Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-03
Dual Expense
Fees Charged
To FEC Chief
Doerfer Paid by U. S.
And Broudcusters
Group, Probe Told
BY LEE M. COIN
Star stan Writer

49, SNeA
In a hearing disrupted by
vrangling on the committee,
House investigators were told
today that Chairman John c.
Doerfer Of the Federal Commu-
iiications Commission accepted
expense money from broad
casters for OUTLAWS also paid by
the Government.
, Chairman Moulder of the
Legislative Oversight Subcom-
mittee repeatedly gaveled down
Mr.. Doerfer and overruled
House members on the panel.
He refused to let Mr.. Doerfer
read a statement until after
Counsel Bernard Schwartz fin
ished presenting his case. He
told Mr.. Doerfer to sit quietly,
and refused proposals by men,
bers Of the subcommittee to let
the FEC chairman cross exam
Inc witnesses.
Representative Bennett Re-
publican of Michigan. main
tame dthat DR.. Schwartz was
trying to prove a criminal case
against Mr.. Doerfer. Mr.. Moul-
der a Missouri Democrat, in
sisted that the subcommittee
was moi engaging in criminal
prosecution and therefore was
not bound by courtroom rules.
Documents introduced
DR. Schwartz introduced doc
umentS designed to show that
Mr.. Do0rfer in 1854 received
S575 in expense money from
the National Association Of
Radio and Television Broad
casters, had airline tickets paid
Tor by broadcasters and at the
same time received $3.50 in
expense money from the Gov
ernment and had the Govern
ment pay for most of his air
transportation.
The trip in question, on
which Mrs. Doerfer accom-
panied the commissioner, in
volved attending the dedication
of a television tower by station
KWTV in Oklahoma City, |,
Okla, and a speech at district
meeting of NARTB in Spokane,
Wash.
According to the testimony, |,
the Government paid American
AirlineS $792.S0 for transporting I
Mrs. and Mrs. Doerfer; Station
KWTV paid Mr.. Doerfer $165.12
for the Washington to Okla
homa City portion of his trip:
Station KWTV paid the Doer-
fers' hotel bill Of $34.47 the
NARTB district paid the
Doerfers' hotel bill in Spokane
of $141.16; and national head
quarters of NARTB paid Mr..
Doerfer a fiat $575 for expenses,
including transportation.
Bookkeeping Procedure"
The $575 check was made out {
to r. M. Brown of Portland, !
Greg, who was NARTB district
director in the Northwest in
1854. Mr.. Brown then reim- {
bursed Mr. Doerfer, according
to DR.. Schwartz. 4
The counsel tried to show
that this method of payment
was devious but Robert K.
Richards, NARTB public rela-
tions consultant, testified it was
just a bookkeeping procedure"
He explained that Mr.. Doerfer
was substituting for NARTB
National President Harold
Fellows. whose expenses would
have been paid by national
headquarters if he had attended
the Spokane meeting.
DR.. Schwartz noted, however,
that the Spokane district Office
paid Mr.. Doerfer's hotel bill di-
rect to the hotel, not through
national headquarters.
Mr.. Moulder gaveled Mr..
Doerfer into silence about a
half dozen times. Mr.. Doerfer
argued that he should be per-
mitted at the outset to read
a statement, since he had suf-
fered trial by ordeal and in
nuendo."
He promised to give a COM
plete account" of his activities
during his five years on the
FEC.
But Mr.. Moulder insisted
that he wait until DR.. Schwartz
g. a-ENyr,Wrc -