any secret fund

 

-------------- (excerpt from All The President's Men, by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. Copyright 1974. Simon & Schuster) ----------------

        Moore agreed.  It was a breakthrough, the reporters felt: an opportunity to penetrate the committee's haze of anonymous and ambiguous statements.  Magruder called about half an hour later and said it was "absolutely untrue" that he received any money from any secret fund.  "I only received my salary and expense account," he told Woodward.

        Then how did he account for the fact that the federal investigation had determined he had received at least $50,000 from the fund in Stans' safe?

        "I was questioned about it, but it was discarded . . . and it was agreed by all parties that it is incorrect." The FBI had questioned him extensively.  "That's on background," he added as an afterthought.

        Woodward told him he should know better than to try to put something on background after saying it.  Magruder had served as the number-two man in the White House communications office before becoming deputy campaign manager.

        "But you've got to help me," Magruder pleaded.  "I'll get in trouble if I'm quoted."

        Woodward told him he might put that statement in the paper, too.  Then, at Magruder's request, they went on background.  Woodward told him the Post intended to go ahead with the story unless Magruder could come up with a convincing reason to hold it.  

Magruder did not argue.  

But he asked Woodward to write that "government investigators," rather than the FBI, had informed Magruder of allegations against him.  "You've got to help me on some of this."

        It was a small point.  Magruder obviously thought that an allegation attributed to the FBI sounded more serious than "government investigators."  The request didn't seem unreasonable.  Woodward agreed.

_________________________

On YouTube, find video:

Paul Simon - Late in the Evening (Official Audio)

---- uploader / channel:  Paul Simon

and play and enjoy!  The song has a sort of reggae-like rhythm.  Or maybe salsa-like, I don't know...

-30-