Conversation: 430-023
Prev:  430-022 Next: 430-024Start Date: 25-Apr-1973 5:37 PM
End Date: 25-Apr-1973 6:45 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Petersen, Henry E.; Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On April 25, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:37 pm to 6:45 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 430-023 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 430-23 Date: April 25, 1973 Time: 5:37 pm - 6:45 pm Location: Executive Office Building The President met with Henry E. Petersen. Watergate -President’s meeting with Richard G. Kleindienst, April 25, 1973 -Daniel Ellsberg break-in -E. Howard Hunt, Jr. -Jack Anderson -Conversation with US Attorney concerning leaks -Source of information -Prominent Republican -Court reporters -Seymour Glanzer -Grand jury -President’s cooperation -24- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. November-2011) Conversation No. 430-23 (cont’d) -Peter H. Wolf -Hunt -Boxes of Hunt material -[First name unknown] Sheperd [?] -Frederick C. LaRue -William Hundley -John N. Mitchell -Frederic M. Vinson, Jr. -Former Chief Justice Frederic M. Vinson -Possible plea -Subornation of perjury -Jeb Stuart Magruder -Watergate activities -Mitchell, Paul O’Brien, John W. Dean, III and Robert C. Mardian -Effects of civil suit -Ervin Committee -Samuel Dash’s request to immunize Hunt -Samuel J. Ervin, Jr. and Howard H. Baker, Jr. -Magruder -Need for corroborative information -Dean -Negotiations with US Attorneys -Immunity -Telephone calls from Petersen -Conversation with the President, March 21, 1973 -William O. Bittman and O’Brien -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman -Possible testimony concerning Robert L. Vesco -Mike Seymour -Dean’s attempt to quash subpoena -Mitchell -Vesco -Edward C. Nixon -Meeting with Harry L. Sears -Maurice H. Stans -Petersen’s forthcoming conversation with Seymour Glanzer -George Smathers -25- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. November-2011) Conversation No. 430-23 (cont’d) -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo’s conversation with the President -Murray M. Chotiner -Federal Communications Commission -Freud -John J. (“Jack”) Caulfield -Dean’s request concerning James W. McCord, Jr. ***************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 [National security] [Duration: 43s ] EMBASSIES END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 ***************************************************************** Watergate -Dean’s request -McCord’s defense -Dean -Lawyer’s negotiations with Dash -Time to assemble Ervin Committee -Effect of hearings on investigation -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III -Documents destroyed -Fraudulent State Department cables -John F. Kennedy and Ngo Dinh Diem -Dean’s story -Gray’s reasons -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Dean -Conversation with Petersen -26- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. November-2011) Conversation No. 430-23 (cont’d) -Florida letters concerning Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson and Hubert H.Humphrey -Witness, [First name unknown] Daniels -Donald H. Segretti’s guilt -Segretti -“Canuck Letter” -Edmund S. Muskie -Petersen’s contacts -Segretti, Hunt, and McCord -Liddy -Tom Kennelly -Peter L. Maroulis -Suggested letter concerning Corrupt Practices Act -Richard G. Kleindienst’s signature -President’s possible action -Mitchell -Responsibility -Martha (Beall) Mitchell -Indictment -Vesco case -Petersen’s conversation with Martha Mitchell -Presidency -President’s conversation with John J. Wilson and Frank H. Strickler -Content -Presidential responsibility -Dwight D. Eisenhower and Sherman Adams -Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Dean, and Mitchell -President and Watergate -President’s knowledge -Cover-up -Herbert W. Kalmbach and $320,000 -President’s other 1972 concerns (such as the Vietnam War) -Statement by Charles W. Colson’s aide -Kleindienst and Petersen -President’s activity in post-Watergate break-in period -Orders for full disclosure in Summer 1972 -Ehrlichman’s recollections -27- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. November-2011) Conversation No. 430-23 (cont’d) -Kakeui Tanaka meeting -Clark MacGregor -Dean’s concerns -Mitchell and William H. Sullivan [?] -Questions for Dean -Conversation with Dean, March 21, 1973 -Dean report -Ronald L. Ziegler’s public statements -Cover-up -Knowledge of funds for defendants -Kalmbach and Cuban defendants -Investigation -Conversation with Dean, March 21, 1973 -Content -Hunt’s national security activities -Blackmail -Bittman, O’Brien -Ellsberg -Dean’s conversation with Ehrlichman, March 21, 1973 -Haldeman’s role -Bittman -Dean -Immunity issue -Ehrlichman, Haldeman, and President -Conversation with the President, March 21, 1973 -Further conversations with President -Blackmail -President, Kleindienst, and Petersen -Possible conversation with Petersen -Dash -Immunity -Prosecutors’ view -Subornation of perjury -Ervin Committee -Possible testimony -Ehrlichman -Immunity -28- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. November-2011) Conversation No. 430-23 (cont’d) -Hunt -Possible blackmail of President, Petersen -Petersen’s possible recording -Gray -Use of Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] -J. Edgar Hoover -Presidency -President’s schedule for forthcoming months -Soviet summit, meetings with Willy Brandt, and Georges J. R. Pompidou -Haldeman and Ehrlichman -Memorandum from Petersen concerning possible charges against -Possible testimony -Wilson -Prosecutors’ suspicions of Petersen -Need for speedy indictments -Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell, and Frederick C. La Rue -Nature of case -Witnesses’ testimony -Haldeman and Ehrlichman -Possible testimony -Separation from Dean -Possible departures from staff -Memoranda from Wilson and Petersen -Possible departures from staff -Dean -Effect -Possible action by President -Dean -Guilt -Lawyers and information concerning Ellsberg case -Judge W. Matthew Byrne -Possible testimony concerning Ellsberg break-in -Ehrlichman -Format -Byrne -Ellsberg case -29- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. November-2011) Conversation No. 430-23 (cont’d) -Petersen’s instructions for prosecutor -Disclosure of Dean as source -Effect on Dean -Conversation with Earl J. Silbert, April 14, 1973 -National security information -Hunt and Plumbers -Investigation -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] -Legal justifications -President’s, Peterson’s resolutions -Wilson -Grand jury testimony -Summary of evidence -Colson -Richard A. Moore -Conversations with Dean -Ronald L. Ziegler -Peterson’s conversation with Harold H. Titus, Jr. -Presidency and Watergate -Comparison with Warren G. Harding -Motives of cover-up participants -Dean -Conversation with the President, March 21, 1973 -Report -President’s involvement in Watergate Petersen left at 6:45 pm.