Poisoning The Press

by Mark Feldstein

  “I didn’t get”: Robert Sherrill, “Leaks Follow the Course of Greatest Impact,” NYT (Jan. 9, 1972), D1.

  9: SEX, SPIES, BLACKMAIL

  “beside themselves”: Zumwalt, 370; “full-scale investigation”: Ehrlichman, 302.

  “hounding”: memo, Fred Malek to John Dean (Dec. 15, 1971), “Jack Anderson Article,” Haldeman #297, NARA; “Anderson article”: memo, Fred Malek to H. R. Haldeman (Dec. 15, 1971), “Progress Report on Leaks Project,” Haldeman #297, NARA; “access to the documents”: memo, G. Marvin Gentile to David R. Young, “Jack Anderson’s Column” (Jan. 4, 1972), Plumbers #18, NARA; freeze-frame images: Robert Gehrke, “CIA Materials Give Look into Attempt to Snuff Out Castro,” Salt Lake Tribune (June 27, 2007), A4.

  five copies: memo, David R. Young, “Distribution of Welander Memo” (Dec. 15, 1971), Young #23, NARA; chief suspect: Hersh, Price, 470–71, Colodny and Gettlin, 3, 15–20; “no newsman”: memo, Donald G. Sanders to Fred Thompson (Dec. 5, 1973), HBP.

  “easy access”: JA and Gibson, 188; befriended: JA intv.; “animus”: Radford intv.

  Empress: JA intv. Gibson; Isaacson, 380.

  “shit hit the fan”: Radford intv.; “If people”: Fred Buzhardt, “Report of Investigation” (Jan. 10, 1972), 10, LCP; “did you give”: Colodny and Gettlin, 19.

  “ten times”: testimony, Robert Welander, Stennis hearings (Feb. 20–21, 1974), 124–52, 164; “became a crusader”: manuscript draft, Elmo Zumwalt, “The Radford Story,” 9, EZP.

  “We decided”: Young Report, 12; “very suspicious”: Radford intv.; “extreme amount”: Fred Buzhardt, “Report of Investigation” (Jan. 10, 1972), 30, 12, LCP; “polygraph makes clear”: Haldeman, Diaries, 386.

  “son of a bitch” to “hope to do”: memo, W. Donald Stewart to Martin Hoffman (Jan. 21, 1974), 1, 3, LCP; statement, W. Donald Stewart, Senate Watergate Committee (Feb. 19, 1974), 68, 40, HBP; statement, W. Donald Stewart (March 14, 1974), 3, 4, LCP.

  “I was afraid”: Richard Lamb, “Tale of the Shadow Chaser,” George (Oct. 1998), 132; “I felt like”: Radford intv.; “We can’t talk here”: Radford intv. Gettlin; “under the seats” to “I won’t tell”: JA intv.; “Because of my talking”: Radford intv.

  “could not recall”: Fred Buzhardt, “Report of Investigation” (Jan. 10, 1972), 22–23, LCP; “You are going”: Young Report, 16, 27, 26; “undoubtedly”: statement, W. Donald Stewart (March 14, 1974), 2, LCP; “out con”: statement, W. Donald Stewart (Dec. 31, 1974), 6, LCP; “if he ‘confessed’ ”: memo, W. Donald Stewart to Martin Hoffman (Jan. 21, 1974), 3, LCP.

  “able to pinpoint” to “storehouse of information”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971).

  “If you can’t trust”: WHT #309-1 (Dec. 24, 1971).

  “the yeoman served” to “exactly the same”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971).

  “He’s another Ellsberg” to “didn’t do it!”: WHT #640-3 (Dec. 22, 1971). Emphasis in original.

  “This son of a bitch” to “we’ve got to root out”: WHT #640-5 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “That Radford” to “has to be shot!”: WHT #308-13 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  try to extract a confession to “or paying him”: WHT #641-10 (Dec. 23, 1971); “gross”: statement, Colonel Allen Rozsa (Dec. 19, 1971), Young #23, NARA; “bunch of scabs”: WHT #648-4 (Jan. 17, 1972).

  “no apparent motive,” “comical”: Colodny and Gettlin, 50; “puritanical”: JA and Gibson, 225.

  “Is the yeoman”: Ehrlichman calendar (Dec. 21, 1971), Ehrlichman #2, JEP.

  “if there was”: Young Report, 38; “after sleeping” to “a lot of these things”: WHT #640-5 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “Homosexuality destroyed” to “fags”: WHT (May 13, 1972) as cited in James Warren, “Nixon on Tape Expounds,” Chicago Tribune (Nov. 7, 1999).

  The President also opined that “the Catholic church went to hell three or four centuries ago” because of homosexuality. “You know what happened to the popes?” Nixon added. “They were layin’ the nuns.” In the same conversation, the President complained that “the upper class in San Francisco . . . is the most faggy goddamned thing you could ever imagine . . . I can’t shake hands with anybody from San Francisco.” Ibid.

  “Now I think” to “going to find”: WHT #640-5 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “establish”: Hersh, Price, 477; “at once” to “Radford”: Bob Woodward, “Anderson Slur Said Ordered,” WP (Oct. 13, 1975), A1, A14.

  “traitor”: W. Donald Stewart, “Statement to Senate Armed Services Committee” (March 14, 1974), 3, LCP; “bastard”: Radford intv.; “not to see” to “president’s order”: Bob Woodward, “Anderson Slur Said Ordered,” WP (Oct. 13, 1975), A1, A14; “homosexual tendencies”: memo, David Young to John Ehrlichman, “Interview with Adm. Rembrandt Robinson” (Dec. 27, 1971), 2, Young #24, NARA.

  “nothing to indicate” to “with the President”: transcript, Ehrlichman-Laird phone conversation (Dec. 23, 1971), 1–4, Young #24, NARA.

  “to check on”: Young Report, 44; “tailing Anderson”: WHT #308-13 (Dec. 22, 1971); “keeping [Radford] under surveillance”: WHT #309-1 (Dec. 24, 1971).

  “obsessive line”: Hougan, 69; “best friend,” “effeminate,” “big manly”: Colodny and Gettlin, 468–69; “I could spot”: Ehrlichman-Young intv. Adm. Rembrant Robinson (Dec. 27, 1971), 11, Young #24, NARA; “one more polygraph”: notes, Fred Buzhardt intv. (Nov. 6, 1975), WSPF; “bullshit”: Laird intv.

  The White House ordered a tap on Radford’s “effeminate” friend based on the suspicion that he was having an “intimate relationship” with the yeoman. The Nixon aide who directed the investigation, David Young, later suggested to prosecutors that “Anderson was blackmailing Radford because he had learned that Radford was homosexual.” Young speculated that “Radford was involved in a homosexual relationship with another military officer—not with Jack Anderson.” But no evidence ever surfaced to support that sexual smear, either. Sources for the above: “intimate relationship”: statement, W. Donald Stewart (March 14, 1974), 7, LCP; “blackmailing”: memo, Carl B. Feldbaum to File, “Subject: Plot Against Jack Anderson” (Oct. 8, 1975), Jaworski/Ruth #1, WSPF, NARA.

  bulletin board: JA and Gibson, 226, and Seymour M. Hersh, “Nixon’s Active Role on Plumbers,” NYT (Dec. 10, 1973), 30.

  five thousand pages, “burn bags”: Hersh, Price, 466–67.

  “Be careful”: Radford intv.

  “turned out” to “Joint Chiefs”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971).

  “extraordinary account”: Ehrlichman, 303; “surreptitiously” to “Admiral Moorer”: Colodny and Gettlin, 33 and Appendix B.

  hard-liner: William F. Jasper, “Admirals Sound the Alarm,” The New American (March 29, 1999); Adam Bernstein, “Adm. Thomas Moorer Dies,” WP (Feb. 7, 2004), B7.

  “confirms”: WHT #308-13 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “And they knew” to “Jesus Christ!”: WHT #640-5 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “I’ve got” to “Oh my God”: WHT #308-13 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “Can him” to “out of here”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971).

  “was the recipient” to “was involved”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971).

  “bunch of shits”: Ambrose, Ruin, 367.

  Pentagon’s man: Bundy, 581; Colodny and Gettlin, 42–43; Ehrlichman, 304.

  “I am afraid” to “I would do that”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971).

  “Is Haig aware of this?” Nixon asked about the military spy ring. The President noted suspiciously that “Haig seems to be the only one who hasn’t expressed concern about the spying.” White House aide Young added to Nixon’s mistrust by informing him that “Haig called in a rage” and threatened that “if there is any way you are suspecting me, I’ll have both of your asses before the President tomorrow morning!” Young told the President that Haig slammed down the phone “obviously simmering and pretty uptight on whether [anyone] had said anything which implicated him” in the military spying. According to Ehrlichman, Young was convinced that “Haig constantly sold Henry ou
t to the military” and “probably planted Radford to help the military spy on” Kissinger in the first place. WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971); Young Report, 48; Ehrlichman, 304. See also Rosen, Strong Man, 399.

  “knows damn well” to “Just let it rot”: WHT #308-13 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “federal offense” to “wouldn’t believe it”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971) and WHT #308-13 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  They “knew” to “poor substitute”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971).

  “trained” to “out of control”: WHT #308-13 (Dec. 22, 1971); “didn’t feel too badly”: Colodny and Gettlin, 467; “cultivation” to “wastebaskets”: Ehrlichman, 304, 310.

  “get his ass”: Mitchell intv. Colodny, LCP.

  “up to his eyeballs”: Mary Gore Dean intv. Colodny, LCP.

  “use this”: WHT #640-5 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “Prosecuting is” to “We certainly have Anderson”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971).

  “inculpate”: memo, David Young to John Ehrlichman, “Items to Discuss with Attorney General” (Dec. 21, 1971), 2, Young #23, NARA; “For obvious”: memo, David R. Young to John D. Ehrlichman, “BASIS FOR PROSECUTION OF OUR FAVORITE COLUMNIST” (Jan. 18, 1972), Young #18, NARA; “only two guys” to “bring a newsman in”: WHT #314-1 (Jan. 13, 1972).

  “nail” to “Anderson papers”: WHT #647-9 (Jan. 13, 1972); “he’s gonna confess” to “gotta be a witness”: WHT #648-4 (Jan. 17, 1972); “find something . . . invent something”: WHT #647-9 (Jan. 13, 1972).

  “One piece”: WHT #646-2 (Jan. 12, 1972).

  In a suggestion of dubious propriety, Nixon urged Agnew to hold a private meeting with Supreme Court justice William Rehnquist, a conservative ally whom the President had recently appointed to the bench, to explore the administration’s legal options against journalists like Anderson. “Even though Rehnquist is on the court, there’s no reason you can’t talk to him,” Nixon told his vice president. “You can say that I had asked [and] you’re concerned about this and what is his opinion.” Nixon added that “Rehnquist may have some damn good ideas” because “he’s a first-class brain [and] a level-headed guy.” Agnew told the President that he would talk to the justice but it is not known whether such a meeting ever took place. WHT #646-2 (Jan. 12, 1972).

  welcomed prosecution: WH news summary (Jan. 6, 1972), NARA; WHT #648-4 (Jan. 17, 1972).

  “that bastard” to “find some others”: WHT #308-13 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “I can see” to “bottle him up?”: WHT #640-3 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “under wraps” to “death!”: WHT #640-5 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “gotten to Radford”: WHT #643-13 (Jan. 3, 1972).

  “If my sources”: Mark Arnold, “Anderson Jars ‘Striped-Pants Set,’ ” National Observer (Jan. 15, 1972); similarly unmistakable: WH news summary (Jan. 6, 1972), 4, NARA; “If the Government”: Sanford J. Ungar, “Secret U.S. Papers Bared,” WP (Jan. 5, 1972), A8; “If they want”: Jack Rosenthal, “Anderson Ready for Battle with Government, but Appears Unlikely to Get One,” NYT (Jan. 6, 1972), 17.

  “Anderson would obviously”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971).

  “The real sad thing” to “blackmail me” (emphasis in original): WHT #641-10 (Dec. 23, 1971).

  “out of the water”: Thomas B. Ross, “Admiral’s Threat Linked to Nixon Closing Spy Case,” Chicago Sun-Times (Feb. 24, 1974), 1.

  Moorer: Hersh, Price, 473.

  “if you pursued” to “Hmmph!”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971).

  “If you go after Radford”: Laird intv.

  “I lost more sleep” to “We cannot have it”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971).

  “can’t let it get out”: WHT #308-13 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “See” to “damn thing to do”: WHT #640-5 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “monumental” to “sweep it under the rug”: Haldeman, Diaries, 386, 385.

  “circumstantial evidence”: “Transcript of the President’s News Conference,” NYT (Feb. 11, 1972), 16.

  “beside myself” to “enraged”: Kissinger testimony, Stennis hearings (Feb. 6, 1974), 61, 51; “Moorer should be in jail”: WHT #310-19 (Dec. 23, 1971); “ridiculous” to “keep the lid on it”: WHT #17-37 (Dec. 24, 1971), emphasis in original.

  “You see” to “what you want”: WHT #309-1 (Dec. 24, 1971), emphasis added.

  “had the goods” to “preshrunk”: Hersh, Price, 476.

  “get counsel” to “we were through”: Young Report, 58, 25; “cockier than hell” to “send you up forever”: transcript, Laird/Ehrlichman call (Jan. 3, 1972), Ehrlichman #37, NARA.

  burn any remaining: Radford intv.

  “time bomb”: Nixon, RN, 532; “by the balls”: letter, W. Donald Stewart to Len Colodny (July 2, 1986), LCP.

  “Finding out”: Radford intv.

  “Damn” to “Unbelievable”: WHT #640-11 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “back-channel games” WHT #308-13 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  “The thing” to “yup”: WHT #639-30 (Dec. 21, 1971).

  “the worst thing about it”: WHT #640-3 (Dec. 22, 1971).

  10: CAT AND MOUSE

  “no further leaks”: Nixon, RN, 532.

  Japanese rearmament: JA, “Sato Steering Away from the U.S.,” WP (Jan. 6, 1972), D11; HAVE CHECKED: cables, U.S. Embassy to Secretary of State (Tokyo: Jan. 6 and 7, 1972), NSC #807, NARA.

  Cambodia: JA, “U.S. Deception on Role in Cambodia,” WP (Jan. 11, 1972), B11; Israel: JA, “And in Other Secret Memos,” WP (Jan. 16, 1972), B11; Europe: JA, “Europe First, Laird Tells NATO,” WP (Jan. 17, 1972), B11; “Congress and the American people”: Murray Marder, “State Department Defends Coaching Cambodia on Aid,” WP (Jan. 12, 1972) A16.

  Saigon: JA, “Cables Show Doubletalk on VC,” WP (Jan. 21, 1972), D15; “suppressed study”: JA, “Millions Wasted in Viet Pacification,” WP (Jan. 22, 1972), D31; “classified reports”: JA, “U.S. Troops Warned on Viet Civilians,” WP (Jan. 28, 1972), F11; “intelligence reports”: JA, “U.S. Losing War, Hanoi Said to Feel,” WP (Feb. 1, 1972), B11; “I continue”: UPI (Jan. 5, 1972).

  “muddy the waters”: JA intv.; “great volume”: Young Report, 98; “publish data”: W. Donald Stewart, “Memorandum for the Record” (April 30, 1974), LCP; “milked these leaks”: Zumwalt, manuscript draft, “The Radford Story,” 9, EZP.

  seventy-three of his columns: R. Powers, 263; “cauterized”: Richard Helms, “Director’s State of the Agency Address” (June 30, 1972), 7, NSA.

  Kremlin bugs: JA, “CIA Eavesdrops on Kremlin Chiefs,” WP (Sept. 16, 1971), F7, and JA and Gibson, 238–39.

  “blew our best intelligence source”: Laurence Stern, “U.S. Tapped Top Russians’ Car Phones,” WP (Dec. 5, 1973), A1, 16; muckraker insisted: JA and Gibson, 238–39.

  “As the direct result”: Liddy, 207.

  “had been shaken”: Eisenhower, 326, 325; “doing a lot of thinking,” “dope, “distorted view”: Haldeman, CD Diaries (Jan. 14, 1972); “Anderson’s guy,” “time bomb”: Haldeman notes (Jan. 14, 1972), Haldeman #45, NARA.

  “never a leak”: “Transcript of the President’s Address,” NYT (Jan. 26, 1972), 10; “amazingly well-kept secret”: WHT #19-89 (Jan. 25, 1972); “I wouldn’t do it”: WHT #19-40 (Jan. 23, 1972); “afraid that Jack Anderson”: Bob Woodward, “Hunt Told Associates of Orders to Kill Jack Anderson,” WP (Sept. 21, 1975), 14.

  Bob Hope, “Teutonic jokes”: telecons, Herbert Klein/Kissinger (Jan. 20, 1972) and Ray Price/Kissinger (Jan. 26, 1972), NSA; Nixon cameo: Hoyt and Leighton, 156; “good humor”: transcript, Nixon press conference (Feb. 10, 1972), 13–14, Young #18, NARA.

  The President eventually decided that “these Anderson papers” are “a Washington story primarily” and that while “we’ve taken some heat,” ultimately “nobody gives a goddamn about India and Pakistan” because they are so far away and filled with “such miserable people.” WHT #644-14 (Jan. 10, 1972).

  “I would like” to “about it”: WHT #643-13 (Jan. 3, 1972); “Lay off”: Ehrlichman, 309.

  “too risky
”: Young Report, 99; Mitchell suggested: Ehrlichman, 306; “Nixon apparently feared”: Hersh, Price, 478.

  “pinning the whole thing on Anderson”: Ehrlichman intv. Colodny, LCP.

  “Anderson had planted an informant”: deposition, W. Mark Felt (Nov. 14, 1977), 19, JA v. RN; “President was gravely concerned” and other details of Radford bugging: FBI memo, T. J. Smith to E. S. Miller (June 14, 1973), “Charles Edward Radford II,” JAP.