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Conversation: 419-023

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Start Date: 14-Mar-1973 12:47 PM

End Date: 14-Mar-1973 1:30 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Moore, Richard A.Dean, John W., IIINixon, Richard M. (President)Moore, Richard A.Dean, John W., III

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

419-023a.mp3

419-023b.mp3

NARA Description:

On March 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Richard A. Moore, and John W. Dean, III met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:47 pm to 1:30 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 419-023 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 419-23

Date: March 14, 1973
Time: 12:47 pm - 1:30 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Richard A. Moore and John W. Dean, III.

       Ronald L. Ziegler's briefing on Watergate
            -Length
                  -Comparison to James C. Haggerty
                  -Limits
            -Format
            -Subjects
                  -Written interrogatories
                  -President's appearance
                        -Congressional investigation
                               -Compared with Henry A. Kissinger’s informal consultations
                               -Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy and Birch Bayh
                               -Samuel J. Ervin, Jr., Howard H. Baker, Jr.
                                     -Meeting with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John D.
                                      Ehrlichman and lawyers
                  -Peter M. Flanigan
            -Separation of powers

       Watergate
            -Thomas Lumbard's interview with Washington Post
                             -35-

     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                        Tape Subject Log
                         (rev. Sept-2010)
                                               Conversation No. 419-23 (cont’d)



      -Work for Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP)
      -Dean's conversation with Donald E. Santarelli
      -Washington Post report
            -Link between G. Gordon Liddy and Dean
                  -Counsel duties
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
      -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
      -William C. Sullivan
-Ervin Committee
      -Subpoenas
            -Authority over administration
-Common Cause law suit
      -Dean's subpoena
      -Administration lawyers
            -Abilities
            -John W. Gardner
      -Lawrence F. O'Brien's suit, Maurice H. Stans's libel suit
      -Administration counter-offensive
-Ervin Committee
      -March 13, 1973 issuance of subpoenas for Dean, Jeb Stuart Magruder, Hugh
       W. Sloan, Jr., Murray M. Chotiner
-Ervin Committee
      -Objectives
            -Investigation of Stans
      -Questions for Dean
            -CRP personnel structure
-O'Brien suit against CRP
      -Dean subpoena
      -Use of executive privilege
            -Court fight
            -Haldeman and Ehrlichman
            -Written interrogatories
            -Congress
                  -Rules
                  -Subpoena
                         -Court challenge
-Executive privilege
      -Dan Rather's questions
                               -36-

       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. Sept-2010)
                                                 Conversation No. 419-23 (cont’d)



             -President's statements
                   -Alger Hiss case
                          -President's criticisms of White House
                          -Harry S Truman's non-cooperation
                          -Response of press corps
       -Previous appearance before Congressional Committee as Vice-President
-FBI
       -Sullivan
             -Problems
             -Knowledge of certain activities
                    -Trust settlement
                    -Democratic abuses
                          -Possible release
       -President's statements for press
             -Release of material
                    -Precedents
       -1968 campaign
             -Allegations of wiretapping
             -Sullivan
                    -Knowledge of illegal activities by Democrats
             -Corroborating evidence
             -John N. Mitchell's conversation with Cartha D. DeLoach
                    -Spiro T. Agnew [?]
                    -J. Edgar Hoover
                          -Conversation with President
             -Sullivan
                    -Use of information
             -Hoover
                    -Conversation with President
                          -Wire taps
                                 -National security
                                 -Removal of equipment
             -Sullivan’s testimony
                    -Impact on Democrats
       -Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst
             -Job performance
                    -John B. Connally’s viewpoint
       -Gray
                                      -37-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Sept-2010)
                                                   Conversation No. 419-23 (cont’d)



                -Intelligence
                -Political skills

          -Testimony to Congress
                -Affidavit
                      -Herbert W. Kalmbach
                -Contacts with Dean
     -Donald H. Segretti
          -White House response
                -Policy statement
          -Dean's reports to President
                -Questions from press
                      -Responses
          -Investigation of Segretti

Campaign contributions
    -Robert L. Vesco
          -Connection with Stans
                -Seriousness of problem
                -Cash contribution
                -DeVan L.Shumway
          -Donald A. Nixon
                -Work with Vesco
    -Dick Tuck
    -Mexican banks
          -Stans' role
          -Current investigation

Watergate
     -Gray
           -Testimony to Congress
           -Press conference
           -Ehrlichman
     -Segretti case
           -Questions for President
                  -Response
                  -Ehrlichman
     -Executive privilege
                                          -38-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Sept-2010)
                                                           Conversation No. 419-23 (cont’d)



                -Guidelines
                -Double privilege
                -Washington DC Court of Appeals
                       -David L. Bazelon
                -Supreme Court
                       -Attitude toward executive privilege
                       -William H. Rehnquist
                -Justification
                       -Colson
                -Truman administration
                       -Total non-cooperation in Hiss case
                             -Justice Department raw files compared to summary report
                             -Contrast with administration's position
                -Ervin Committee
                       -Administration cooperation
                -Dan Rather
                       -Hiss case
                             -Truman administration's non-cooperation
            -Democratic illegalities
                -Press leaks
                -Need for publicity

Moore and Dean left at 1:30 pm