Oral history transcript, Lawrence F. O'Brien, interview 32 (XXXII), 12/11/1987, by Michael L. Gillette

Title:

Oral history transcript, Lawrence F. O'Brien, interview 32 (XXXII), 12/11/1987, by Michael L. Gillette

Number of Pages:

39

Description:

A March 1973 memo from Charles Colson to H. R. Haldeman regarding Richard Kleindienst's confirmation as U.S. attorney general, International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (ITT) files, false testimony by U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell and Harold Geneen of ITT, and other memos that would be harmful if leaked; Mitchell's and Kleindienst's denials of knowledge or involvement in ITT; Terry Lenzner's and Sam Dash's demand that Robert Maheu's replacement, Chester Davis, provide them with documents regarding the relationship between O'Brien and Howard Hughes; the settlement in O'Brien's civil suit against the Committee for the Re-election of the President (CREEP); O'Brien's response to Gerald Ford pardoning Richard Nixon; Maurice Stans; O'Brien's legal fees for his civil suit; obstacles and delays in giving the remaining settlement money to the Democratic National Committee (DNC); how well the listening devices worked in O'Brien's office; listening devices on Spencer Oliver's phone; FBI director Patrick Gray's interest in demonstrating that the FBI had conducted a thorough investigation of the break-in as promised; O'Brien's 1977 interviews with author Michael Drosnin; Drosnin's interest in O'Brien's relationship with Robert Maheu and Howard Hughes; Drosnin's efforts to get O'Brien's associates to do interviews; Drosnin's criminal activity, including stealing files for his book, Citizen Hughes; an episode of 20/20 on Citizen Hughes; Geraldo Rivera's efforts to get O'Brien on the show and Rivera's misstatements on the show; the business relationship between O'Brien Associates and Hughes Nevada Operations; O'Brien's relationship with Chester Davis; addressing falsehoods in Citizen Hughes regarding O'Brien's relationship with Hughes and Maheu, an alleged bribe Hughes offered to LBJ, O'Brien's involvement in Hughes' effort to gain Wilbur Mills' support for a special tax exemption for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and numerous other allegations; Drosnin's theory on the reason for the Watergate break-in; the inevitability of such attacks on public figures.

Contributor:

O'Brien, Lawrence F. (Lawrence Francis), 1917-1990

Collection:

LBJ Library Oral Histories

Collection Description:

Go to List of Holdings

Series:

Transcripts of LBJ Library Oral Histories

See Also:

See all online interviews with Lawrence F. O'Brien

Relation:

Go to Interviewee bio page

Rights:

Possibly copyright restricted: see deed at end of transcript for details