From Washington Straight

All efforts by the Democratic leadership in the Senate to batten down the scandals which resulted in a discreet announcement that Robert G. Baker, secretary to the Democratic Senate majority, had resigned because of “conflict of interest” (i-C; business transactions outside his congressional duties) aren’t getting very far. Around the Hill they’re whispering that the Baker Affair will make Billie Sol Estes look like a small-time fantan dealer. Senator John Williams (R., Del.), whose revelations of Mr. Baker’s business deals touched off the investigation which lead to Baker’s ouster, has a carefully documented case against the one-time Senate page and present Lyndon Johnson protégé and means to get to the bottom of it. Actually, Baker did not resign. He was summoned to Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield’s office on Thursday, Oct. 3, to give his side of the story, and didn’t show. I’ll be there tomorrow, he said. Friday, no show. On Monday, when the elusive Mr. Baker still could not be found, Senator Mansfield announced that his resignation had been accepted. A number of important figures both in and around the Hill are reported to be involved in various dealings, many of them less salubrious, it is said, than influence peddling.

Cato

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All efforts by the Democratic leadership in the Senate to batten down the scandals which resulted in a discreet announcement that Robert G. Baker, secretary to the Democratic Senate majority, had resigned because of “conflict of interest” (i-C; business transactions outside his congressional duties) aren’t getting very far. Around the Hill they’re whispering that the Baker Affair will make Billie Sol Estes look like a small-time fantan dealer. Senator John Williams (R., Del.), whose revelations of Mr. Baker’s business deals touched off the investigation which lead to Baker’s ouster, has a carefully documented case against the one-time Senate page and present Lyndon Johnson protégé and means to get to the bottom of it. Actually, Baker did not resign. He was summoned to Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield’s office on Thursday, Oct. 3, to give his side of the story, and didn’t show. I’ll be there tomorrow, he said. Friday, no show. On Monday, when the elusive Mr. Baker still could not be found, Senator Mansfield announced that his resignation had been accepted. A number of important figures both in and around the Hill are reported to be involved in various dealings, many of them less salubrious, it is said, than influence peddling.

Cato