Conversation: 432-037
Prev:  432-036 Next: 432-038Start Date: 9-May-1973 2:31 PM
End Date: 9-May-1973 3:55 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; Ziegler, Ronald L.; White House operator; Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On May 9, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Ronald L. Ziegler, and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:31 pm to 3:55 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 432-037 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 432-37 Date: May 9, 1973 Time: 2:31 pm - 3:55 pm Location: Executive Office Building The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and Ronald L. Ziegler. Watergate -Haig’s conversation with Elliot L. Richardson -Selection of special prosecutor -Possible choices -Qualifications -Confirmation hearings -Responsibilities of Attorney General -Special prosecutor -Press release -Content John B. Connally -Conflict of interest -Financial situation -Position with White House -Special advisor -Unofficial -Compensation -Activities -Consultation -Public service -Compensation -Conflict of interests -Divertiture -Law practice analogy -Operational responsibilities Watergate -John W. Dean, III [?] -38- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. September-2011) Conversation No. 432-37 (cont’d) -Richardson -Confirmation hearings -Approval -Delay -Activities -Defense Department -Confirmation hearings -Answers to questions regarding a special prosecutor [?] -Attorney General’s responsibilities -Independence of special prosecutor -William E. Timmons -Thomas C. Korologos -Confirmation hearings -James O. Eastland -Committee members -Barry M. Goldwater, Sr. -Timmons -Richardson -Confirmation -Haig’s call to William P. Rogers -Senators -Minority report -Special prosecutor -Confirmation -Back-up position [?] -Consolation [?] -[Unintelligible] -Dean’s documents -John J. Wilson -Strategy -Ervin Committee hearings -J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.’s meeting with Wilson -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman -Executive privilege -Statement on executive privilege -Procedures -Leonard Garment -39- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. September-2011) Conversation No. 432-37 (cont’d) -Guidelines -Buzhardt -White House documents -Lawyers -Nervousness -Response -Timing -Problems -Haldeman [?] -Garment -White House documents -Haldeman’s diaries and notes of conversations -Dean’s papers -Violation of executive privilege -Statement -Buzhardt [?] -Executive privilege -Conversations -Language -Ziegler -Verbal communications -Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Dean -Leaks -Interpretation -Verbal, paper communications -Conversation with President -Watergate break-in -Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Dean -President’s advantage -Haig’s opinion -Rogers’s advice -Consistency -President’s view -Richardson [?] -Executive papers, diaries -Haldeman -Ehrlichman [?] -40- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. September-2011) Conversation No. 432-37 (cont’d) -Los Angeles Times -Conversations with President -Haldeman -Ehrlichman [?] -Richardson [?] -Executive session -Questions -Haldeman -Ehrlichman -Haldeman -Dean -John N. Mitchell -William J. Casey -Robert C. Odle, Jr. -Ehrlichman, Haldeman -Testimony -Notes, memorandum use -Morale -Presidential papers -Haldeman, Ehrlichman -Lawyers -Statement on executive privilege -Leak -Use of presidential papers [?] -Permission -Relevant matters -Legal strategy -Garment’s proposal -Wilson’s reaction -Haig’s conversation with Haldeman -Buzhardt -Meetings with H. Chapman (“Chappie”) Rose and Wilson -Wilson’s hardline [?] -Ziegler -Conversations with Rose, Buzhardt, and Wilson -Roy L. Ash [?] -Coordination of legal defense -41- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. September-2011) Conversation No. 432-37 (cont’d) -Wilson -Ervin Committee -Cooperation -Ziegler’s statement -President’s speech -Haldeman, Ehrlichman -Compared to Vietnam negotiations -“Line of defense” -Haldeman, Ehrlichman -Loss of control over Dean -Conversations with President -Charles W. Colson -Cooperation -Dwight L. Chapin -Ehrlichman, Haldeman -Colson -Activities -Ervin Committee appearance -Executive privilege [?] -Lawyer -Richardson [?] -Activities -E. Howard Hunt, Jr. -Strategy -Dean -Comments -Ziegler -Outsiders -[First name unknown] Black [?], Edwin Meese, III -Statement -Timing -[Unintelligible] -Lawrence F. O’Brien, Jr. -Statement [?] -Legal strategy -Grand jury -Indictment -42- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. September-2011) Conversation No. 432-37 (cont’d) -White House position -Hardline regarding cooperation -Ervin Committee -Executive session [?] -John J. Sirica [?] -[Grand jury relocation] [?] -Maryland -Public relations -Ervin Committee -Responsibility to wait [?] -Garment -Conversations with Samuel J. Ervin, Jr., Howard H. Baker, Jr. -Grand jury’s progress -Ervin Committee hearings -Television [TV] spectacular -Obstructions by Administration -Majority -Grand jury -Special prosecutor [?] -[Unintelligible] -White House staff members -Testimony [?] -James W. McCord, Jr. -E. Howard Hunt, Jr. [?] -Hugh W. Sloan, Jr. -Haldeman, Ehrlichman -Haig -Committee hearings compared to judicial process -Defendants -Justice -Disclosure of facts -Grand jury indictments -Jury trial -Committee’s investigative scope -Ziegler’s opinion -Legal and public relations issue -Delay [?] -43- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. September-2011) Conversation No. 432-37 (cont’d) -Confusion [?] -Public perceptions [?] -Committee -TV -Demogoguery -Impact of TV -Grand jury process -Indictment -Trial -Public perception -Right to trial by jury -Excess of investigation -Public committee hearings, grand jury, court cases -Ehrlichman example [?] -Trial compared with committee executive session -Ervin committee -Staff -Samuel Dash -TV -Full disclosure -Money -Testimony -Hunt -Public interest -White House interest -Strategy -Investigation by administration -Compared to Congress -Judicial process -Administration’s preference -Publicity -Haig -Cooperation with Committee -White House staff compared with Hunt -“Ultimate weapon” -Advantages -Dean -44- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. September-2011) Conversation No. 432-37 (cont’d) -Special prosecutor -Role -Indictments -Richardson’s confirmation -Party affiliation -Immediate assignment -“Showboat” -Dash -Judicial process -Judicial process compared to committee hearings -Haldeman, Ehrlichman -Committee -Staff -Haig’s conversation with Rogers -[Executive] [?] privilege -Richardson’s confirmation -Committee hearings -Delays -Dean’s documents -Motions -National mood -Haig’s opinion -Garment -Motion -Telephone call Haig talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 2:31 pm and 3:55 pm. [Conversation No. 432-37A] [Begin telephone conversation] [See Conversation No. 45-171] [End telephone conversation] Forthcoming vote in Congress -45- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. September-2011) Conversation No. 432-37 (cont’d) -Funding -William E. Timmons’s assessment Watergate Haig talked with Leonard Garment at an unknown time between 2:31 pm and 3:55 pm. [Conversation No. 432-37B] [Begin telephone conversation] [See Conversation No. 45-172] [End telephone conversation] Watergate -Documents -Dean -White House strategy -Prosecutors -Richardson -Documents -Content -Return -Dean -President’s schedule -Documents -Possible release -Patrick J. Buchanan -Speech material Haig and Ziegler left at 3:55 pm. -46- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. September-2011) Conversation No. 432-38 (cont’d)