Watergate Book Blames Break-In, Cover-Up on Dean

NEW YORK —  Former White House counsel John W. Dean III, President Richard M. Nixon’s main accuser in the Watergate scandal, actually initiated the break-in himself and masterminded the cover-up without consulting his superiors, a book released Monday charges.

The authors of “Silent Coup: The Removal of a President” charge that Dean was motivated by a desire to collect dirt on the Democrats to boost his influence in the White House.

As the scandal grew, Dean repeatedly lied to Congress and the Watergate prosecutors and shifted blame to the President to protect his own skin, the authors said.

In the book, Dean denies the allegations. It was written by Len Colodny, a Democratic political consultant and professional investigator, and Robert Gettlin, a former reporter for Newhouse Newspapers in Washington who spent seven years on the project.

“Dean probably at some point will go down along with Benedict Arnold in our history books,” Colodny said.

Attempts to reach Dean on Monday were unsuccessful. A telephone for his law firm in Studio City, Calif., was disconnected.

The book repeats a charge that Alexander M. Haig Jr., former secretary of state, was “Deep Throat,” the principal White House source for reporter Bob Woodward of the Washington Post.