THE
Summer EDaily
Vol. LXXXIl1, No. 51 -S Ann Arbor, Michigan-Tuesday, July 31, 1973 Ten Cents Twelve Pages
Haldeman admits he's
heard Natergate tapes
Asserts Nixon will be exonerated
WASHINGTON OP) -- H. R. Halde-
man, once President Nixon's closest
aide, said yesterday he had listened
to tape recordings of two crucial
meetings in the White House and
that they do not support assertions
by John Dean that the President
knew of the Watergate cover-up.
"Certainly Mr. Dean did not advise
him of it at the Sept. 15 meeting,
said Haldeman, formerly Nixon's
chief of staff, in a lengthy opening
statement read to the Senate Water-
gate committee. Dean has said re-
marks the President made at a meet-
ing in September 1972 indicated to
him that Nixon was aware of the
cover-up.
HALDEMAN said he also listened to the
tape of a meeting last March 21, which
Dean said was the occasion when he told
Nixon the entire Watergate story.
Haldeman said Dean gave Nixon a run-
down on the break-in and said no one
from the White House was involved, then
told Nixon about funds paid out to de-
fendants for their lawyers and families.
Dean also reported on a blackmail
threat from defendant E. Howard Hunt
and said it could cost $1 million.
HALDEMAN said the President respond-
ed that "there is no problem in raising a
million, but it would be wrong."
Dean had testified simply that Nixon
said there would be no problem raising the
million.
Haldeman said Nixon asked leading
questions to try to get Dean's viewpoint
and said "this was often the President's
way of doing things.
LIKE JOHN Ehrlichman, who preceded
him as a witness before the committee,
Haldeman insisted that Nixon will be
cleared when the facts are out.
"I have full confidence when the entire
truth is known it will be clear to the Amer-
ican people that President Nixon had no
knowledge of either the Watergate affair
itsself or a subsequent cover-up," Halde-
man said.
"It will be equally clear I had no such
knowledge or involvement." Haldeman's
disclosure that he had heard the tapes of
the two meetings was the first indication
that anyone but the President has heard a
replay. The recordings, made automatic-
ally in the President's office, .have been
the subject of a constitutional argument
See HALDEMAN, Page 10
Stauden meier
returning to
Ann Arbor?
-See Story
Pag-e 3
A bit of medieval nostalgia
Two rogues, far left and far right, try to sponge a free meal off the doctor and his wife in a scene from the "Secret Society"
which was presented at three locations last weekend as part of the Medieval Festival.
Senate approves to liit
spending
WASHINGTON (P) - Spurred on by
Watergate, the Senate yesterday passed,
82 to 8, a bill that would sharply limit
campaign contributions and expenditures
in federal elections.
However, the legislation faces slow go-
ing at best in the House. Some senators
said it had been so weighted down by re-
strictions on campaign financing that it
may sink in the House,
THE BILL, which would amend a 1971
campaign financing disclosure law, would
establish severe penalties for anyone mis-
using campaign funds and would create
an independent bipartisan commission to
enforce the law.
The seven-member commission would
have authority to initiate criminal prosecu-
tions or to levy civil penalties of up to
$10,000 against violators,
OTHER MAJOR provisions of the bill
iin federal elections
would:
1 Make it a federal crime to embezzle
campaign funds, or convert them to one's
personal use or to use them to defray the
legal expenses of persons accused of a
crime such as the Watergate bugging de-
fendants. Penalities under this and other
parts of the bill would range up to 10
years in prison and fines of $25,000.
B Bar individuals from contributing
more than $3,000 to the campaign of a can-
didate for president or Congress.
Place a ceiling of $25,000 on the amount
an individual could contribute to the cam-
paigns of all candidates for federal office
in a year.
* Limit campaign spending by congres-
sional- and presidential candidates to 10
cents times the voting age population in
primaries and 15 cents in general elec-
tions. On the basis of the latest population'
figures, this would restrict presidential
candidates to expenditures of $13.9 in pri-
maries and $20.8 million in general elec-
tions.r
PRESIDENT NIXON spent an estimated
$50 million to $55 million on his successful
re-election campaign last year, while Sen.
George McGovern, (D-S.D.) spent more
than $25 million.
A number of people including former
Republican campaign financier Hugh
Sloan have blamed the excessive amount
of GOP campaign money for creating an
atmosphere that made Watergate crimes
possible.
One provision of the bill came under at-
tack as a step away from reform. It would
repeal a section of present law banning
government contractors from setting up
voluntary political. funds to which em-
ployes may contribute.