Chapter Notes

Chapter 1

June 1972

Introduction to burglary (June 17, 1972); introduction to Woodward/Bernstein; court hearing/arraignment for 5 burglars; James McCord; E. Howard Hunt (Woodward calling him at Robert Mullen Company, Hunt saying "Good God!", Bennett; Hunt-CIA connection); DNC lawsuit for $1 million against CRP; Hunt-Colson connection (connecting Hunt to White House)

Chapter 2

July, August 1972

Woodward investigating Hunt-Colson connection; question of WH involvement arises; Nixon public comment: WH is not involved in Watergate; Bennett: organizer of 100 dummy campaign committees to funnel money into CRP; Mitchell began in-house investigation, resigned shortly after; contact in Colson's office knew Hunt; Hunt research into Ted Kennedy; story about this in July; Hunt disappeared after call from Woodward; story in Newsweek about Liddy being fired by Mitchell in July for not answering questions abt Watergate; phone records for Hunt subpoenaed by Miami prosecutor; Bernstein met with him in Miami, got info on $89k in checks deposited into Barker's (a burglar) bank acct, plus additional $25k check; checks were money deposited into Barker's acct in Miami, $89k were from Mexican lawyer, $25k was from Dahlberg; Dahlberg was Midwest campaign head, said money was raised for Nixon campaign, handed money off to Sloan or Stans in April

Chapter 3

July (?), August 1972

Woodward got denial from Michell's successor (as campaign manager), MacGregor; Woodward confirmed that Dahlberg had given check to Stans; no report of this from Stans to the Federal Elections Division of General Accounting Office (GAO); investigation by GAO initiated; Sloan (resigned CRP treasurer) not available; GAO found big slush fund, ~$100k, overseen by Liddy; MacGregor publicly shifted responsibility to Liddy; during Republican National Convention (August), GAO report was scheduled to be released same day Nixon was nominated as candidate; Stans managed to delay report release date; Judge Richey (judge in civil suit, Democrats vs. CRP) reversed a decision and made all testimony sealed (it couldn't be opened until after the election); Stans told GAO the Mexican money came from Texas; Bernstein tried to track down Texas Committee chairman Robert Allen (also president of Gulf Resources nad Chemical Co.), went to Miami again, found out from Dardis (Miami prosecutor) that Allen's lawyer described Nixon campaign money laundering technique; Stans would cover the map asking for money, before the date of the new campaign finance law; money was laundered through Meixco to protect identities of Democrats contributing to Republican campaign, allow corporations to contribute to campaign (forbidden by law), and to allow for money from underground organizations (like the Mob); converted checks/money into cash in Mexico, transferred cash to Washington to CRP; Allen's lawyer estimated amount laundered thru Mexico $750k; GAO report released, estimated slush fund amt at $350k; Nixon held press conf. from CA, claimed violations on BOTH sides, claimed Dean's Watergate investigation found no one presently employed in WH was involved in Watergate; Woodward/Bernstein started to knock on doors of CRP personnel at night to interview them; found out key people who would know about Watergate bugging operation were not interviewed by FBI; Bernstein met with The Bookkeeper; she was accountant, kept track of money in/out of slush fund kept in Stans' safe; indictment of 7 (Hunt, Liddy, and 5 burglars) handed down; FBI contact claimed case was closed

Chapter 4

August, September 1972

Deep Throat introduced; he revealed that Stans' safe slush fund paid the Watergate burglars, that several assistants of Mitchell controlled the fund; Liddy received money from the fund; records of accounts destroyed; Sloan resigned due to his suspicions about Watergate; Post story published about Mitchell's assistants controlling fund; Woodward and Bernstein met with The Bookkeeper (September); confirmed that Liddy, McGruder, and Porter received money from fund; Deep Throat told Woodward that WH was angry about Mitchell story, wanted to track down Post's sources; confirmed that Liddy and McGruder both got > $50k; Post article with that info; no conclusive connection between secret slush fund and Watergate burglary; Bernstein met with Sloan; Liddy and McGruder got $300k from fund; connection between WH and CRP very close (same people, CRP takes its orders from the WH); Post article that Mitchell's assistants Mardian and LaRue directed a massive house cleaning after Watergate, destroyed documents, records, wiretaps, fund ledgers/books, incriminating evidence before FBI investigation began; Mardian and LaRue also directed committee's response to FBI investigators; Attorney General Kleindienst said in interview that if documents were destroyed, an obstruction of justice might have taken place

Chapter 5

September, October 1972

Woodward, Bernstein believed signs pointed to Mitchell; he was involved with CRP even after firings; reporters met with Sloan, found out 5 people had authorization over fund; Mitchell, Stans (Stans would call Mitchell, AG at the time, for disbursement permission), and MacGruder; of the remaining 2, 1 was WH staff, 1 was outsider, not Washingtonian; suspected Colson, Erlichman, Haldemann; since Colson was too careful and Erlichman not involved in campaign, Haldemann was logical choice; Sloan did not confirm Haldemann; Berstein guessed last person was Kalmbach, Nixon's personal lawyer in CA; called FBI source, would not confirm Haldemann; Post article published about Mitchell's control of secret fund, and his approval of fund withdraws as AG, fingering Stans and MacGruder as the two others able to authorize withdraws; unusual phone call between Berstein and Mitchell (JEEEEEEEESUS); the Post was making Grad Jury testimony public, calling Mitchell a crook, stakes for Post were being raised; Bernstein got permission to run Mitchell's comments from Bradlee; Powell (CRP press director) tried to talk Bernstein out of publishing Mitchell's comments, called Bradlee and tried to talk Bradlee out of publishing Mitchell's comments; LA Times published interview with Alfred Baldwin, firsthand account of Watergate bugging operation (October 4th)

Chapter 6