Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 38 › Conversation 038-062
Ehrlichman & Gray on Watergate scandal and E. Howard Hunt
Sunday, April 15, 1973 · 10:16 PM–11:15 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min
AI Summary
John D. Ehrlichman calls Acting FBI Director L. Patrick Gray III to advise him on how to handle testimony regarding a sensitive envelope containing E. Howard Hunt’s materials. Ehrlichman encourages Gray to maintain that the documents were irrelevant political papers, cautioning him against providing inconsistent testimony that could expose them to broader legal risks. The discussion underscores the escalating pressure and confusion surrounding the White House's efforts to manage the fallout from the Watergate investigation.
Audio
NARA Description
On April 15, 1973, John D. Ehrlichman and L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-062 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 38-62
Date: April 15, 1973
Time: Unknown between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm
Location: White House Telephone
John D. Ehrlichman talked with L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III.
Watergate
-Envelope to Gray
-Need for truth
-Contents
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
-Information from John W. Dean, III
-Collateral evidence
-36-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUMTranscript (AI-generated)
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Also recorded on April 15, 1973
- 038-056 8:26 PM · 18 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:26 pm and 9:15 pm.
- 038-057 9:17 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:17 pm and 9:39 pm.
- 038-058 9:39 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen talked on the telephone from 9:39 pm to 9:41 pm.
- 038-059 10:16 PM · 19 sec — John D. Ehrlichman and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm.
- 038-060 10:16 PM · 2 min — John D. Ehrlichman and L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm.
- 038-061 10:16 PM · 14 sec — John D. Ehrlichman, White House operator, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm.
- 038-063 10:16 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm.
- 038-064 11:45 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen talked on the telephone from 11:45 pm to 11:53 pm.
Related conversations
- Nixon phone call with Kleindienst on Watergate and L. Patrick Gray III April 26, 1973 · 4 min
- Nixon, Haldeman & Ziegler on Watergate and John W. Dean III April 18, 1973 · 36 min
- Nixon phone call with Ehrlichman on Watergate and Charles Colson April 19, 1973 · 3 min
- Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Watergate scandal and John Dean April 19, 1973 · 15 min
- Nixon & Moore on Watergate and John Dean April 19, 1973 · 1 hr 10 min
- Nixon, Haldeman & Hart on Watergate scandal and Hush money April 25, 1973 · 42 min
Cite this conversation
Conversation 038-062, April 15, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/038-062 (accessed November 9, 2026).