attorney's staff suggested to Mr. Siebert that he had confused
the newspaper items with information he had read in FBI reports. Mr.
.Siebert.conceded that this was probably true.
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EGHTINUE.ON SEPARATE SHEETS AS NECESSARY
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SECRET
4. Mr. Bennett said that inasmuch as it was obvious from the
FBI reports that the U. S. Attorney was aware that there is a
current relationship between the company and CIA, he had therefore
stated that the current Agency relationship has absolutely no con-
nection with the "Watergate Five" incident. During the approximate
one-hour meeting with the U. S. Attorney, they agreed upon the
questions which were to be asked and Mr. Bennett's responses. The
especially pertinent question related to the Mullen Company's
activities with the Agency upon mutual agreement was phrased "Is
your company working with the CIA in this Country?" Mr. Bennett
said that any question involving overseas association would have
required him to respond in the affirmative. By arrangement with
Mr. Siebert, this question was not asked. The Grand Jury questioning
of Mr. Bennett did reveal that the Mullen Company had done some work
for Radio Free Cuba in the 60's, but this was not considered unusual
in view of the political climate at the time. Mr. Bennett said that
he had been commended by Mr. Siebert for his forthright responses
and behavior during the hearing.
54 Concerning the appearance of Douglas Caddy before the Grand
Jury, Mr. Bennett said that if Caddy had stopped his recitation when
he said he had no knowledge of the association between CIA and the
Mullen Company there would not have been repercussions caused by
his unnecessary additional comment that he had intimations that the
company did work for CIA. It then became necessary for Mr. Caddy
to say he was unable to discuss the "intimations."
6. Mr. Bennett believes that there is now no danger to the two
cover arrangements presently in being unless Mr. Hunt "spills his
guts." He suggested that Hunt might take one or two courses. He
could either take the Fifth Amendment and take his lumps, including
possible imprisonment or because he is somewhat of an egotist, he
could just go on and become a nationally and internationally famous
person. Apart from his concern over tha nature of Mr. Hunt's possi-
ble revelations, Mr. Bennett was thoroughly relaxed and prepared to
continue the present cover arrangement.
7. Mr. Bennett plans to be at the Democratic Convention in
Miami from Monday night through Friday, 14 July. He expects that
Mr. Mullen will return from his trip to the Far East on the afternoon
or evening of Tuesday, 11 July.
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LJ�1.-r;...!LLASSIF1EU
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Z6i1ILy � ll Ltd NAL
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT; Ationol)
FROM:
Chief: Central Lover Staff
TO: tOcee designation, room (ember, and
build
Deputy Director for
PInns 3-C-2016
2.
3.
4.
5.
DATE
RECEIVED FORWARDED
EGENSION
OFFICER'S
INITIALS
NO.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
1
13.
14.
15.
ATE
1 March 1973
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
tD whom. Draw 0 line OCCOSS column otter each comment.)
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1 March 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Plans
SUBJECT
: Current Time Magazine Investigation of
Robert RT7TEllen & Company Connection
with the Watergate Incident
1. Mr. Robert R. Mullen, president of Robert R. Mullen
Company, telephoned CCS on the morning of 28 February to
advise us that Sandy Smith, a reporter from Time Magazine,
was in the Mullen office late on 27 February. Smith started
off by saying that "a source in the Justice Department" had
informed him that the company "is a front for CIA." Mr.
Mullen denied the allegation stoutly, said the company clients
are all legitimate and offered to let Smith inspect the
company books. MY. Mull ,aid Lhat. his intuition was that
Smith was on a fishing expedition and really had nothing to
substantiate his suspicions.
2. Smith had many questions concerning Howard Hunt,
such as how he secured Mullen employment and his salary.
Mullen told him the company paid him a salary initially and
later on a consultant basis when Hunt began to work for The
Committee to Re-elect The President. Smith wondered about
Hunt's source of income as there is no record in above
Committee's records of payments to Hunt. Mullen informed
Smith that one source of Hunt's income was a government
pension which, according to Hunt, was sizeable.
3. Mullen told Smith that Bob Bennett, partner of Mr.
Mullen who was on a business trip to California, really knew
most about Hunt's later period of Mullen employment. Mullen
could not show Smith records concerning Hunt as they are in
possession of the U. S. attorney.
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�
4. Bob Mullen again telephoned CCS at 1650 hours on
28 February 1973 as a follow up to his morning call, as
reported above.
S. Sandy Smith, the Time reporter, was in again in the
late afternoon and told Mr. Mullen that he had just seen,
through an FBI contact, a paper allegedly personally delivered
by a high official of CIA to Mr. Pat Gray, Acting Director of
the FBI, during the height of the Watergate flap and investi-
gation of Howard Hunt last summer.
6. It was evident that Smith at least knew of the
existence of such a document, but Mr. Mullen could only guess
that Smith had not seen it long enough to digest it, or it
said so Little that Smith is trying.to develop more information.
7. Mr. Mullen continued to deny being associated with
the Agency in any way except for the Cuban Freedom Committee,
which connection had been admitted by Bob Bennett in June to
the news media and U. S. attorney. 'Smith told Mullen, whom
he has known for years because of some association in New York,
that he is now in his "corner," but would be most unhappy if
he ascertains that Mullen is not leveling with him. Mullen
does not trust Smith and is certain Smith will write up what-
ever he develops. Presumably Time would publish the article.
8. Mullen would like to know what exactly we gave the
FBI so that he can tell Smith what he already seemingly knows
from our memorandum to the FBI, or at least know how to best
cope with Smith. Mr. Mullen requested that our reply be give0X1)
him during the evening of 28 February. (b)(3)
9. Attached is a copy of the 21 June 1972 Memorandum for
the Acting Director of the FBI from the Office of Security (�WO)
concerning Robert R. Mullen Company. Possession of the contenl,0,
of this memorandum by Mr. Smith could be very damaging to the "-').m
Agency and the company. The last sentence of Para. 4 states
"Mr. Hunt was aware of present cover placements under
Robert R. Mullen and Company." Paragraph 5 relates that
Mullen company employees have been witting of the company's ties
with the Agency. Paragraph 7 states "In view of the extreme
sensitivity of this information concerning the current use of
Robert R. Mullen Company, it is requested that this report be
tightly controlled and not be disseminated outside your Bureau."
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�
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
10. (-ices nid thp Crg case officer for
the Mullen Company, discussed the (W(1)
above with Mr. William E. Colby and Mr. Cord Meyer, Jr. at (b)(3)
approximatelv 1800 hours on 28 February. It was agreed that
Mr. Colby would recommend to the DCI, Mr. Schlesinger, that
Messrs. Mullen and Bennett be allowed to read the 21 June �
1972 memorandum to the FBI and that they be asked to continoR
to deny any allegation of association with the Agency, and (W(1)
state in effect that there was no relationship, and if ther&O)
were, it, of course, would not be admitted. Mr. Schlesinger
.did endorse the proposed course of action. (W(1)
(b)(3)
� 11. Messrs. of
CCS met with Messrs. Ralph Hatry and Charles Beckman of NOCAD (b)(1)
at 0840 hours on 1 March to inform them of developments which (b)(3)
endanger , who is Under cove of the
company in It was decided that would
further discuss with Mr. Mullen and Mr. Bennett, who had (W(1)
returned to his office, the Smith visits, allow them to read(b)(3)
the 21 June memorandum to the FBI and propose the immediate
return of to the United States and termination of (W(1)
the cover arrangement, the last with the company as the (b)(3)
cover was terminated in August 1972.
(b)(1)
12. Mr. and Mr. Mullen met near the Watergate(b)(3)
and proceeded to Mr. Mullen's apartment in The Watergate
through a rear entrance to The Watergate. Mr. Bennett joined(b)(1)
them shortly and both read the memorandum. It developed that(b)(3)
Mr. Bennett had been present during the second meeting with
Mr. Smith. Messrs. Bennett and Mullen both were of the opinion
that Smith had not seen the memorandum. They suggested that he
had only heard of its existence or had seen an FBI report which
summarized the memorandum and said only that the company had
provided cover for the Agency. They felt that� if he had seen
the memorandum, he would not have re-visited them or would have
accused them on the rather specific information contained in
the memorandum. They said they would continue to deny any
association with the Agency other than the already, acknowledged
relationship with the Cuban Freedom Committee.
13. They related that they told Smith he was beating a
dead horse and that the Washington Star, Washington Post and
Los Angeles Times had already investigated and conclITMT that
fEFMi1len Company was not involved in the Watergate affair or
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the allegation that the CIA had instigated the Watergate Affair.
It was an intriguing theory which just died. Mr. Bennett said
that he recently spent four hours in Los Angeles being inter-
viewed by a Newsweek reporter and had convinced him that the
Mullen Company was not involved with the Watergate Affair. Mr.
Bennett rather proudly related that he is responsible for the
article "Whispers about Colson" in the 5 March issue of Newsweek.
Mr. Bennett does not believe the company will be bothera much
more by the news media which is concluding that "the company is
clean and has gotten a bum rap while the real culprits are
getting scot free." Mr. Bennett said also that he has been
feeding stories to Bob Woodward of the Washington Post with the
the understanding that there be no attribution to "EFriliett.
Woodwood is suitably grateful for the fine stories and by-lines
which he gets and protects Bennett (and the Mullen Company).
Typical is the article "Hunt Tried to Recruit Agent to Probe
Senator Kennedy's Life" on page A16 of the Saturday, February
10, 1973, Washington Post. Mr. Bennett mentioned the 12 February
1973 meeting among hiTTITFTf, Mullen and when he stated h0)(1)
opinion that the Ervin Committee investigating the Watergate (b)(3)
incident would not involve the company. He said that, if
necessary, he could have his father, Senator Bennett of Utah,
intercede with Senator Ervin. His conclusion then was that he
could handle the Ervin Cummittee if the Agency can handle
Howard Hunt.
14. Mr. Bennett reported that he is well acquainted with
,a Charlotte, N. C. attorney named McConnell to whom Senator
Ervin offered the position of Chief Investigator of the Con-
gressional Committee investigating the Watergate incident. Mr.
McConnell, according to Bennett, declined the offer because he
is a millionaire in his own right and doesn't need to put up
with all the grief associated with such a position. Mr. Bennett
said he asked McConnell to inform Senator Ervin that Mullen,
Bennett and the company are 100% clean of any involvement in
the Watergate. Bennett is certain that Senator Ervin has no
desire for revelation of legitimate arrangements or to harm the
Agency and would avoid questions concerning our overseas cover
'placements. Mr. McConnell subsequently told Bennett that he and
Senator Ervin were the only passengers on a private plane
recently and he discussed Bennett, et al, as requested by
Bennett. Mr. McConnell believes Senator Ervin accepted his
comments and will not attempt to furthLr involve the Vullen
Company people, Bennett believes he and his Agency affiliations
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(W
will not be raised again. He has the Ervin Committee shut off] /I:0131
and feels the Agency has the responsibility to persuade Howard' 1' '
Hunt to avoid revealing what he knows of the history of cover
arrangements with the company. Bennett and Mullen further (W(1)
suggested that the Agency "plug the 1Lak" in the FBI and/or (b)(3)
Department of Justice.
(WY
15. At this time the Agency proposal to brina
back PCS prior to 10 March with the legend that has (b)(3)
become disenchanted with the company, does not like the change, .
in ownership from Mullen to Bennett, and has several job pro-
posals he wishes to pursue was then set forth. They said that(b)(3)
on the contrary Bennett and get along very well and
is deeply involved in a Bennett project described as(b)(1)
the ART FUND which purchases and sells paintings and works of (b)(3)
art. Bennett said that and his wife persuaded him
to permit them to invest personal funds in the project and thm(1)
is devoting considerable time to it. It would do (b)(3
Bennett and the company serious financial damage if
were not permitted to continue. It is especially important
that he be at the Art Show in Denmark from 1,-,Ma-y- to 15 June (W(1)
1973. (b)(3)
16. They proposed that they request to return (W(1)
next week for consultation. The company has lost the Morman (b)(3)
Church account to which devoted some time, and new (b)(14
accounts are being acquired. could be kept away (W(3)
from the D. C. area by immediately assigning him to prepare
the SUMMA Summit Conference in late April in Las Vegas. Summa(b)(1)
consists of the top executives of the Howard Hughes companies (W(3)
and is the successor in the Hughes empire to the Hughes Tool
Company, which was sold. , with his extensive overseas (b)(1)
experience, might also be a speaker. The Summa Conference will (b)(3)
be a "dry run" for similar conferences which the Mullen Company
is planning to do in representative West Coast cities to
acquaint top West Coast executives with matters of interest such
as pending legislation, overseas competition and the like.
Bennett believes that if May 1 passes without any serious (W(1)
compromise, then nothing will happen. , could then (b)(3)handle the Art Show in Denmark from 1,4i4W-Co 15 June and then
to or if we prefer to where the company (WO)
has business interests sufficient to support Mr
Mullen also recalled our proposal of two years ago for (bX3)
2�-�rm
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(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
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'ry
Mullen and Bennett took the position that while it was easy
to�ascribe the opening and closing of the office(b)(1)
to ai x difficult to
in where "has' '
been trumpeted" among tnelr clients, D115111Ub5 px-vbpur...L. and
in their literature. It would hurt badly and cost lots of
money to end this one.
(W(1)
17. broached the possibility of the company (b)(3)
continuing as a legitimate employee if the Agency
should be unable tn InritP an appropriate assignment for himPX1)
Mullen said that does not possess qualifications (b)(3)
such as the ability to write, which are requisite i the
(WO)
relations field, but is an excellent businessman,
asked whetherL might assist in servicing the Hughes (13)(3)
account. Bennett responded that the Hughes account cannot
stand further expenses and some new clients would need to be(WO)
(bp)
obtained to support the legitimate employment of
The proposal was not rejected, but it was evident that the (W(1)
company prefers the current arrangement which is supported (b)(3)
almost entirptv by 1.4e Agency. Mullen and Benett both like '
and might employ him if and admire em lov-(b)(1)
ment with the Agency terminates. It was learned that (b)(1)p)(3)
discussed with Mullen the possibility of resigning(b)(3)
� from the Agency to accept legitimate Mullen Company employuent
if the company needs so warranted. (W(1)
(b)(3)
18. Concerning the omployment of Howard Hunt in May 1970.
Bennett said smugly that he wasn't responsible and Mullen (W(1)
wishes now that he had not hired him. He recalled that as 11(b)(3)
of the Mar 25 ears a o he became acquainted
ice o ersonne approacle
qua i ications needed by Hunt for public relations work and
possible leads for employment for Hunt who was retiring from
the Agency. 'Mullen stated that "twisted my arm pretty
hard" and he hired Hunt. Mullen e ie ed that DCI, Helms, (W(1).
wished him to employ Hunt, especially after receipt of a (b)(3)
splendid letter of recommendation of Hunt from Mr. Helms who
later personally expressed his appreciation to Mr. Mullen for
hiring Hunt. Mr. Mullen said he honestly believed, as a.result
of the pressure exerted by that the Agency wished him
to resolve problems attendant to Hunt's retirement by hiring
Hunt (W(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
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tu..1
19. The meeting concluded with Bennett stating that if
cover employment with Mullen is terminated before (W(1)
the mid-June ending of the Art Show in Denmark, it will hurt (b)(3)
Bennett badly and cost him lots of money. Both then commented
that they were "not letting the Agency down. Don't you let us
down."
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
Chiefs Central Cover Staff
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� MEMMIANDUM FOR: The Acting Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Mr. Arnold L. Parham
Robert R. Mullen Company
ATTENTION
SUBJECT
1. Referectce is made to the verbal request of 20 June 1972
for any available information concerning the Robert R. Mullen
Company and Interprogresc.
2. The utilization of Robert R. Mullen and Company dates
back to June 1963, and grew out of the recommendation of a long
time cooperative CIA asset. Mr. Mullen has provided certain
sensitive cover support overseas for Agency employees.
3. In addition. Mr. Mullen was instrumental in the formation
of the Cuban Freedom Committee. Mr. Mullen managed to keep a
low profile, and avoided public identification with it, except that Me
company prepared some brochures for the commitree. Mr. Mullen
was also utilized by the Agency because of his affiliation with another
private firm.
4. As of 1 May 1970, Mr. Everette Howard Hunt, who had
just retired from the Central Intelligence Agency, became a
legitimate employee of Lir. Mullen. In July 1971, Mr. Hunt
informed .this Agency that he had been assigned to the President's
White House Staff but continued to devote part of his time to the
Robert R. Mullen Company. Mr. Hunt was aware of two present
cover placements under Robert R. Mullen and Company.
1..) �
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1.
1. Since 1963. a total of people of the Mullen Company
have been cleared and made witting of Agency tics. mainly in
providing CIA Cover overseas. It is to be noted that
is a retired CIA
Finance Officer.
� 6. Interprogres is a new subsidiary of the Mullen Company
formed in 1971, as a .result of contacts developed at the Zagreb
Trade Fair in Yugoslavia. It is a pilot operation aimed at expanding
East-West commercial relationships. At least two overseas assets
have tangential tasks of promoting the acceptance of this company
as a Mullen subsidiary.
7. in view of the extreme sensitivity of this information
concerning the current use of the Robert R. Mullen Company, it is
requested that this report be tightly controlled and not be
disseminated outside your Bureau. Please transmit any information
on this matter to the attention of the Director of Security.
FOR THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE:
Howard 3. Osborn
Director of Security
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ptinch� bi-gger guns were being _ __around-the-ClOek
up at the weekend, Wisconsin Sen. (Approved for Release: 2020/08/14 C03210463
lord Nelson and New York Sen. Jacob
javits were working up a job training and
community services bill to earmark Fed-
eral revenue-sharing funds for the sev-
ered agencies, thus salvaging at least
some of the Community Action programs.
WATERGATE:
Whispers About Colson
Can the political espionage and sabo-
tage operation that came to grief in
last year's Watergate bugging fiasco be
traced to President Nixon's senior White
House staff? Most of the impetus for find-
ing out has come, predictably, from the
Democrats, who were the targets then
and are the potential beneficiaries now.
But lately, out of a mixture of motives
ranging from private grudges to party
loyalty, some Republicans of impeccable
pedigree have joined the quest for an-
swers�and the man increasingly in the
crosshairs is the President's special coun-
sel, Charles W. Colson.
Though his name has flickered at the
edges of the story almost from the start,
Colson, 41, has acknowledged little more
than that he promoted a White House
job for star Waterbugger E. Howard
Hunt in 1971. His avowed purpose was
to plug news leaks within the Adminis-
tration, not to spy on the opposition.
But well-wired Republican sources told
NEWSWEEK'S Nicholas Horrock last week
that it was Colson who directed Hunt
that year to work up a dossier on Sen.
Edward M. Kennedy, with special at-
tention to the 1969 Chappaquiddick
tragedy. That spring, these sources said,
Colson told Hunt that he was in position
to plant a woman in a sensitive secretari-
al job in Sen. Edmund Mutkie's campaign
for the Democratic nomination. His as-
serted marching order to Hunt: find "the
right girl" for the job.
Intimate: What came of these two
alleged exercises in gumshoeing is un-
clear. No tale about Kennedy was ever
directly traced to Colson, though friends
were surprised through the year at how
intimately informed Colson was about
the senator's activities at almost any giv-
en time. Neither is there any evidence
that a secretary was infiltrated into Mus-
kie's -headquarters. Hunt did manage to
slip a student named -Thomas Gregery
into first Muskie's and later George Mc-
Governs campaign entourage. But Greg-
ory, according to one Federal investi-
gator, "just didn't seem to get very juicy
stuff." The objective in planting a secre-
tary, said an insider, was precisely to
raise the juice quotient�to get at a
whole range of material from sensitive
Strategy papers to the private behavior
and moods of the candidate.
Hunt and his operatives were by no
means Colson's only pipeline to what the
.opposition was up to, sources said. He
ss ss e:: ...sonnLvted with another, hither-
unpublicized Republican intelligence
the campaign on the eighth tioor at
the headquarters of the Committee for
the Re-election of the President. The
nominal intent of this "tracking" opera-
tion was tame enough: getting McGov-
ern's.,eaeepaign sche4,1e4oe the White
House by 8:15 every morning so Mr.
Niecon's strategists could schedule spe k-
ers and time their hest shots accordingly.
Btet- its style was cloak-and-daggery, GOP
soaarces said, and its last chief, Edward
W. Failor, a Colson ally who took over
the watch after the Watergate bugging
case broke, told NEWS'WEEK that sched-
uling was only a small part of his opera-
tion. He contributed informed advice as
well at the daily meetings of Colson's
White House "attack group"�the strat-
ew panel charged with keeping McGov-
ern on the defensive.
'The mission of the watch, GOP sourc-
es said, was "living with" McGovern,
Sargent Shriven and their top staffers 24
Lours a day and securing not only itin-
sal..., Hunt relayed to Colson the theory
that the centerpiece in the case�a dam-
aging memo by ITT lobbyist Dita Beard
�might have been forged. "Hot damn!"
Colson is said to have exclaimed: he
decided subsequently that the White
House couldn't go directly to 117 with
this proposition, NEWSWEEK'S source said
but with or without his prompting, Senat
Minority Leader Hugh Scott made tli
forgery charge public. And Colson him
self, according to The Washington Post
has told Federal investigators that h
once dispatched Hunt to visit Mrs
Beard in her hospital room in Denver
Colson wasn't asked why, but the mis
sion was clearly delicate; Hunt is said t
have undertaken it with an alias (Ed
ward Hamilton), a pair of dark glasse
and a slightly askew dime-store red wig
Colson, who has flatly denied knowin
anything at all about the Watergat
case, Was abroad last week on Whit
House business�a final major assign
merit before his impending return to pn
vate law practice�end could not b
� "..11.
UPI Pflutuo
In the eroashairs: Hunt (left), Colson
eraries but "anything else they could
learn." The headquarters staff, these
sources said, operated under aliases and
collected data from spies in McGovern
campaign offices across the country; one
agent made a special trip from California
to Washington during the primaries to
brief CRP on the inner workings of he
McGovern operation. The watch office,
oine source told NrwswEEK's Evert
Clark, "was one that all those guys like
Gregory were plugged into"�and for a
time before Watergate it was headquar-
imrs for Hunt's spymaster, Gordon Liddy.
The tales of a Colson connection ex-
tended beyond political intelligence to
political trouble-shooting, memorably in
Last year's flap over whether an Inter-
national Telephone and Telegraph Corp.
offer to help underwrite the GOP na-
tional convention had anything to do
with an antitrust settlement favorable to
the: compaiiy. In mid-flurry, an insider
Approved for Release: 2020/08/14 C03210463
reached by NEWSWEEK to respond to
latest stories. He may be surprised o
his return at who has been telling the
Some of the Republican leakage m
have come from people with person
scores to settle. Others might have be
Moved by pure Byzantine politics, ho
lag to blunt the coming Congressioe
inquiry into Watergate by getting a se
nario�and a scapegoat�into the pape
piecemeal in advance. But still othe
seemed genuinely concerned about ti
continuing damage of the scandal to t
party and the Administration as we
Two likely prospects have turned do
White House staff jobs because of W
tergate, and 'a third person�a Nixon a
pointee to a regulatory agency�is qt
ling largely in discouragement over
handling. In this atmosphere, there a
solid Nixonians who believe that t
case must he fin0,y I.1d to vnt�even
the cost of sacrificing one oi their us