When Butterfield said there were tapes, John Dean cheered and his lawyers believed everything he had told them.

@wjroberts913

Жыл бұрын

Garrett M Graff's Watergate, A New History is turning out to be a great book; got it for Christmas!

Alexander Butterfield is 97 years old today (04/06/2023).

6:15 The man asking about listening devices is Fred Thompson who went on to play the DA on Law and Order.

@jefolson6989

Жыл бұрын

The longest 4 second pause in history. Them " I was aware...."

@paulsonj72

Жыл бұрын

@@jefolson6989 If he denied knowing about the tapes he was a dead duck for perjury charges as he had given a deposition where he admitted he knew about the tapes.

Those three little words, "I was aware."

Listening to these tapes takes me right back to being riveted to our PBS television station, as it happened. I was shocked, as was most of the country. Taping people without their knowledge was as unpopular then as it is now.

The testimony that lead to the "smoking gun" tape.

@SiVlog1989

7 ай бұрын

Sort of, before he could testify, Butterfield was questioned by Watergate Committee staff members. One of them stumbled on the information about the taping system while wrapping up the questioning of Butterfield. When asked by the staff members if there was a recording system that recorded conversations in the Oval Office, as a direct question, Butterfield said these words to them before revealing them: "I'm sorry you asked me that question, but the answer is yes, there were listening devices in the Oval Office,"

You can hear the Committee Members salivating 😂

People knew there were tapes before Butterfield testimony and that’s why congress asked him to testify. They needed someone close to the president to confirm that. This was something you could not lie about.

@paulsonj72

Жыл бұрын

On the Friday before he was giving a deposition and was asked about listening devices by republican counsel. He affirmed he knew and that led to his public testimony which led to everything else after that.

I think he was getting a haircut at the time. And Sam Irving I said he’s got to get his tail over to testify. And he said if he doesn’t come I’m going to get the marshals to go get him. I’m not sure I think it’s him because he was like oh God I really don’t want to go and testify. Because he knew the inevitable question will come up about the tapes.

Holy Mackrel!

What was the date of this?

Just audio?

Algorithm.

Butterfield was a fool to appear on short notice without counsel.

@swamp5050

9 ай бұрын

Wtf, he wasn't going to lie for a corrupt President, he did nothing wrong so he didn't need a lawyer. The committee was well aware Mr. Butterfield was an honorable man unlike tricky Dick and his criminal enterprise including the White House Plumbers! Mostly everyone around Tricky Dick went to jail except for him, the idiot Gerald Ford pardoned him, sound familiar..

@JimmyTheGreek2000

6 ай бұрын

Why? Who needs those attorneys to answer honestly? Only if you plan to be dishonest ! They never say the truth, Or they do not tell (or omit !) the whole truth ?

@swami1

6 ай бұрын

@@JimmyTheGreek2000 Who needs attorneys? Any American citizen.

@davezdavezdavez

5 ай бұрын

Butterfield himself was never accused of any wrongdoing.