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Conversation: 424-030

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Start Date: 29-Mar-1973 12:54 PM

End Date: 29-Mar-1973 1:34 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Ehrlichman, John D.

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

424-030a.mp3

424-030b.mp3

NARA Description:

On March 29, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:54 pm to 1:34 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 424-030 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 424-30

Date: March 29, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:54 pm and 1:34 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

       President's speech
             -Preparation
                    -President’s hard work
                    -John D. Ehrlichman [?]
                                     -28-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. Aug.-2010)
                                                     Conversation No. 424-30 (cont’d)


     -Past speeches by President
           -President’s schedule
                 -Amount of time available
     -Compared with press conferences
           -Public reaction
     -Price controls
           -Term "freeze" compared with "ceiling"
                 -George P. Shultz

Watergate
     -New developments
     -Ervin Committee
           -Howard H. Baker, Jr.
                 -Speech to Press Club
                 -Charges against John W. Dean, III, Jeb Stuart Magruder
                 -Call to Spiro T. Agnew
                 -Opposition to President's stand on executive privilege
                        -Public relations problem
     -James McCord Jr.'s charges
           -Hearsay
                 -E. Howard Hunt, Jr. and G. Gordon Liddy
     -Ervin Committee
           -Testimony of Hunt and Liddy
                 -John N. Mitchell and Magruder
           -Problem of executive privilege
           -Public hearings
                 -Problem of separation of powers
           -Advantages of grand jury
                 -Dean appearance
                 -Waiver of privileges
                 -A public statement
     -Grand jury hearings
           -Waiver of privileges re criminal conduct
           -Waiver of executive privilege
                 -Charles W. Colson
                 -Watergate matters compared with White House business
     -Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
           -Press conference
                 -Attacks on Committee's leaks
                        -Source
                                 -29-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                          Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. Aug.-2010)
                                                    Conversation No. 424-30 (cont’d)


                        -Judiciary committee employee
                        -Discovery
                        -Secret Service tail
                        -Employee
                              -Political views
-Ervin Committee
      -Agnew
      -Baker
      -Possible White House action
      -Dean testimony
-Grand jury appearances
      -Ronald L. Ziegler’s announcement
      -Dean’s appearance
      -McCord’s testimony
             -Validity
-Bugging
      -McCord's involvement in other incident
             -Charges
-Watergate reports
      -Delivery to Gordon C. Strachan
             -Strachan's knowledge of contents
-Grand jury testimony
      -Dean
             -Mitchell's request
-Arthur Becker’s office meeting
-William P. Rogers
      -Advice
-Mitchell meeting with Liddy
      -Dean's recollection of Mitchell's reaction
             -Purpose
             -Liddy's presentation
                   -Rejection
             -Second meeting
                   -Purpose
                   -Dean's arrival
                   -Liddy's presentation
                          -Rejection
      -Dean's recounting to Haldeman
-Haldeman's knowledge
      -Intelligence gathering
                              -30-

     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                        Tape Subject Log
                         (rev. Aug.-2010)
                                              Conversation No. 424-30 (cont’d)


      -Bugging operation
-President's contacts with Dean and Magruder
      -Pre- and post-election period
-Grand jury
      -Dean testimony
             -Charges
             -Waiver of executive privilege
                   -Guidelines
             -Involvement in break-in
      -Mitchell
      -Magruder
      -Colson
      -Ehrlichman
      -Richard A. Moore
      -Ehrlichman
             -Abilities as lawyer
      -Magruder
             -Charges against others
                   -Severity
             -Accusations against Mitchell
      -Mitchell
             -Possible charges
                   -Break-in
             -Discussion of Watergate
      -Charges
             -Validity
-Grand jury
      -Dean
      -Publicity for testimony
      -Dean
             -Meeting with Ehrlichman and Haldeman
             -Testimony
                   -Basis for refusal
      -Mitchell
             -Meeting with Haldeman and Ehrlichman
      -Colson
             -Haldeman’s call
                   -Rogers
-Ehrlichman meeting with Haldeman
                                               -31-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. Aug.-2010)
                                                             Conversation No. 424-30 (cont’d)


The President talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 12:54 pm and 1:34 pm.

[Conversation No. 424-30-A]

       President's schedule
             -George P. Shultz's draft

       Haldeman meeting with Ehrlichman
            -Location

[End of telephone conversation]

       Colson
            -Debate in Clark Mollenhoff [?]
            -Knowledge of Liddy and Hunt's activities, Watergate

       Watergate
            -Magruder
                 -Attacks on Colson
                       -Substance of charges
            -Major questions
                 -Motive, knowledge of break-in

       President's schedule
             -A break

       Watergate
            -Ziegler's announcement
            -George H. W. Bush's call
                  -Meeting with President
                         -Urgency
                         -Political advice
                         -Impact of Watergate
                  -Meeting with Haldeman
                         -Bryce N. Harlow
                         -Gerald R. Ford
                                -Explanation of Watergate
                  -Damage to President
            -Attacks on President
            -White House staff
                                               -32-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Aug.-2010)
                                                             Conversation No. 424-30 (cont’d)


                   -Accusations
             -President's meeting with Bush
                   -Haldeman's return call
                          -President's awareness of crisis
                          -President's strategy
                          -Bush's suggestions
                   -Bush's concerns

Haldeman left at 1:34 pm.