“I [Roger Stone] documented in my book ‘Nixon’s Secrets’ that John Dean is the man who conceived, planned, pushed and covered up the Watergate break-in.”
And from Charles Burris: “John Dean masterminded the whole Watergate affair, from the break-ins, the cover-ups and obstructions of justice, to ratting out Nixon, and emerging as the hero of the scandal.”
I believe the account by Charles Burris. I believe Mr. Stone, not because I read his book (I haven’t), or because I’m an expert on Watergate (I’m not); but because I watched every minute of the Watergate hearings and I saw John Dean testify; and I’ve never forgotten how he came across as a slick and self-serving man putting up a front of honesty and regret, as if he were not thoroughly treacherous, dishonest and unethical. (I also read transcripts of critical tapes in the Oval Office and transcripts of testimony.)
Dean was a real jerk, a sniveling little coward, a weakling, a man who didn’t do his job as a lawyer for Nixon. In his testimony, he did everything in his power to appear blameless and a victim.
Dean actually dragged Nixon into a cover-up and discussion of hush money. He didn’t inform Nixon fully of what had happened and led him on. He didn’t have the guts or loyalty to tell Nixon what had happened in a timely way. He betrayed Nixon, while trying to save his own skin. Dean led Nixon on and got him in deep into a scandal not of Nixon’s making when he should have shielded him. Nixon didn’t order the Watergate burglary. John Mitchell is the one who signed off on it.
John Dean as much as anyone is the man who brought about Nixon’s downfall.
Addendum: I have just now encountered a description of John Dean by a Mafia hitman who was at the same witness protection facility as Dean and got to know him. “…he considered Magruder and Dean to be untrustworthy and duplicitous weaklings. And of Dean in particular he opined, ‘That guy would steal the silver dollars off his dead mother’s eyes.'”
8:23 pm on June 11, 2019
