Citizen Hughes - Michael Drosnin [239]
Humphrey’s efforts to establish a White House panel to investigate the bomb tests are recounted in AEC reports dated June 12, 25, and 26, 1968.
Johnson’s science adviser Donald Hornig said in an interview that the president appointed his own panel “to preempt the Hughes-Humphrey panel.” Johnson’s caustic remark about the Hughes-Humphrey dealings—“Hubert had better keep his pants zipped”—was reported by a top White House aide. “There was talk around the White House that Humphrey was getting money from Hughes and that he was in regular contact with Maheu,” the aide noted. “The president was not happy about it.”
The presidential panel, chaired by former AEC research director Kenneth S. Pitzer, issued its report on November 27, 1968. “The panel is seriously concerned with the problem of earthquakes resulting from large-yield nuclear tests,” the report stated. According to a December 13, 1968, AEC memorandum, the White House assured the AEC that “the vice-president was not given the report,” and that Hughes therefore would not get access to it.
Maheu described passing the $50,000 to Humphrey on July 29, 1968, in sworn court testimony. He said that when he greeted the vice-president at the fund-raising dinner, he told him, “I have the item we discussed,” and that he again referred to “the matter we discussed” when he placed the cash-filled briefcase at Humphrey’s feet in the limousine. Maheu testified that he did not show Humphrey the money because “it’s not proper to open the envelopes and count the cash in the presence of other people.”
Humphrey denied in a sworn statement that he ever personally received any cash from Maheu or that he was personally aware of any contribution made by Hughes to his campaign. However, the evidence of the backseat payoff is overwhelming.
Lloyd Hand, former U.S. Chief of Protocol and a close Humphrey friend, testified that he was in the limousine with Humphrey and Maheu, that Maheu definitely had a briefcase when he entered the car, and that he had “an impression” that Maheu left the briefcase behind when he got out. Gordon Judd, a Hughes lawyer who brought half the cash from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, testified that he watched from the hotel balcony as Maheu entered Humphrey’s limousine with the briefcase and that he saw Maheu leave the car without it.
Moreover, Humphrey himself acknowledged the contribution. Although he later claimed to have no personal knowledge of any Hughes donation, the vice-president wrote Maheu a letter dated November 1, 1968, thanking him for a second $50,000 Hughes gave his campaign on October 18, and in that letter clearly noted that he had received Hughes money before. “Dear Bob,” wrote Humphrey, “Dwayne has told me about the additional help you have given us. Bob, you are the greatest! We needed it badly and have put it to good use.” (Emphasis added.)
Humphrey’s selection of Muskie as his running mate was described by O’Brien in his book No Final Victories (Doubleday, 1974, p. 253). Muskie confirmed in an interview that he had known Maheu for years and visited him in Las Vegas, but denied knowing of any influence Maheu may have had in his selection.
The meeting between Humphrey and O’Brien on the morning after the Chicago convention was described by O’Brien in No Final Victories (pp. 253–56), and in two interviews. All the dialogue was quoted by O’Brien. He said that Humphrey called Maheu about eight A.M. on August 30, 1968, and told him: “I understand that you and Larry have worked out a business arrangement, and I’d like to ask you to postpone that arrangement until after the election. It would be a great personal favor to me.”
O’Brien claimed that he had no knowledge of the $100,000 Hughes gave Humphrey, although he was in regular contact with Maheu during the campaign. However, Maheu told the Senate Watergate Committee that he kept O’Brien informed of “all political matters,” and specifically