Secret White House Tapes

893-021a

About this recording

893-021a
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • John D. Ehrlichman
  • H. R. Haldeman
  • Ronald L. Ziegler
  • Stephen B. Bull
April 11, 1973
Conversation No. 893-21

Date: April 11, 1973
Time: 3:18 pm - 4:49 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman, H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, and Ronald L. Ziegler.

Simplified tax return

-George P. Schultz

-45-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. February-2011)

Conversation No. 893-21 (cont’d)

-Evaluation

President’s schedule
-Evening meetings

Watergate
-Problems of presidency

-Excessive strength

-Lack of candor

-Role of Senate

-Scheduling

-Televised hearings

-Witnesses
-White House staff
-John N. Mitchell, Robert C. Mardian, Frederick LaRue, Jeb Stuart
Magruder

-Haldeman

-John W. Dean, III

-Possible presidential actions

-Popular perceptions

-Value of initiative

-Role of Ervin Committee

-Grand jury

-Dean

-Instructions concerning privilege

-Ehrlichman, Leonard Garment

-Protection of Mitchell

-Magruder

-Sally H. Harmony’s testimony

-G[eorge] Gordon Liddy

-Gordon C. Strachan’s testimony

-Haldeman’s hiring of Donald H. Segretti

-$350,000

-Handling
-Haldeman’s instructions
-LaRue
-Haldeman’s hiring of Donald H. Segretti
-Possible press reports
-Gray’s testimony about Segretti
-46-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. February-2011)

Conversation No. 893-21 (cont’d)

-Dwight L. Chapin, Herbert W. Kalmbach

-Dean

-Effects of possible testimony on Mitchell

-Haldeman’s possible testimony

-Watergate investigation
-Warren Commission
-Special prosecutor
-Ervin Committee
-Exercise of privilege
-Ervin Committee’s functions
-Protection of White House
-Haldeman
-Relationship with Magruder

-Long-term effects of testimony

-Future statements

-Washington Post
-Carl Berstein
-Robert U. (“Bob”) Woodward
-Ervin Committee
-Testimony by White House staff
-Conditions: voluntary vs. court-ordered
-Supreme Court ruling
-Effects of televised hearings
-John D. Ehrlichman’s negotiations with Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.
-Dean’s appearance before Grand Jury
-Ehrlichman letter on Dean
-Testimony by White House staff
-Haldeman
-Dean
-Committee staff’s view of Haldeman or Mitchell’s role
-Haldeman
-Allegations against

-Executive privilege

-John B. Connally’s view

-President’s position
-Candor
-White Hosue staff testimony before Ervin Committee
-Investigation for President
-Ehrlichman’s suggestion of appointing a justice to write report
-47-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. February-2011)

Conversation No. 893-21 (cont’d)

-Ervin Committee Report
-Leaks
-Grand Juries
-Strachan’s testimony
-Harmony’s testimony
-Public impressions
-Press coverage
-Ervin Committee
-White House staff testimony
-Dean
-Executive privilege
-White House cooperation
-Dean
-Possible testimony before Grand Jury
-Grand Jury leaks
-Washington, DC
-Funds
-Ervin Committee
-Executive Branch investigation
-Possible testimony against Dean
-Ehrlichman’s hypothetical testimony example
-Statement by Dean
-Effect
-Ziegler’s example of hypothetical testimony from a woman
-Linda Lovelace

-Possible testimony by Magruder

-Possible statements by Dean

-Attendance at Committee for the Re-election of the President [CRP]
meetings
-Requests from Mitchell for money
-Kalmbach
-Role in raising money

-Popular impression

-Possible lack of testimony

-Mitchell

-New York Daily News story

-New York Grand Jury

-Ervin Committee
-Televised hearings
-48-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. February-2011)

Conversation No. 893-21 (cont’d)

-Successful witnesses
-Howard Hughes
-Francis A. (“Frank”) Sinatra
-Problems
-Dean’s availability
-White House position
-Possible future testimony on Dean
-Scope of possible testimony
-Grand Jury
-Public reaction
-Forthcoming Grand Jury testimony
-Staff’s discussions with Grament
-Dean
-Haldeman
-Charles Colson, Chapin, Strachan
-Availability of witnesses
-Hierarchy
-Executive privilege
-Haldeman
-Executive privilege
-Knowledge
-Comparison with Dean’s situation
-Layers of Executive privilege
-Dean
-Forthcoming testimony
-Knowledge
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] raw files
-Contact with Donald H. Segretti
-Written interrogatories

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:18 pm.

President’s schedule
-Trip to Camp David

-Departure time

-Transportation

-Marine One helicopter

Bull left at an unknown time before 4:20 pm.
-49-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. February-2011)

Conversation No. 893-21 (cont’d)


Watergate

-Ervin Committee

-Haldeman

-Dean

-Arrangements for forthcoming testimony

-Televised hearings

-Forthcoming White House statements

-Dean report

-Mitchell

-Risks

-Timing

-Future attacks by committee

-Timing

-Wording

-Possible statement by Haldeman
-Response to allegations
-New York Post story’s contents
-Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
-Involvement with Segretti
-Document by Ehrlichman for negotiations

-Televised hearings

-Changes


Ziegler left at 4:20 pm.

Watergate
-Ervin Committee
-Ehrlichman’s negotiations
-Televised hearings
-Impact on possibility of White House staff testimony
-Approval by committee
-Information given to Garment
-Discrepancies
-Ratification by committee compared to gentleman’s agreement
-FBI raw files
-Televised hearing

-Objections by witnesses

-Ehrlichman’s negotiations

-50-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. February-2011)

Conversation No. 893-21 (cont’d)

-Committee process
-Circus atmosphere
-Dean’s testimony
-Dean
-Forthcoming appearance before Grand Jury
-Possible treatment by committee members
-Weicker
-Joseph M. Montoya
-Erhlichman’s forthcoming negotiations with Ervin, April 11, 1973
-Timing of deal
-Televised hearings
-Testimony of White House staff
-Conditions
-Press reaction
-Televised hearings
-Other media
-Press attendance
-Motion pictures
-Radio
-Comparison with courtroom rules
-Televised hearings
-Duration of meeting

Ehrlichman left at 4:32 pm.

Watergate
-Ervin Committee

-Ziegler’s opinions

-Statements by White House staff

-Haldeman

-Possible statement

-Strachan
-Testimony
-Hugh W. Sloan, Jr.’s testimony concerning $350,000
-Haldeman’s connection with Segretti
-Watergate break-in
-Discussions with James Keough and Haldeman prior to testimony
-Haldeman’s instructions about testimony
-Mitchell
-51-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. February-2011)

Conversation No. 893-21 (cont’d)

-Dean
-Discussions about funds
-Haldeman
-Ehrlichman
-Haldeman’s response to Dean’s request
-$350,000
-Haldeman’s instructions concerning disposition
-Origin
-Kalmbach’s role in 1970 election
-Haldeman’s suggestions

[Background noise from aircraft obscures conversation.]

Watergate
-$350,000
-Expenditure
-Concerns about campaign spending violations
-Responsibility
-Haldeman’s forthcoming statement
-Use
-Haldeman’s involvement in postelection use
-Strachan’s testimony
-Sloan’s testimony
-Watergate break-in
-Strachan’s testimony
-Original size of fund
-Maurice H. Stans
-Comparison with Democrats’ funds
-Dean
-Involvement with funds for burglars
-Use for funds
-Contact with burglars

Haldeman’s schedule

Haldeman left at 4:49 pm.
-52-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. February-2011)
Secret White House Tapes |

893-021a

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