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Conversation: 426-004

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Start Date: 29-Mar-1973 2:45 PM

End Date: 29-Mar-1973 4:20 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ehrlichman, John D.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")White House operatorZiegler, Ronald L.Dean, John W., IIIAcker, Marjorie P.

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

426-004a.mp3

426-004b.mp3

NARA Description:

On March 29, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Ronald L. Ziegler, John W. Dean, III, and Marjorie P. Acker met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:45 pm to 4:20 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 426-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 426-4

Date: March 29, 1973
Time: 2:45-4:20 p.m.
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

       H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

       Watergate
            -Haldeman's phone conversations
                  -John W. Dean, III
                  -John N. Mitchell
            -Draft statement
                  -Mitchell
                  -Dean
                  -Wording
                        -Dean's forthcoming grand jury testimony

Haldeman entered at 2:46 pm.

            -Dwight D. Eisenhower
                  -Sherman Adams
            -Lyndon B. Johnson
                  -Robert B. (“Bobby”) Baker and Walter Jenkins
            -Motivation
                  -Case
            -Statement
                  -Dean
                  -Wording
                        -Dean's forthcoming grand jury testimony
                        -Waiver of executive privilege
                              -Mitchell's recommendation
                              -Limitation
                        -Ronald L. Ziegler's presence

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 2:46 pm and 3:01
pm.
                                               -3-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                            Conversation No. 426-4 (cont’d)



[Conversation No. 426-4A]

[See Conversation No. 44-68]

[The call was placed on hold]

       Ziegler
             -Meeting with the President

       Watergate
            -Accusations
                 -Forum for hearing
                 -Seriousness

Haldeman talked with Ziegler at an unknown time between 2:46 pm and 3:01 pm.

[End of telephone conversation]

       Watergate
            -Forum for handling of charges
            -Ervin Committee
                  -Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
            -Possible responses to questions

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 2:46 pm and 3:01
pm.

[Conversation No. 426-4B]

[See Conversation No. 44-69]

[The call was placed on hold]

Ziegler entered at 3:01 pm.

       Press briefing

Haldeman talked with John W. Dean, III at an unknown time between 3:01 pm and 3:30 pm.
                                             -4-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                              Conversation No. 426-4 (cont’d)



[The call was placed on hold]

[Ehrlichman talked with Dean at an unknown time.]

[End of telephone call]

       President's forthcoming speech, March 29
             -Advance text


[The above portion of the conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation No. 426-
4B]

       President's speech
             -George P. Shultz
             -Vetoes
             -Defense budget
             -Briefing by Shultz
             -Advance text

       Watergate
            -Jack N. Anderson's column
            -President's forthcoming statement
                  -Ehrlichman's conversation with Dean
                  -Briefing
                  -Timing of release
                  -Briefing
                         -Charges in Los Angeles Times
                         -Dean [?]
                         -Mitchell and Jeb Stuart Magruder
                         -Role of privilege
                  -Wire service reports
                  -Timing of release
                  -Ehrlichman's meeting with publishers
                         -Interest in Watergate issue
                  -New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times
                  -Dan Rather's commentary on President's forthcoming speech
                         -Issues addressed in speech
                                               -5-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                                Conversation No. 426-4 (cont’d)


                    -Timing of release
                    -Reaction of press
                    -Form and timing of White House release
                    -Mitchell, Charles W. Colson story
                    -Wording of statement
                          -Former White House staff members
                          -Cooperation with grand jury
                    -Timing of release
                          -Mitchell
                          -Dean
                    -Reaction
                          -Roger M. Mudd, television commentators
                          -Weicker, Hugh Scott
                    -Timing of release of Watergate statement
                          -Effect of release prior to evening speech
                          -President's forthcoming speech, March 29
                                -Networks' possible commentary
                                -Newspapers, March 30
              -James W. McCord, Jr.'s possible testimony
              -E. Howard Hunt, Jr.'s possible testimony
              -Strategy
                    -Ehrlichman
                    -Ervin Committee

Ziegler left at 3:30 p.m.

              -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
                   -Senate Committee's forthcoming meeting
                          -William E. Timmons
                          -Charles McC Mathias, Jr., John L. McClellan
                                -Possible motion
                   -Confirmation by Senate
              -Howard H. Baker, Jr.
                   -President's meeting at the Executive Office Building [EOB] with Baker
                   -Administrative assistant's statement regarding desire for White House
contact
                         -George D. Webster
                    -White House contact
                         -Richard G. Kleindienst
                                              -6-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                             Conversation No. 426-4 (cont’d)


                         -Ehrlichman
                         -President
                         -Spiro T. Agnew
                         -Ehrlichman
                  -Ehrlichman
                         -Committee's procedures
                         -Written interrogatories
                         -Executive session
                         -Stonewalling
                         -Campaign
                         -Form of information
                         -Privilege
                  -Possible party at interest
                         -Ervin's concerns
                  -Instructions from President
                         -Grand jury
                         -Executive privilege
                               -Edward J. Gurney
            -Ervin Committee
                  -Timmons, Agnew
                  -Baker
                  -Leaks
                         -McCord's testimony
                         -Ervin's and Baker's meeting with Samuel Dash
            -Special counsel to White House
                  -Qualifications
                  -Dean's possible counsel
                  -Qualifications
                  -Donald Santarelli, Frank Gustus
                  -Dean
                         -Statements to President regarding Haldeman
                  -William P. Rogers
            -Instructions from Ehrlichman
                  -Call to Baker

Ehrlichman left at an unknown time before 4:05 p.m.

            -Special counsel to White House
                 -Ehrlichman
                                             -7-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                             Conversation No. 426-4 (cont’d)


            -George H. W. Bush
            -President's forthcoming statement
                  -Timing of release
                  -Bush
                         -Robert J. Dole
                         -Agnew
                         -Beliefs regarding White House staff
                         -President's schedule
                               -Gerald R. Ford
            -Colson
            -Mitchell
            -Baker's conversation with Agnew
                  -G. Gordon Liddy's testimony
            -Hunt
                  -Statement to grand jury
                         -Questions
                               -Chile
                                      -Embassy
                         -Knowledge of higher-up's involvement
                               -Mitchell
                               -Colson
                               -Dean
            -Liddy
            -Bush
                  -Haldeman's forthcoming call
                         -President's forthcoming statement
                         -Executive privilege
            -Executive privilege
                  -Senate
                  -Grand jury
                  -Ziegler
                  -Colson's answer at National Press Club

Ehrlichman entered at an unknown time after 3:30 p.m.

            -Ehrlichman's previous phone call to Baker
                  -Focus of responsibility at White House
                  -Baker's conversation with Agnew
                  -Ehrlichman's forthcoming meeting with Baker and Ervin
                                               -8-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                               Conversation No. 426-4 (cont’d)


                         -Previous negotiations regarding Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
raw files
                              -Kleindienst's meeting with Ervin and Baker
                              -Committee's reaction
                                    -Henry A. Kissinger's procedure
                         -Oath-taking

Marjorie P. Acker entered at 4:05 pm.

       President’s signature [?]
             -Rose Mary Woods [?]
             -Congratulations

Acker left at 4:06 pm.

       Watergate
            -Ehrlichman's forthcoming meeting with Baker and Ervin
                  -Ehrlichman as point of contact
                  -Timmons
                  -Scott, Ford
            -Haldeman's forthcoming call to Bush

Haldeman left at an unknown time before 4:20 pm.

       President's forthcoming speech, evening of March 29
             -Length
             -Content
                    -Shultz [?]
                    -Vietnam
                    -National economy
                    -Defense budget
             -Preparation

       Watergate
            -President's morale
            -President's involvement
                  -Conversation with Ehrlichman regarding convicted burglars
                         -Timing
                         -Burglars' desire for clemency
                                      -9-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                       Conversation No. 426-4 (cont’d)


            -Conversation with Colson
                  -Death of Dorothy Hunt
            -Conversation with Ehrlichman
                  -Timing
                  -Demonstrators in Miami Beach
            -Magruder's statement
      -Question of knowledge
            -Haldeman
            -Colson
            -Ehrlichman
            -Orders for Watergate break-in
      -Bugging
            -Watergate
            -Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
      -Colson
      -White House information regarding Democrats' plans
            -Secret Service
      -Liddy [?]
      -Cubans
      -Possible testimony by Ehrlichman
            -Knowledge of Watergate
      -Mitchell
            -Conversations with President
            -Plans with Robert C. Mardian
            -Approval of Liddy's plan
            -Control of Committee to Re-elect the President [CRP]
            -Magruder's knowledge
      -Haldeman, Colson, Ehrlichman
      -Other White House activities
            -National security
            -Leaks within government
            -Daniel Ellsberg case
                  -J. Edgar Hoover, William S. Sullivan

President’s policy decisions

      -Vietnam
            -Speech
            -White House staff opinions
                                              -10-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Sep.-2010)
                                                              Conversation No. 426-4 (cont’d)


                        -Buchanan, Colson
                        -Shultz
                        -Melvin R. Laird
             -Economy, crime
                  -Publicity
                        -Statistics
                        -Hard line
                        -Capital punishment

       Watergate
            -Special counsel to White House
                 -Choice of criminal lawyer
                 -Ehrlichman's choice

Ehrlichman left at 4:20 pm.