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Conversation: 427-012

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Start Date: 16-Apr-1973 4:55 PM

End Date: 16-Apr-1973 6:01 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Rogers, William P.Sanchez, ManoloEhrlichman, John D.White House operatorAgnew, Spiro T. (Vice President)Rogers, Adele (Langston)Ziegler, Ronald L.

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

427-012a.mp3

427-012b.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 16, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, Manolo Sanchez, John D. Ehrlichman, White House operator, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, Adele (Langston) Rogers, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:55 pm to 6:01 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 427-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 427-12
Date: April 16, 1973
Time: 4:55 pm - 6:01 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with William P. Rogers.

     Greetings

Manolo Sanchez entered at 4:55 pm.

     Refreshments

Sanchez left at 4:55 pm.

       Watergate       

             -President’s situation       

                    -Advisory role fulfillment        

                             -Attorney General
                                    -Henry E. Petersen
                                    -Richard G. Kleindienst
                                    -Difference from traditional role
             -John W. Dean, III 

                    -March 21, 1973 meeting          

                    -Jeb Stuart Magruder          

                                        -23-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. October-2012)

                                                         Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)

        -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman
                -Petersen         

        -John N. Mitchell, Magruder 

        -Possible testimony          

                -Effect on Haldeman’s position
                        -Question of disposition of money
                                -Conversation
                                -Dean
        -Petersen
        -President’s schedule           

                -Organization of American States [OAS] 

                -White House correspondents event            

                -Speech to building trades union officials April 16, 1973 

        -Proposed action
                -Leonard Garment             

        -Dean’s negotiations with prosecutors 

        -White House staff involvement 

                -The President’s query to Dean
                        -Response           

                -Dean report          

                -President’s role         

                        -Limitation to investigation
                        -Magruder
                        -Mitchell
                        -Responsibility
        -E. Howard Hunt, Jr. 

                -Ehrlichman           

                -Petersen         

                -Dean’s possible testimony          

                -L. Patrick Gray, III’s custody of materials from safe 

                        -Recollection on transfer
                -Material political, not Watergate
                        -Transfer to Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]

William Rogers’ schedule
    -Dinner
        -Spiro T. Agnew
                                            -24-


                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                     Tape Subject Log 

                                    (rev. October-2012)

                                                            Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)


The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and
5:45 pm.


[Conversation No. 427-12A] 


[Begin telephone conversation] 


[See Conversation No. 38-72] 


[End telephone conversation] 


Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 4:55 pm.


     President’s schedule
         -Evening outing on Sequoia

              -Rogers 

              -Arrangements 


Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:45 pm.

William Rogers talked with Agnew at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 427-12B]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 38-73]

[End telephone conversation]

     Schedule 

         -Adele Rogers 


     Watergate 

        -Dean 

             -Defense      

                                           -25-


                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                    Tape Subject Log 

                                   (rev. October-2012)

                                                          Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)


William Rogers talked with Adele Rogers at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 427-12C]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 38-75]

[End telephone conversation]

       Watergate      

             -White House staff roles 

                    -Ehrlichman         

                           -Responsibilities
                                   -National security leaks
                                   -Daniel Ellsberg
                                   -Hunt’s operation
                    -Testimony
                           -Mitchell, Dean, Magruder
                                   -Haldeman
                                   -G[eorge] Gordon Liddy
                    -Ehrlichman
                           -Materials from Hunt’s safe
                           -Relevance to Watergate
                           -Transfer to Gray of FBI
                    -Dean’s claim to act as agent only
                           -Ehrlichman, Haldeman, Mitchell
                           -Cover-up
                           -Placement of blame on Haldeman and Ehrlichman
                           -Lawyer Charles Shaffer
                    -Ehrlichman’s log of meetings with Dean
                           -Non-Watergate subjects
                                   -The President’s estate
                    -Dean
                           -Responsibility for investigation
                    -Post-Watergate break-in activities
                                                    -26-


                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                              Tape Subject Log 

                                             (rev. October-2012)

                                                                   Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)

                             -Funds for accused burglars
                                    -Dean’s conversation with Haldeman
                                           -Request for money
                                           -Herbert W. Kalmbach
                             -Dealings with defendants
                                    -Paul L. O’Brien
                                    -Liddy
                                    -E. Howard Hunt, Jr., Dorothy Hunt
                                    -Reasons for giving money
                                           -Mitchell
                                           -Campaign period post-June 1972
                                                   -Possible effect of allegations
                                           -Effect
                                                   -Ervin Committee
                                                   -Compounding of problem
                                           -Instructions to defendants
                                    -Lawyer for Cubans
                                           -Henry B. Rothblatt
                                    -Responsibility for money disbursement
                                           -Haldeman, Kalmbach
              -Ehrlichman
                     -Dean               

              -Haldeman              

              -Petersen          


The President talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 427-12D]

[Begin telephone conversation]

       Watergate       

             -President’s meeting with Rogers 

             -Money [?]         

                    -Purpose
                           -Ehrlichman’s knowledge
                                             -27-


                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                       Tape Subject Log 

                                      (rev. October-2012)

                                                            Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)

       President’s schedule       

              -Sequoia 


       Watergate
             -Activities       

                     -Magruder, Mitchell       

                     -Petersen       

                            -Materials from Hunt’s safe

[End telephone conversation]

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 4:55 pm.

       Sports coat

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:45 pm.

       Watergate       

             -Materials from Hunt’s safe 

                    -Reason for characterization as non-Watergate related material
                            -Dean as source of information
                            -FBI

Rogers talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 4:44 pm and 5:54 pm.

[Conversation No. 427-12E]

[Begin telephone conversation]

       Watergate
             -Recollection of activities       

                    -Magruder           

                    -Transfer of materials to FBI 

                            -Gray

[End telephone conversation]
                                    -28-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. October-2012)

                                                    Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)

Watergate
      -Materials from Hunt’s safe 

              -Transfer by Dean to Gray 

              -Characterization of material          

      -Dean
              -Petersen
      -Possible White House action
              -Timing effect
      -Dean
              -Alleged pre-break-in conversation with Haldeman about proposed
               intelligence gathering plan
                       -Culpability
                              -Haldeman, Dean
                       -Fund
                       -Kalmbach
      -Pre-election action by defendants 

              -Silence         

                       -Press         

      -White House staff’s relation to 1972 campaign staff 

              -Money            

              -Mitchell           

              -Dean-Haldeman meeting about intelligence gathering plan 

                       -Disapproval of plan
                       -Petersen’s interpretation of inaction
                              -Haldeman’s lack of role in campaign
                              -Dean’s role
      -Magruder’s testimony               

              -Mitchell           

              -Haldeman             

                       -Role in campaign
                              -Separation of White House from campaign
                              -Campaign finances
      -Liddy’s proposals on intelligence gathering 

      -Mitchell          

              -Role in campaign               

      -Haldeman, Ehrlichman                 

              -Vulnerability            

                                              -29-


                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                       Tape Subject Log 

                                      (rev. October-2012)

                                                              Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)

                              -President’s conversation with Petersen
                              -Possible indictments
               -Dean
                      -Actions
                              -Agent of President
               -Haldeman, Ehrlichman
                      -Position
                              -Retention of lawyer
               -Petersen’s conversation with President
                      -Haldeman, Ehrlichman
                      -Possible indictments
               -Magruder’s forthcoming testimony
                      -Promise by Ervin Committee
                      -Possibility of guilty plea
                      -Judge John J. Sirica
               -Dean
                      -Position
                      -Magruder statement
               -Grand jury

      Rogers’ car 

         -Arrangements 


      Watergate 

         -Kleindienst 


Ronald L. Ziegler entered at an unknown time after 4:55 pm.

       Car

       Press relations

The President, Rogers, and Ziegler left at 6:01 pm.
                                             -30-


                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                      Tape Subject Log 

                                       (rev. June-2010)