Conversation: 435-023
Prev: 435-022 Next: 435-024Start Date: 14-May-1973 1:38 PM
End Date: 14-May-1973 2:45 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Sanchez, Manolo; White House operator; Haig, Alexander M., Jr.;Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On May 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:38 pm to 2:45 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 435-023 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 435-23
Date: May 15, 1973
Time: 1:38 pm-2:45 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.
Press relations
-Ziegler’s press briefings
-Watergate
-White House investigation
-President’s statement, August 1972
-John W. Dean, III
-Statements by Samuel J. Ervin, Jr. and Howard H. Baker, Jr.
-Ziegler’s conversation with Robert H. Abplanalp
-Frank DeMarco, Jr.
-Possible press conference
-Television [TV]
-Possible commentary that President’s hiding
Watergate
-Ziegler’s previous press briefing
-William D. Ruckelshaus
-Files
-Daniel Ellsberg break-in
-William M. Byrne, Jr.
-Tone
Press relations
-Ziegler’s press briefings
-Symbolism
-Herbert G. Klein
-Ziegler’s forthcoming conversation with John B. Connally
-Openness by White House
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 435-23 (cont’d)
-Ziegler’s handling of press briefings
-Dean
-Grand jury’s actions
-President’s appearance
-Ziegler’s handling of press briefings
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-David R. Gergen
-Gerald L. Warren
-Frequency of press briefings
-Ziegler, Warren
-Press criticism
-Ziegler’s dismissal
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Seymour M. Hersch’s story
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Wiretaps
-Political motivations
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Connally’s possible view
-Frequency and handling of press briefings
-Warren
-Cabinet officers
-Watergate questions
-Warren
-Tone
-President, Ziegler
Watergate
-Documents
-Ehrlichman, President, and William H. Sullivan
-President’s knowledge
-Sullivan
-Wiretap [?]
-Presidential appointments
-Haig’s view
-13-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 435-23 (cont’d)
-Disappointment
-Ruckelshaus
-Judgment
-Loyalty
-Sullivan
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Ziegler’s views
-Richardson
-Challenge to Ziegler
-Disappointment
-Richardson, Ruckelshaus
-Independent prosecutor
-Richardson
-Criticism
-White House recommendations
-White House cooperation
-Ruckelshaus’s criticism
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Sullivan
Press briefing
-President’s home
-Statement
-Nixon Foundation
-Trust
-Abplanalp and Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
-DeMarco
-Relationship
-Government contracts
-Business ownership
-Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC]
-Auditing
-Private trust
-Difficulties
-Tone
-News
-Previous focus on President’s involvement
-14-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 435-23 (cont’d)
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] and FBI stories
-Ziegler’s handling
Watergate
-Dean
-Documents
-Ziegler’s conversation with Haig
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-FBI
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh operation
-J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
-Lyndon B. Johnson’s wiretaps
-J. Edgar Hoover
-United States Secret Service [USSS]
-Wiretaps
-Ehrlichman’s comments
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.’s files [?]
-President’s involvement
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-Public impressions
-Sullivan
-Hunt, G[eorge] Gordon Liddy, and Charles W. Colson
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Concerns
-FBI
-Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
-CIA
-Presidential files
-Public impressions
-Executive privilege
-Documents and conversations
-Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s meeting with Walters
-CIA involvement
-President’s conversation with Henry E. Petersen
-Liddy’s pictures
-Justice Department
-Ellsberg break-in
-15-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 435-23 (cont’d)
-Ehrlichman and Dean
-Krogh
-Dean
-Meeting with President, March 21
-Guilt
-Jeb Stuart Magruder and John N. Mitchell
-Haldeman, Erhlichman
-Indictments
-Convictions
-President’s conversation with Petersen, May 15
-Press briefings
-Frequency and brevity
-Topics
-Ervin Committee
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Dean
-Animosity
-Lawrence M. Higby
-President
-Ehrlichman
-Haldeman
-Ehrlichman
-Interview in Washington Star
-Presidency
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Beliefs regarding role in Watergate
Refreshment
President’s schedule
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time afer 1:38 pm.
Refreshment
-Dubonnet
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 2:10 pm.
-16-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 435-23 (cont’d)
Watergate
-Haig
-Buzhardt
Congressional relations
-President’s previous meeting with Congressional leaders
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield [?]
Watergate
-Attitude toward President
-Mansfield
-Carl B. Albert
-W[illiam] Stuart Symington
-Dean
-Possible motives
-Documents in possession
The President left at an unknown time before 2:10 pm.
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 1:38 pm.
Press button [?]
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 2:10 pm.
The President entered at an unknown time after 1:38 pm.
Watergate
-Buzhardt
-James W. McCord, Jr., Hunt, and Dean
-Effect on President
The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 1:38 pm and
2:10 pm.
[Conversation No. 435-23A]
-17-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 435-23 (cont’d)
[Begin telephone conversation]
[See Conversation No. 46-56]
[End telephone conversation]
Watergate
-Samuel Dash’s conversation with Garment
-Press
The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr. between 2:10 pm and 2:15 pm.
[Conversation No. 435-23B]
[Begin telephone conversation]
[See Conversation No. 46-57]
[End telephone conversation]
Watergate
-President’ previous conversation with Haig
-Ehrlichman’s notes
-Clark MacGregor
-L[ouis] Patrick Gray
-Conversation with President
-President’s reaction to break-in
-CIA
-Magruder
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Colson
-Ziegler’s reaction to break-in
-Magruder
-Mitchell
-Possible testimony regarding President’s role
-Buzhardt
-18-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 435-23 (cont’d)
-Conflicts
-Magruder, McCord, Mitchell, Dean, Ehrlichman
-Walters and Richard M. Helms
-Colson
-Statement to President
-Veracity
-Role in White House
-New Majority
-MacGregor’s visit to San Clemente in summer 1972
-President’s and Ziegler’s recollections of meeting
-Dennis Haliday [?]
-Concern
-Committee to Re-elect the President [CRP] [?]
-Possible statement by President
-Walters
-Conversation with Haig
-Testimony
-Memoranda of conversations [memcons]
-Conversation with Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-Classified information
-White House
-Colson, Dean
-CIA
-Ehrlichman, Haldeman, Colson, and Mitchell
-Contrasted with Dean
-Washington Star interview
-Ehrlichman
-Walters
-Release of documents
-Executive privilege
-Answer to possible press questions
-Haig
-Classified information
-Helms and Walters
-Executive privilege
-Public statements
-Ziegler
-19-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 435-23 (cont’d)
-President
-Gray [?]
-Haldeman
-President
-Address at Republican fundraising event
-Haldeman, Mitchell
Press relations
-Ziegler’s forthcoming briefings
-“Under siege”
-President’s schedule
-Camp David
-Conversation with Stephen B. Bull
Watergate
-Possible statement by President, summer 1972
-MacGregor
-Haig
-San Clemente [?]
-MacGregor’s role
-Magruder
-Frederick C. LaRue
-White House cooperation in investigation
-Magruder
-Mitchell and Dean
-Mitchell
-Motives of participants
-1972 presidential campaign
-Press
-Duration
-Indictments
-Possible comment by President
-Format
-Content
-Perceptions of embarrassment
-Television [TV]
-Harassment
-20-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 435-23 (cont’d)
-Compared to Vietnam, bombing
-Questions
-Indictments
-Timing
-Haig
-MacGregor
-Gray
-Hijack
-FBI investigation of break-in
-Press conference
-Grand jury
-MacGregor
Ziegler left at 2:45 pm.