Lawsuit Could Reopen Watergate

BALTIMORE (AP) â€” A defamation suit went to trial Tuesday that could reopen the Watergate scandal and bring some of its major figures back into court. <br><br>The lawsuit was brought by a former secretary

Tuesday, January 16th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BALTIMORE (AP) â€” A defamation suit went to trial Tuesday that could reopen the Watergate scandal and bring some of its major figures back into court.

The lawsuit was brought by a former secretary for the Democratic National Committee. She is seeking $5.1 million from G. Gordon Liddy for claiming that the burglars who broke into DNC headquarters at the Watergate complex were looking for photographs that could link John Dean's future wife to a call-girl ring.

The former secretary, Ida ``Maxie'' Wells, says Liddy falsely accused her of procuring prostitutes for the DNA in the early 1970s.

Dean, who was Nixon's chief White House lawyer, is expected to take the stand to deny the accusations. His 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.

Jury selection began Tuesday.

``This is the first time, frankly, that the purpose of the break-in will be litigated in court,'' said Liddy attorney John B. Williams.

Liddy arranged the June 17, 1972, burglary that ultimately led to President Nixon's 1974 resignation. Liddy served four years and four months in prison and now is a conservative radio talk-show host.

Dean cooperated with Watergate prosecutors and served four months in prison. He has recently worked an investment banker in Beverly Hills.

The lawsuit contends Liddy has repeatedly, and falsely, claimed that the break-in at DNC headquarters in the Watergate office complex was ordered not to repair a previously installed telephone tap 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.

The lawsuit says Liddy claims Wells ``kept photographs of prostitutes in her desk at the DNC; showed them to visitors to the DNC; and then placed phone calls to the call-girl ring to arrange the meeting between the visitors and the prostitutes.''

Wells' lawyer, David M. Dorsen, notes that she later became personal secretary to President 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.

At a hearing last week, Chief Judge J. Frederick Motz said lawyers on both sides might want to ``shake hands, and say this is a wonderful piece of history that ought to stay that way.''

Liddy attorney Kerri Hook said that is not likely.

``The word `settle' is not in Gordon's vocabulary,'' Hook said last week.

The lawsuit was filed in 1997. Motz ruled in 1998 that Wells was a public figure, which required her to prove Liddy acted with ``actual malice.'' She was unable to meet that high standard and Motz threw out the lawsuit. However, a federal appeals court reinstated the lawsuit.

Liddy began talking about Wells in speeches after Dean sued Liddy and the authors of a 1991 book, ``Silent Coup,'' over its claim that Dean instigated the Watergate break-in. Dean dropped his case against Liddy last summer.