Secret White House Tapes

434–9

About this recording

434–9
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • Alexander M. Haig
  • Manolo Sanchez
  • White House operator
  • H. R. Haldeman
  • J. Fred. Buzhardt
May 9, 1973
Conversation No. 434-9

Date: May 9, 1973
Time: 6:35 pm - 8:26 pm
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Watergate

-J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.

-Knowledge

-Daniel Ellsberg trial

-William M. Byrne, Jr.

-Request for documents

-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

-Notes
-Removal from office
-Destruction by burning [?]
-Buzhardt’s concerns
-Senate committee
-Questions
-Executive privilege
-6-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

-Location of notes

-Partial release of documents

-John D. Ehrlichman
-Information turned over to grand jury
-Content
-Charles W. Colson
-Copies of Ehrlichman’s notes
-Buzhardt

-Buzhardt’s opinion

-Colson, Jeb Stuart Magruder and John N. Mitchell

-Haldeman
-Notes
-Partial release
-Ramifications

-Ehrlichman

-Report on investigation

-Conversation with John W. Dean, III

-Money for defendants

-Outcome

-Buzhardt
-John J. Wilson

-Conversation with J. Bruce Whelihan

-Notes

-President’s papers
-Ownership issue
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-President’s role
-Wilson
-Buzhardt’s assessment
-H. Chapman (“Chappie”) Rose
-Haldeman’s notes
-Content
-Buzhardt’s assessment
-Partial release
-Haldeman’s possible grand jury testimony
-Use of notes
-White House strategy
-7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

-Buzhardt’s assessment of notes

-Wilson’s strategy

-Haldeman’s ownership of notes

-White House strategy

-Pre-emptive action

-Congress
-Possibility of impeachment
-President’s conversation with John W. Dean, III, March 21, 1973
-Money for defendants
-Ehrlichman
-Report
-Haldeman’s assessment
-Response to charges
-Need to protect Presidency
-Release of documents
-Mitchell [?]
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Haig’s role
-Buzhardt
-Relationship with John C. Stennis

-Haig’s recommendation

-Congressional hearings
-Possibility of delay
-Stennis’s role
-Committee membership
-National security concern
-Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Documents
-President’s knowledge
-March 21, 1973 conversation with Dean

-Credibility of Haldeman, Dean

-Content

-Money for defendants
-William O. Bittman’s conversation with Paul L.
O’Brien
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
-Threats
-8-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

-Amount of money needed
-Conduit
-Cuban connection
-Las Vegas
-Money laundering
-President’s response
-Clemency
-Hunt
-Haldeman, Herbert W. Kalmbach,
Ehrlichman’s roles
-Ehrlichman’s notes
-Mitchell, Magruder, and Dean
-Haldeman’s notes

-Possible release to court

-Assessment

-Selective release
-Pre-emptive release
-Watergate compared to national security
-Use of executive privilege
-Possession
-Haldeman

-Court response

-President’s counsel

-Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Dean
-Lawyers
-Objectivity
-Buzhardt
-Compared to Leonard Garment
-Damage assessment
-Partial release of documents
-Ehrlichman’s report

Manolo Sanchez entered at 6:55 pm.

President’s telephone call

-Time of day

-9-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

Sanchez left at 6:55 pm.

Watergate

-Haldeman’s grand jury testimony [?]

-Haldeman’s notes

-Contents
-Need for White House Counsel to examine notes
-Possible release to Ervin Committee
-Pre-emptive partial release by White House
-Ehrlichman’s opinion [?]
-Garment
-President’s knowledge
-Haldeman’s notes

-Possible subpoena

-Buzhardt’s possible screening

-Haig’s support
-Haig’s possible screening
-Buzhardt’s objection
-Garment’s possible screening
-Rose’s recommendation

-Request for Haldeman’s documents

-Screening of Haldeman’s notes

-Haldeman’s house
-Buzhardt’s conversation with Wilson

-Location of Haldeman’s notes

-Use of executive privilege

-Haldeman’s appearance before grand jury

Haig talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 6:55 pm and 7:55 pm.

[Conversation No. 434-9A]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 45-177]

[End telephone conversation]
-10-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)


Watergate
-Haldeman’s notes

-Retrieval

-Executive privilege


Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked with H. R. Haldeman at an unknown time between 6:55 pm and
7:55 pm.


[Conversation No. 434-9B]


[Begin telephone conversation]


[See Conversation No. 45-178]


[End telephone conversation]


Watergate

-Haig’s previous conversation with Haldeman

-Haldeman’s notes

-Haldeman’s possession

-Extracts

-Return

-Attorneys’ knowledge

-Conversation with Buzhardt, Garment, and Rose

Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 6:55

pm and 7:55 pm.


[Conversation No. 434-9C]


[Begin telephone conversation]


[See Conversation No. 45-179A]


Haig conferred with the President at an unknown time between 6:55 pm and 7:55 pm.

-11-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

[Begin conferral]

Problem

[End conferral]

[End telephone conversation]

Watergate

-Buzhardt

-President’s choice as counsel

-Haig’s conversation with Haldeman

-Garment


Haig’s previous conversation with Haldeman

Haig talked with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. at an unknown time between 6:55 pm and 7:55 pm.

[Conversation No. 434-9D]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 45-179B]

[End telephone conversation]

Watergate

-Haldeman’s notes

-Wilson

-Meeting with Buzhardt, Rose, and Garment
-Reading of notes
-Executive privilege
-Haldeman’s comments
-Garment
-Possible contents
-President’s conversations with Haldeman
-Buzhardt
-12-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

-Haig’s support

-Knowledge of issues, temperament

-Experience with Congress

-Executive privilege

-Ehrlichman’s report

-Garment and Rose
-Handling of Watergate
-Buzhardt’s knowledge
-Contents of Haldeman’s notes
-President’s conversation with Dean, March 21, 1973
-Haig’s concern
-Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s involvement
-“Devil’s advocate”

-Acquisition of facts

-Henry A. Kissinger

-Possibility of Buzhardt’s review of Haldeman’s notes
-Meeting with Wilson
-Problem with Garment

-Anti-Semitism

-Haldeman

-Possible meeting between President and Haldeman
-Ehrlichman’s appearance before grand jury
-Information
-Ervin Committee hearings
-Commencement
-Dean’s appearance
-Immunity
-Dean’s documents
-Judge John J. Sirica
-Motion to release
-Timing

-Contents

-Garment’s opinion

-President’s actions after March 21, 1973
-Request for report
-Ehrlichman investigation
-President’s desire for full disclosure
-13-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

-Magruder, Mitchell, and Dean involvement

-Frederick C. LaRue’s involvement

-Money to defendants

-Haldeman and Ehrlichman’s involvement

-Haig’s opinion

-Ehrlichman

-Haldeman

-$350,000

-Haldeman’s notes

-Possible effect on Haldeman

-Contents

-March 21, 1973 conversation between President, Haldeman, and
Dean
-Intent of Haldeman’s attorneys
-Rose

-President’s possible resignation

-Haig’s forthcoming call to Haldeman

-Request for information

Haig talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 6:55 pm and 7:55 pm.

[Conversation No. 434-9E]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 45-180]

[End telephone conversation]

Watergate

-Haldeman’s notes

-Meeting with President

-Executive Office Building [EOB]


Haig talked with H. R. Haldeman at an unknown time between 6:55 pm and 7:55 pm.

[Conversation No. 434-9F]
-14-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)


[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 45-181]

Haig conferred with the President during the conversation.

[Begin conferral]

Watergate
-President’s conversation with Dean and Haldeman, March 21, 1973

[End conferral]

[End telephone conversation]

Watergate

-Wilson


Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 6:55 pm.

Refreshment

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 7:55 pm.

Watergate
-Meeting between Haldeman’s lawyers, Buzhardt, Garment, and Rose, May 9,
1973
-Executive privilege
-Garment
-Content of Haldeman’s notes
-Haldeman’s lawyers’ knowledge
-Dean’s telephone conversation with Haldeman, March 26, 1973
-President’s meeting with Dean and Haldeman, March 21, 1973
-Dean’s interpretation
-Money for defendants
-Cubans
-15-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

-Las Vegas
-Clemency

-Hunt

-Amnesty

-Haldeman’s notes
-Wilson’s strategy
-March 26, 1973 conversation with Dean
-White House counsel
-Division of responsibilities

-Garment

-Buzhardt

-Ervin Committee hearings
-Attempt to delay
-Stennis
-Buzhardt
-Conversation with Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.
-Buzhardt and Thomas C. Korologos
-Ervin Committee
-Special prosecutor

-Television [TV]

-Hearings

-White House response
-Haldeman’s notes
-Location
-Executive privilege
-Possible meeting between Haldeman, Wilson, and Buzhardt
-Haldeman
-Meeting with Dean and the President, March 21, 1973
-President’s conversation with Richard A. Moore
-Dean’s knowledge of Watergate
-President’s telephone call to Dean, March 20, 1973
-Moore’s conversation with Dean
-Donald H. Segretti

-Haldeman

-President’s meeting with Dean, March 21, 1973
-Bittman threats
-Response
-16-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

-Necessity for Haldeman to convey story
-Compared to paper evidence
-Buzhardt
-Possible meeting between President and Haldeman
-Buzhardt, Garment, Rose
-“Feeling the cancer”
-President’s schedule
-Cabinet meeting
-Meeting with Buzhardt
-Meetings with Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-Buzhardt
-Possible role
-Documents
-Release
-Effect on Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-Ellsberg break-in
-Ehrlichman’s involvement
-Plumbers
-Ehrlichman’s involvement
-Documents in Hunt’s safe

-L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III

-Dean’s story

-Gray’s story

-Role
-Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Mitchell’s request
-Dean
-Telephone call to Kalmbach
-Ehrlichman’s report
-Grand jury
-Kalmbach’s role
-President’s conversation with Ehrlichman, April 1973
-Dean report
-Ehrlichman investigation
-Submitted report, April 15, 1973
-White House’s assistance in breaking case
-Magruder
-17-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

-Magruder and Mitchell
-Ehrlichman’s report

-Grand jury

-Garment’s knowledge

-President’s actions

-Haig’s forthcoming conversation with Buzhardt

-Ervin Committee hearings

-Strategy

-Haldeman

-Wilson

-Possible meetings between President, Haldeman, and Ehrlichman
-Resignations of Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Reactions
-Richardson
-Confirmation hearings

-Ehrlichman’s involvement

-Haldeman’s notes

-Buzhardt
-Misunderstanding
-Wilson’s conversation with Garment
-Location
-Ehrlichman’s appearance before grand jury

-Haldeman

-Buzhardt

-Meeting with President and Haig

Haig talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 6:55 pm and 7:55 pm.

[Conversation No. 434-9G]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 45-182]

[End telephone conversation]

Watergate
-18-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

-Buzhardt

-Frustration


Haig talked with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. at an unknown time between 6:55 pm and 7:55 pm.

[Conversation No. 434-9H]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 45-183]

[End telephone conversation]

Watergate
-Haldeman’s notes

-Buzhardt’s review

-Haig

-Interpretation

-Meeting between Buzhardt and Haldeman
-Haldeman’s conversation with Dean, March 26, 1973
-Dean’s report

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 6:55 pm.

Announcement of Buzhardt’s arrival

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 7:55 pm.

Watergate

-Wilson’s meeting with Garment, Rose, and Buzhardt

-Executive privilege


Buzhardt entered at 7:55 pm.

President’s schedule

-Republican fundraising dinner

-Haig’s attendance [?]

-19-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)


Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 7:55 pm.

Refreshments

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 8:26 pm.

Watergate

-President’s knowledge and role

-Mitchell

-Haldeman and Ehrlichman

-Possible guilt

-Possible indictments

-Mitchell’s indictment
-Ehrlichman’s report
-Grand jury
-Ervin Committee
-Effect on Ehrlichman, Haldeman, Dean, Mitchell, Magruder
-Magruder and Dean

-Mitchell

-Funds for defendants

-Ehrlichman, Haldeman, and Kalmbach
-President’s campaign role
-Motives
-Mitchell, Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-Evidence
-Hush money
-Hearsay
-White House staff
-Moore
-Public relations [PR]
-President’s conversation with Henry E. Peterson
-Garment
-President’s counsel
-Haig
-Buzhardt’s forthcoming meeting with Haldeman
-Haldeman’s papers
-20-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

-Haldeman’s conversation with Dean, March 26, 1973
-Wilson

-Meeting with White House lawyers

-Executive privilege

-Relationship with Garment

-Ronald L. Ziegler’s view

-Buzhardt’s role on White House staff
-Compared to Garment
-Ervin Committee
-President’s papers
-Haldeman, Haig, and Kissinger
-Haldeman’s papers
-Grand jury schedule
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Haldeman’s papers
-Executive privilege
-Ehrlichman’s and Dean’s papers
-Haldeman’s notes
-Executive privilege
-Buzhardt

-President’s papers

-Haldeman’s papers

-Ehrlichman

-Leaks

-India-Pakistan

-Press reaction

-Buzhardt’s legal experience

-Possession

-Papers compared to oral conversations

-Ehrlichman’s conversations with President
-Grand jury testimony
-Haldeman’s conversations with President
-Ervin Committee
-Wilson’s viewpoint
-Buzhardt’s conversation with Stennis, May 3, 1973
-Buzhardt’s possible role on White House staff
-Stennis’s willingness to assist the President
-21-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

-Stennis’s position in Senate

-Stennis compared to Ervin

-Ervin Committee hearings

-President’s efforts in investigating

-Mitchell, Ehrlichman, Haldeman, and Stennis

-Compared to Alger Hiss case

-Grand jury activities

-Compared to Lavelle case

-Ervin Committee hearings

-Effects on possible defendants

-Ervin

-Republicans

-Howard H. Baker, Jr.

-Scope

-Segretti

-Members’ desire for publicity

-Possible pressure from peers

-Stennis and Barry M. Goldwater
-Lawrence F. O’Brien
-Korologos
-Bryce N. Harlow
-Buzhardt’s priorities for action

-Haldeman’s possible meetings with Haig, President

-Buzhardt’s role

-Richardson’s concerns regarding Buzhardt

-Haig


President’s schedule
-Republican National Committee [RNC] fundraising dinner, May 9, 1973

Watergate
-President’s conversation with John B. Connally
-Resignations

-Ehrlichman and Haldeman

-President

-Possible impeachment

-Obstruction of justice

-22-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. September-2012)

Conversation No. 434-9 (cont’d)

-Bella S. Abzug and Paul N. McCloskey, Jr.
-December 1972 bombing
-Rules
-Possible White House response
-Possible effect on nation
-Compared to 1964 campaign bugging

-J. Strom Thurmond’s campaign [?]

-Buzhardt

-Buzhardt’s classmates


Haig and Buzhardt left at 8:26 pm.
Secret White House Tapes |

434–9

This recording is currently not available on millercenter.org. To listen to it, please email Mike Greco at mdg4u@virginia.edu

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