-Caveat Lector-

http://www.newsday.com/ap/text/national/ap396.htm

Lawsuit Could Reopen Watergate

by SETH HETTENA
Associated Press Writer


BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Watergate burglary was not an attempt to
remove potentially embarrassing photographs of John Dean's future
wife from a secretary's desk, despite the claims of convicted
conspirator G. Gordon Liddy, the secretary's lawyer said
Wednesday in opening statements for a defamation lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed by Ida ''Maxie'' Wells, the former
secretary for the Democratic National Committee. It seeks $5.1
million from Liddy for claiming that the burglars who broke into
DNC headquarters at the Watergate complex were looking for
photographs that linked Dean's fiance to a call-girl ring.

Wells says Liddy falsely accused her of procuring prostitutes for
the DNC in the early 1970s.

Her attorney, David Dorsen, said Wednesday that Liddy defamed
Wells by repeating the theory about the Watergate break-in that
was raised in the book ''Silent Coup.''

Liddy began discussing Wells in speeches after Dean sued Liddy
and the authors of that 1991 book over its claim that Dean
instigated the Watergate break-in. Dean dropped his case against
Liddy last summer.

Dean, who was President Nixon's chief White House lawyer, said he
would testify and deny the accusations. Dean's wife, Maureen,
also is listed as a possible witness for Wells. Other potential
witnesses listed by both sides include Watergate figures E.
Howard Hunt, Charles Colson and James McCord.

Liddy's attorney, John Williams, countered in his opening remarks
that Liddy has several sources for his theory about the motive
behind the break-in, including a number of books and what
Williams said was a historical fact: that one of the burglars had
a key to Wells' desk.

''He says what he says because the historical literature will
show that Ms. Wells' telephone was being used to contact the
call-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 and
why her desk was broken into.''

Liddy arranged the June 17, 1972, burglary that ultimately led to
Nixon's 1974 resignation, and later served four years and four
months in prison.

The lawsuit contends Liddy has repeatedly, and falsely, claimed
the break-in was ordered not to repair a previously installed tap
on DNC telephones but to recover photos and phone numbers of
Dean's fiancee. According to the lawsuit, Liddy says Dean's
fiancee was a member of a call-girl ring.

Dean, who cooperated with Watergate prosecutors and served four
months in prison, on Tuesday denied being the Watergate
mastermind.

''There is not a scintilla of evidence that there was a call-girl
ring at the DNC,'' said Dean, who has recently worked as an
investment banker in Beverly Hills.

Dorsen has noted that Wells later became personal secretary to
Carter.

''It defies belief that if there were an active prostitution ring
operating out of the DNC in 1971-1972, in which (Wells) played a
conspicuous role, no Democratic worker or official came forward
to protect President Carter from the political scandal of having
as his secretary an alleged former madam, who supposedly pimped
for countless Democratic bigwigs,'' Dorsen said in court papers.


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