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Watergate Files Released: Once-Secret Files Published By U.S. Government

by STEPHEN BRAUN and RICHARD LARDNER

(Video on site)

WASHINGTON — Watergate Judge John J. Sirica aided the prosecution in pursuing the White House connection to the Democratic headquarters break-in by providing the special prosecutor information from a probation report in which one of the burglars said he was acting under orders from top Nixon administration officials, according to once-secret documents released Friday by the National Archives.

One newly public transcript of an in-chambers meeting between Sirica, the U.S. District Court judge in charge of the case, and then-Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox in July 1973 shows the judge revealed secret probation reports indicating that E. Howard Hunt had cited orders from officials high up in the Nixon administration. Several of Hunt's co-defendants had previously denied any White House involvement in court testimony, and Sirica told Cox and other prosecutors that he felt the new information "seemed to me significant."

The government released more than 850 pages from the Watergate political scandal, providing new insights on privileged legal conversations and prison evaluations of several of the burglars in the case. A federal judge had decided earlier this month to unseal some material, but other records still remain off limits.

The files do not appear to provide any significant new revelations in the 40-year-old case that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon and criminal prosecutions of many of his top White House and political aides. But the files provide useful context for historians, revealing behind-the-scenes deliberations by Sirica, the U.S. District Court judge in charge of the case, along with prosecutors and defense lawyers.

The documents stem from the prosecution of five defendants arrested during the June 1972 Watergate break-in and two men, Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, who were charged as the burglary team's supervisors. All seven men were convicted.

In the conversations between Cox and Sirica, the special prosecutor agreed with the judge's concerns that the probation report should be sealed and thanked him for the information. Cox promised that his team would not divulge the new information unless they felt there was a prosecutorial need and returned for a hearing to make it public. "Unless we came back," Cox told Sirica, "we wouldn't reveal it."

Former Nixon White House lawyer John Dean, who cooperated with prosecutors and testified against Nixon during an explosive congressional hearing in June 1973, said Friday after reviewing some of the newly released files that he believed Sirica "was very aggressive for a judge, even more than the White House was aware of at the time. No one in the Nixon White House knew exactly where he was coming from." Dean added that while Sirica's investigative zeal was well-known, his dealings with Cox and other prosecutors were "eye-opening."

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered the files unsealed earlier this month after a request from Luke Nichter, a professor at Texas A&M University-Central Texas. Nichter wrote Lamberth in 2009 asking for release of the materials. Lamberth held back other sealed materials but agreed to ask the Justice department to explain the reasoning for keeping those materials secret.

The documents released by the Archives also reinforce Sirica's reputation as a gruff, no-nonsense jurist. During pretrial hearings in December 1972, Hunt's defense attorney sought to delay the trial after the former CIA man's wife was killed in a plane crash.

Sirica refused to put the trial on hold unless there was proof Hunt was suffering from a serious medical condition, according to the transcripts. "If he is just emotionally upset, that, in my opinion, is not a valid excuse," Sirica said. "If he gets tired during the day, I will arrange for him to go down and take a rest for two or three hours if he wishes."

A doctor who examined Hunt said in a letter to Sirica in early January 1973 that he suffered from ulcers and other gastrointestinal ailments but "has sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer." The doctor, Charles E. Law Sr., said he was worried that Hunt would weep in court, especially when questioned by prosecutors.

Reports from prison psychiatrists and probation officers also show that four of Hunt's co-defendants justified their role in the Watergate break-in on national security grounds, saying they were under orders to search for evidence that Cuban government funds supported Democratic party campaigns. Dean said Friday that Hunt once told him that excuse was a ruse used to persuade the others to participate in the burglary.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/30/watergate-files-released-_n_2220232.html

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Ohio

Editorial

Self-policing: City's list of dishonest cops should be accurate and fair

Compiling a list of Columbus police officers who've been caught lying is an unfortunate necessity to protect the public and the Police Division. Allowing these officers to serve in positions where they could be called to testify — and easily discredited by a defense lawyer —risks letting criminals walk free.

But as the city revises its list, created just last year, it must be equally vigilant about giving officers a chance to rebut accusations, and it should purge names when proof is thin or accusations are questionable.

Being caught lying, deservedly so, can ruin an officer's career.

The Dispatch found officers who were incensed that their names had been added because of misunderstandings or who believed they had been cleared. Almost all, including those accused of serious transgressions, were unaware the list even existed.

City safety officials say they have a zero-tolerance policy for lying, but it's not always easy to fire dishonest officers. Officers, under the union contract, can appeal to an arbiter. And sometimes the city is at a loss to prove a pattern of dishonesty.

That's because complaints previously were destroyed routinely after six years — prompting city officials to suspect that some dishonest cops have been able to testify in court without revealing their misconduct, as state and federal law requires.

And, no matter how minor the offense, an officer's credibility counts in court. “In many cases,”said Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien, “an officer's testimony can be the most important part of a trial.”

The new city police contract addresses this problem, allowing Chief Kimberley Jacobs to track tainted cops and consider the list when determining job assignments. Documentation involving dishonesty also now will be retained for an officer's entire career.

For most officers, the list, created by a prior chief, isn't an issue. At the moment, it contains only 15 names; the division has 1,900 officers. But Jacobs, a former internal-affairs commander, is reviewing it. She thinks some names shouldn't be on the list, while others are missing.

That's a problem, because lies often cover a worse offense.

The Dispatch reported that the division tried to fire one officer who, while admitting he'd been drinking and driving off-duty, lied about a woman being in his apartment. She said she had been sexually assaulted.

Another officer stalked an ex-girlfriend, illegally using a confidential police database to look up her new boyfriend. The woman had a protection order against the officer.

The city tried to fire both officers. Each appealed to an arbitrator. Each is back on the job.

Henceforth, the city will be able to build stronger cases to fire dishonest officers. But with that power, the city has a responsibility to ensure its liar's list is accurate and fair. The public's safety, and an officer's good name and career, demand it.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2012/12/01/self-policing.html

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Michigan

Lansing police, Target partner to help children purchase Christmas presents for families

by Brandon Howell

LANSING, MI -- Police here are partnering with Target to help some Lansing children and their families have a better holiday season.

"Police and Presents" is held at 7 a.m. Sunday at Target, 500 E. Edgewood Blvd. Lansing community policing officers and the Lansing School District selected children from throughout the community to participate in the event.

Each child receives a $100 gift to purchase Christmas gifts for their family. The event was made possible by a grant the Lansing Police Department received and by donations from Target, Lt. Cherie Ballor said.

"I think it's a great thing for not only the kids to be involved with the officers at an event like this, but, especially in our economic times, it's nice to provide kids with a nice Christmas," Ballor said.

For more information on this event and ones like it, visit Target.com/HereForGood.

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2012/11/lansing_police_target_partner.html