Conversation No. 45-15

Date: April 26, 1973
Time: 5:56 pm - 6:17 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Henry E. Peterson.

[See also Conversation No. 431-9G]

     Watergate      

          -President’s previous call to Richard G. Kleindienst 

                -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III      

                      -New York Times story 

          -Gray       

                -Possible resignation       

                      -Petersen consultation with Kleindienst     

                -Destruction of E. Howard Hunt, Jr.’s documents 


The President placed the telephone on hold at an unknown time between 5:57 pm and 6:17 pm.

Telephone conversation resumes at an unknown time between 5:57 pm and before 6:17 pm.

     Watergate        

          -Gray        

                  -Destruction of Hunt’s documents        

                        -Gray’s public explanation      

                              -Ronald L. Zeigler      

                  -Conversation with Petersen       

                        -Hunt documents
                              -Kleindienst
                              -John D. Ehrlichman and John W. Dean, III
                  -Meeting with Ehrlichman and Dean
                        -Leaks
                        -Transfer of Hunt documents and orders relating thereto
                  -Dean’s conversation with Petersen
                        -Ehrlichman’s orders to destroy documents
                        -Transfer of documents to Gray
                  -Comparison with J. Edgar Hoover
                                -11-

       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. October-2012)

                                                 Conversation No. 45-15 (cont’d)

      -Timing of possible statement        

      -Possible action by President      

      -Possible statement by Ziegler        

            -President’s investigation        

      -Conversations with Petersen concerning documents 

      -Dean’s story concerning Ehrlichman’s orders 

      -Corroboration by Dean         

-President’s conversation with Dean
      -Hunt documents
-Petersen’s conversation with Dean concerning documents
      -Ehrlichman
-Geoffrey C. Shepard
      -Conversation with Petersen
-Grand Jury
      -Telephone call from Thomas M. Rees’s office
            -Petersen’s conversations with President
-Gray
      -Forthcoming meeting with Kleindienst and Petersen
      -Possible resignation
      -Replacement
            -W. Mark Felt        

            -Petersen      

            -Temporary nature of appointment         

      -Forthcoming meeting with Petersen        

      -Timing of possible statement        

      -Possible statement by Peterson         

            -Dean       

            -Ehrlichman        

-Dean
      -Forthcoming meeting with Petersen
      -Possible departure from staff
            -Ehrlichman
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and Ehrlichman
      -Forthcoming meeting between counsel and U.S. Attorney
      -Grand Jury
-Dean
      -Possible testimony
      -Jeb Stuart Magruder
            -Plea
                                              -12-


                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                        Tape Subject Log 

                                       (rev. October-2012)

                                                             Conversation No. 45-15 (cont’d)

                 -Petersen’s strategy
                       -Trial      

                 -Possible action by President   

                 -“Blackmail”         

                       -Cover-up        

                 -Credibility       

                       -Comparison with Magruder         

                 -Plea