In his opening statement to the House Judiciary Committee to testify about special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, former White House counsel John Dean told lawmakers he was not there as a “fact witness” on the report’s findings.
“Chairman Nadler, Ranking Member Collins, the last time I appeared before your committee was July 11, 1974, during the impeachment inquiry of Richard Nixon. Clearly, I am not here today as a fact witness. I accepted the invitation to come here today because I hope I can give a little historical perspective on the Mueller report,” Dean said.
Dean, 80, said the Mueller report is to President Trump what the Watergate scandal road map was to President Richard Nixon.
Dean recalled how Nixon handled the Watergate scandal and how he knew issuing pardons to those involved would be wrong.
Dean pleaded guilty to plotting to cover up the June 1972 break‐in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. After serving a reduced prison sentence for cooperating with investigators, Dean was also disbarred.
The FBI considered Dean to be “the master manipulator of the cover-up.”
