Dole denies dirty tricks

Press, 6 September 1976, Page 8

Dole denies dirty tricks

NZPA Warwick, Rhode Island President Ford’s running mate, Sen-tor Robert Dole, confirmed on Saturday that he was called before a Grand fury last February to answer questions about illegal political contributions by the Gulf Oil Company, United Press International reported. Mr Dole, who was speaking in response to a C.B.S. news report said that he volunteered all his records at th' request of the Special Prosecutor’s office, but “all they asked for was one little book,” he said. The Kansas Senator denied receiving money from Senator Hugh Scott, or from Gulf, and he was also asked about a $2OOO cheque from Gulf in 1970 — before he was chairman of the Republican National Committee — made out to someone named “Dale or Role.”

“It was going to someone with that name to transfer to someone else,” Mr Dole said. “It was a legal transfer. The question is whether we were a conduit to pass the money on to someone else.” The C.B.S. report also said

that Mr Dole had been questioned by the Watergate Special Prosecutor about the secret campaign contributions from the Gulf Oil Company. He has also testified on this subject before a special Grand Jury, which is investigating Gulf Oil’s role m political campaigns from 1968 to 1973, during part of which time he was Republican National Chairman. According to the broadc. , a Gulf Oil lobbyist contributed in currency to Senator Scott at a rate cf $lO,OOO a year; in turn, Mr Scott allegedly distributed some of the money to other G.O.P. Senators. Eight other Senators have been quizzed on the matter besides Dole, and six have publicly admitted getting cash contributions, the C.B.S. broadcast said. Mr Dole said that he was contacted in February, 1976, about alleged Gulf Oil campaign contributions, and appeared before the Grand Jury on March 8.

He had denied having any knowledge of the information being sought, and had also volunteered complete campaign records.