▁Howard ▁Hugh es , ▁about ▁O ' B rien . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁Donald ▁N ixon ▁had ▁borrow ed ▁$ 2 0 5 , 0 0 0 ▁from ▁Howard ▁Hugh es ▁and ▁had ▁never ▁rep a id ▁the ▁loan . ▁The ▁loan ' s ▁existence ▁sur fac ed ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁president ial ▁election ▁campaign , ▁embar rass ing ▁Richard ▁N ixon ▁and ▁becoming ▁a ▁political ▁li ability . ▁According ▁to ▁author ▁Donald ▁M . ▁Bart lett , ▁Richard ▁N ixon ▁would ▁do ▁whatever ▁was ▁necessary ▁to ▁prevent ▁another ▁family ▁embar rass ment . ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁Hugh es ▁with d rew ▁nearly ▁half ▁a ▁million ▁dollars ▁from ▁the ▁Texas ▁National ▁Bank ▁of ▁Com merce ▁for ▁contributions ▁to ▁both ▁Democr ats ▁and ▁Republic ans , ▁including ▁president ial ▁candidates ▁Hum ph rey ▁and ▁N ixon . ▁Hugh es ▁wanted ▁Donald ▁N ixon ▁and ▁Me ier ▁involved ▁but ▁N ixon ▁opposed ▁this . ▁ ▁Me ier ▁told ▁Donald ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁sure ▁the ▁Democr ats ▁would ▁win ▁the ▁election ▁because ▁they ▁had ▁considerable ▁information ▁on ▁Richard ▁N ixon ' s ▁ill ic it ▁deal ings ▁with ▁Hugh es ▁that ▁had ▁never ▁been ▁released , ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁res ided ▁with ▁Larry ▁O ' B rien . ▁According ▁to ▁Fred ▁Em ery , ▁O ' B rien ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁lo bb y ist ▁for ▁Hugh es ▁in ▁a ▁Dem ocrat - control led ▁Congress , ▁and