Frederick Cheney "Fred" LaRue, Sr. (October 11, 1928 – July 24, 2004), was an aide in the administration of U.S. President Richard Nixon. He served a short prison sentence for his role in the Watergate break-in and the subsequent Watergate scandal and cover-up. Oddly, LaRue had no rank, title, salary, or even listing in the White House directory. LaRue was present at an early meeting with his friend, United States Attorney General John N. Mitchell, at which the Watergate burglary was planned. Afterwards, LaRue assisted the cover-up, supervising the shredding of documents and the destruction of financial records. Biography LaRue was a son of Isaac Parsons and Ruth (Quickenstedt) LaRue. His father later went to prison for violating banking laws, and, upon his release, made a fortune in the oil business. Fred LaRue sold one of their Mississippi oil fields for a reported $30 million in 1967. Accidentally shoots his father dead In 1957, LaRue accidentally shot and killed his father while hunting with friends in Canada. Business interests in pre-1959 Havana casinos and Las Vegas With his newfound wealth, LaRue invested in many failed business ventures including casinos in Havana, Cuba, prior to the communist revolution, and in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also used his wealth to become a political financier and served as a member of the Republican National Committee from 1963 until 1968. Associated with Senators Goldwater, Eastland and Thurmond He was a heavy financial contributor to Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign in 1964. He was also a longtime friend of the Mississippi Democratic U.S. Senator James Eastland. After Goldwater lost the election, LaRue began getting involved with Nixon's career. LaRue was one of the principal planners of Nixon's so-called "Southern strategy" for winning the election. He coordinated with the campaign office of Strom Thurmond, the veteran U.S. Senator from South Carolina. Nixon supporter, advisor to Attorney General John Mitchell LaRue also recommended the use of a "special ballad-type song in the current 'country-and-western music style, by which nationally famous artists will sing the message via the radio and TV." The song was called "Bring Our Country Back" and included "alternate" lyrics with the couplet: "Dick Nixon is a decent man/Who can bring our country back." LaRue proposed broadcasting the song by local radio and television programs throughout the South. However, he had difficulty finding artists to perform the song; most that he contacted either sympathized with George