Revisiting Watergate: Liddy Defamation Suit Begins
Jan. 17, 2001 -- The Watergate burglary was not an attempt toremove potentially embarrassing photographs of John Dean's futurewife from a secretary's desk, despite the claims of convictedconspirator G. Gordon Liddy, the secretary's lawyer said today in opening statements for a defamation lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed by Ida "Maxie" Wells, the formersecretary for the Democratic National Committee. It seeks $5.1million from Liddy for claiming that the burglars who broke intoDNC headquarters at the Watergate complex were looking forphotographs that linked Dean's fianceé to a call-girl ring.
Wells says Liddy falsely accused her of procuring prostitutesfor the DNC in the early 1970s.
Her attorney, David Dorsen, said today that Liddy defamedWells by repeating the theory about the Watergate break-in that wasraised in the book Silent Coup.
Liddy began discussing Wells in speeches after Dean sued Liddyand the authors of that 1991 book over its claim that Deaninstigated the Watergate break-in. Dean dropped his case againstLiddy last summer.
Dean and Wife May Testify
Dean, who was Nixon's chief White House lawyer, said he wouldtestify and deny the accusations. Dean's wife, Maureen, also islisted as a possible witness for Wells. Other potential witnesseslisted by both sides include Watergate figures E. Howard Hunt,Charles Colson and James McCord.
Liddy's attorney, John Williams, countered in his openingremarks that Liddy has several sources for his theory about themotive behind the break-in, including a number of books and whatWilliams said was a historical fact: that one of the burglars had akey to Wells' desk.
"He says what he says because the historical literature willshow that Ms. Wells' telephone was being used to contact thecall-girl ring," Williams said. "This case is about whether Mr.Liddy can openly discuss another theory of history.
"Nobody can explain why the burglars had a key to her desk andwhy her desk was broken into."
Liddy arranged the June 17, 1972, burglary that ultimately ledto President Nixon's 1974 resignation, and later served four yearsand four months in prison.
The lawsuit contends Liddy has repeatedly, and falsely, claimedthe break-in was ordered not to repair a previously installed tapon DNC telephones but to recover photos and phone numbers of Dean'sfianceé. According to the lawsuit, Liddy says Dean's fianceé was amember of a call-girl ring.
Dean, who cooperated with Watergate prosecutors and served fourmonths in prison, on Tuesday denied being the Watergate mastermind.
"There is not a scintilla of evidence that there was acall-girl ring at the DNC," said Dean, who has recently worked asan investment banker in Beverly Hills.
Dorsen has noted that Wells later became personal secretary to PresidentCarter.
"It defies belief that if there were an active prostitutionring operating out of the DNC in 1971-1972, in which (Wells) playeda conspicuous role, no Democratic worker or official came forwardto protect President Carter from the political scandal of having ashis secretary an alleged former madam, who supposedly pimped forcountless Democratic bigwigs," Dorsen said in court papers.