The WITNESS. That is what we did do. By Mr. O'CONNOR: Q. I have another voucher, No. 8535, dated May 31, 1966, for a $16 claim for per diem in New York on March 31 and we have been unable to verify your travel to New York. A. These vouchers were for my travel and I always traveled in my own name. (Authorized by House Resolution 634, Approved 1/27/66, 89th Congress -e ee e TOTAL I CERTITY that the above bill is oorrect and just, and that payment therefo-try not een received. • SIGN ORIGINAL ONLY (BiH must be completely Alled in boforo carti Payee Ocation by payee, and there must not be any erasure or alteration whatever.) By . . I CERTIFY that the above articles have been received in good condition and the quality and quantity above specified, or the services performed as stated, and that they are in accordance with the orders therefor; that the prices obarged are just, feasonable, and in accordance with agreement. #tutatta (Title) APPROVED ALLOWED (Date) Rauh & JUL7 1966 Qulesa Roberto Than Chairman, Committee on Hou Administration. Clark, United State House of Representatione. PAND ad by check No. , dated United States at Washington, DC., in favor of payee damed above. JUN7 1966 , 19 , on the Treasurer of the Where & voucher certified by corporation or company, the name of the person writing the corporate or company name, well as the capacity in which bo signs, most appear. Example: "Ohiesgo Edison Company, per John Bmith, "Secretary or Treasurer, or member of firm, as the case may be. 165074-8 OPO Mr. Hays. Mr. Stone, you said earlier sometimes you didn't make these up for a long time and you didn't keep a very good record. Is it possible you could have been mistaken about the day and you traveled earlier or later? The WITNESS. I don't think so. I tried to put on the actual days. I think these are the days. Mr. Hays. I thought this might have happened and that it might help to raise the question. The WITNESS. I appreciate that, but the day I put down I think that is the day I was where I said I was. By Mr. O'CONNOR: Q. Isn't it possible that you could have traveled on somebody else's travel card? A. That is possible, yes, but I would have my name, I travel in my own name. I could have used Mrs. Dargans or Mr. Derrickson. But this is 1966. I had a card then. Isn't this in 1966? So I-or 1965. As I say, I don't know when I got these cards. If I could find out Q. How long after you had been working for Mr. Powell were you issued the cards? A. I don't know, a year, 7 or 8 months. I don't know exactly when. Q. Well, here is a shuttle in-flight ticket, purchased on Mr. Powell's card, which you apparently are the traveler. A. Yes. Q. Would that be an explanation for possibly your being in New York? A. That is right, yes. A. This is his signature, I think. Two or three times I went along with him, more than two or three times I went along with him where he purchased the tickets. But that was a long time ago. Q. Mr. GrayA. After I got the card I used my own. Mr. O'CONNOR. Mr. Gray, on tickets like that, could you tell the committee whether you carried the travel on Mr. Powell's or Stone's name? There is a group of tickets reflecting travel. Mr. GRAY. It would be Stone. Mr. O'CONNOR. It would be carried as Stone as the traveler, so that wouldn't necessarily hold true. Let me have that back. Mr. Hays. Is this one that needs some question? Mr. O'CONNOR. No; I am just pulling them at random, Mr. Chairman, because we have a large group of tickets here and I thought possibly a pattern would evolve. I have no further questions of this witness. By Mr. TAYLER: Q. Mr. Stone, you have been with Mr. Powell as special assistant to the chairman since March of 1965; is that right? A. Yes, sir. Q. Do you recall ever meeting a woman named Pearl Swangin, S-w-a-n-g-i-n? A. Yes. MAD CONNECther you caric kets reflecti Q. Who is Miss Swangin? A. She is an old family friend of Mr. Powell's. She has been with him for a long, long time. Q. Where does she live? A. No. It is Edgcomb Avenue. But she is listed in the New York phone book. I know she lives on Edgcomb Avenue. Q. Would she be listed under that name or her husband's name? Q. Has she ever been on the staff of the committee or Mr. Powell's congressional office staff? A. I don't know. Q. Do you know whether or not she was on either the committee staff or his personal staff at the end of March in 1965? A. Well, I wasn't-I had just arrived, so I don't know. The WITNESS. No; I went to work when I arrived in Washington I went to work. By Mr. TAYLER: Q. Do you have any information at all that Miss Swangin performed any duties in connection with Mr. Powell's congressional office or — A. I don't know. Ă. If it is the same Jack Duncan that I know of, he is an undertaker in New York City. Q. And is he a friend of Mr. Powell's? Q. Did you see him down here in Washington around the 28th of March, 1965, right after you came to work for Mr. Powell? A. I don't recall. I don't recall seeing him then. Q. Do you know whether he has ever performed any services for Mr. Powell's congressional office or the committee? A. This I don't know. Mr. DICKINSON. Mr. Stone, you said that you used an alias—that is not your word, but you used a ticket under the name of Swann to take your wife to Florida. Why was this? ne WITNESS. Well, it was purchasing just tickets in one lump sum, he just said purchase five tickets. Tom your wife to, but you used a ti said that you u sum, henTNESS. Wellda: Why was th: under the naman Mr. DICKINSS. As I saved me to ubought your Mr. DICKINSON. It could just as well have been Stone, couldn't it? Your wife, that is her name? The WITNESS. Yes. The WITNESS. As I say, I personally—the names that I used were the names that he directed me to use, always. Mr. DICKINSON. So then you bought your wife's ticket under the name of Swann because Mr. Powell specifically directed you to do this? The WITNESS. He directed me to purchase, he said get five tickets under these names and I just purchased it under the names he told me to purchase. Mr. DICKINSON. I see. And you don't know why? Mr. DICKINSON. It could just as well have been two bought in your name? The WITNESS. Yes, it could. I hadn't thought about it at the time. Mr. DICKINSON. There must have been something to cover up. Could you think of a reason? There must be some reason to use an alias. Do you have any knowledge or reason why this might be? The WITNESS. No. Mr. DICKINSON. You don't think it would be so the committee would pay for it? The WITNESS. No, because he had told me he was going to reimburse the committee and he did. Mr. DICKINSON. I know he might have been going to, but why not put it in the right name? You don't know why? The WITNESS. No, sir, I don't. The WITNESS. I hadn't given much thought to that possibility. How long were you in Miami now? You say you were down there on a holiday, you were down as a guest, but you were doing some official work at the same time? The WITNESS. Yes, sir. The WITNESS. Oh, I think I spent a day, a day and a half. I stayed overnight, I think, about a day and a half. Mr. DICKINSON. You flew down and you spent the night in Miami, or did you go on to Bimini? The WITNESS. I think I stayed overnight. Mr. DICKINSON. Stayed overnight and the next day you went to Bimini and stayed 3 or 4 days in Bimini? The WITNESS. That is right. Mr. DICKINSON. And at the time you spent overnight you did your investigation? The WITNESS. Yes. Mr. DICKINSON. You have a report there that looks about an inch thick. The WITNESS. That wasn't done on that one day. I had gone to Miami two or three times to make the report. Mr. DICKINSON. So the report that you exhibited here, rather voluminous, isn't what you found out on this particular trip? The WITNESS. Not solely, no, sir. Mr. DICKINSON. You didn't find out much on an overnight trip, did you? The WITNESS. I was down there 1 day and found out a whole lot in 1 day. In fact, we had a press conference on what I found out in 1 day. Mr. Powell flew down and had a press conference on it. Mr. DICKINSON. You were there overnight and you went on to Bimini and spent 3 or 4 days and came on back directly with your wife? The WITNESS. Yes, sir. Mr. DICKINSON. And you didn't stay with Chairman Powell at his home? The WITNESS. No, sir. The WITNESS. Not in Bimini. Mr. DICKINSON. Who was there when you were in Mr. Powell's house? The WITNESS. In the house? Now, since there is no Government funds involved in this, do you think we should pursue this any further? Mr. DICKINSON. Well, I know of two employees that were in the home. I don't know what they were doing there. Mr. Hays. All right. The WITNESS. I don't know of any employees that were in the home. Mr. DICKINSON. Do you know of a Sylvia Givens? The WITNESS. I understand. I want to explain why. I stayed on North Bimini. He lives on South Bimini. So who was there I don't know. Mr. Powell is a fisherman. I am not. I don't like to go fishing. So when I was down there I tried to stay away and be by myself, or be with my wife. Never went out on the boat, never went fishing. |