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On NBC News

Elzinga Criticizes ITT Contradictions,
Lack Of Government Consultation

News Analysis

By DONN KESSLER

"It is surprising to me that no one at a
staff level, not even a government star
witness, was ever consulted in the ITT
settlement," Kenneth Elzinga told a
national television audience Saturday
evening.

Mr. Elzinga, an assistant professor of
economics at the University, and a former
staff member of the Department of
Justice's Anti-Trust Division, made this
statement on Saturday's NBC Evening
News in expounding upon his remarks
made in last Friday's The Cavalier Daily.

What Mr. Elzinga has pointed out in
all of his statements thus far is the
incredible amount of contradictory
evidence that has arisen out of the
charges of corruption in the Department
of Justice and the White House.

Last Wednesday, Jack Anderson, a
syndicated columnist in The Washington
Post, stated that Attorney-General
designate Richard Kleindienst had
arranged an out-of-court settlement of a
government anti-trust suit against
International Telephone and Telegraph in
exchange for a $400,000 contribution
from ITT to the Republican convention.

Mr. Kleindienst immediately denied
that he had participated in any manner in
the settlement last July. "The
settlement," he stated, "was handled and
negotiated exclusively by Assistant
Attorney General Richard McLaren."

Yet, last Thursday, Mr. Kleindienst
contradicted himself by telling a special
meeting of the Senate Judiciary
Committee, that he himself had held four
out-of-court meetings with ITT director
Felix Rohatyn.

Denial

Mr. Kleindienst denied, however, that
he knew at those meetings in April 1971
that ITT was planning to help finance the
Republican National convention.

Although Mr. Kleindienst stated that
there had been no political pressure put
on the anti-trust division, he later
admitted that he had arranged a meeting
between Mr. Rohaytn, Mr. McLaren, and
other anti-trust officials last April.

Mr. McLaren had claimed, however,
that he had exclusively negotiated the
settlement.

Mr. Elzinga, in statements made to
The Cavalier Daily yesterday, stated that
it was normal procedure to consult with
the staff on any type of important
settlement. He added, that no one at the
staff level had ever been consulted in this
particular settlement.

Evidence has continued to mount that
Messrs. Kleindienst, McLaren, and
Rohaytn have lied to the Senate
committee.

Photo By Bob Humphry

Kenneth Elzinga

"Surprising That No One Was Consulted"

Ed Reinecke, the Lt. Gov. of
California admitted Friday that he had
told former Attorney General John
Mitchell last May that a subsidiary of ITT
would help to pay for the Republican
convention.

It was only hours later that Mr.
Reinecke retracted his disclosure so that
his admission would correspond with
statements made by Mr. Mitchell that