Conversation: 441-023
Prev: 441-022 Next: 441-024Start Date: 5-Jun-1973 5:29 PM
End Date: 5-Jun-1973 7:14 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Buzhardt, J. Fred, Jr.; [Unknown person(s)]; Sanchez, Manolo;Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On June 5, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr., unknown person(s), and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:29 pm to 7:14 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 441-023 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 441-23
Date: June 5, 1973
Time: 5:29 pm - 7:14 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
Watergate
-Charles A. Wright’s paper on executive privilege
-Hugh Scott
-Buzhardt’s efforts
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Leonard Garment
-President’s activities
-John B. Connally’s view
-Firing of H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
-Popular opinion
-Connally’s view
-President’s activities
-Executive privilege
-Wright’s paper
-Aaron Burr case
-John Marshall
-James St. D. Clair expedition
-Thomas Jefferson
-Papers
-Marshall’s ruling
-18-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2011)
Conversation No. 441-23 (cont’d)
-President’s possible role
-National interest
-John W. Dean, III
-Files
-Relevancy to Watergate
-Charles W. Colson
-Conversation with Buzhardt and Colson’s attorney
-Executive privilege
-Files
-National security
-Plumbers
-Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s notes
-Procedures
-Possible subpoena
-Possible response
-Supreme Court
-Procedures
-Contents
-Haldeman’s notes
-John J. Sirica
Smoking
-Buzhardt
-President
Melvin R. Laird
-Cigars
-Role on White House staff
-Strength
Watergate
-Executive privilege
-Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s notes
-Procedures
-Wright’s paper
-Blanket subpoenas
-Subpoenas of May 25, 1973
-Buzhardt
-National Archives and Records Service
-Earl J. Silbert
-19-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2011)
Conversation No. 441-23 (cont’d)
-Subpoenas
-Specificity
-Committee’s records
-Tapes from Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Colson
-Tapes
-Howard K. Smith
-Forthcoming interview with Smith
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and Colson
-Possible television appearance
-John L. McClellan Committee testimony
-Contradictions
-Buzhardt’s conversations with Frank H. Strickler and John Wilson
-Ehrlichman’s statements
-Counsel’s work
-Mexican money
-Conversations with President
-Meeting with Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters and L[ouis]
Patrick Gray, III
-John N. Mitchell, Haldeman
-Ehrlichman
-Conflicting testimony
-Reasons
-Richard A. Moore
-Conversation with Buzhardt
-Possible memorandum
-March 19, 1973 meeting with President and Dean
-March 14, 15-20, 1973 meetings with President and Dean
-Meetings with Dean
-Quality as witness
-President’s conversations with Dean before March 21, 1973
-Cover-up
-Dean
-Role
-Gray hearings
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman’s activities
-Ervin Committee
-Executive privilege
-Gray nomination
-March 14, 15, 1973 meetings with President and Moore
-20-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2011)
Conversation No. 441-23 (cont’d)
-Patrick J. Buchanan’s preparation of questions and answers book for
press conference
-Executive privilege
-Supreme Court
-Alger Hiss case
-Executive privilege, Hiss case
-White House, Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], Justice
Department
-March 19, 1973 meeting with President and Moore
-March 20, 1973 meeting with President and Moore
-White House response
-FBI
-Use by Lyndon B. Johnson
-Meetings with President
-White House staff involvement
-Gordon C. Strachan
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-Strachan
-Testimony
-Haldeman
-Lie detector tests
-Jeb Stuart Magruder
-Henry E. Petersen
-Results
-Samuel Dash
-Possible subpoena of President’s logs by Ervin Committee concerning
meetings with Dean
-Garment
-White House response
-Motive
-Dean
-Possible subpoena of President’s logs
-White House response
-Archibald Cox
-Possible subpoena
-White House response
-Specificity
-Dean’s files
-Custody
-Secret Service
-21-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2011)
Conversation No. 441-23 (cont’d)
-FBI
-Dean
-Meetings with President
-Petersen
-Strachan
-Break-in of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office
-President’s response to information
-Contacts with Petersen and Richard G. Kleindienst
-Ellsberg break-in
-President’s knowledge
-Ehrlichman
-Dean
-Meeting April 16, 1973 with President
-Resignation
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-President’s April 15, 1973 meeting with Kleindienst and Petersen
-Resignations of Haldeman and Ehrlichman, Magruder’s testimony
-President’s April 16, 1973 meeting with Dean
-Resignation
-Dean
-President’s conversation with Petersen, April 16, 1973
-President’s conversation with Petersen, April 29, 1973
-Petersen
-Possible blackmail by Dean
-Gray
-FBI inquiry
-Dean’s comments to President
-Dean
-Conversations with President
-Strachan
-Mitchell, Ehrlichman, Haldeman
-Haldeman and $320,000
-Ehrlichman and Herbert W. Kalmbach
-Haldeman
-Money
-Order from Dean
-Ehrlichman
-Order to Kalmbach concerning money for defendants
-Angela Y. Davis
-Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-22-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2011)
Conversation No. 441-23 (cont’d)
-Motives concerning funds for defendants
-Dean
-Conversations with President
-March 22, 1973 with Haldeman and Mitchell
-Mitchell’s position
-President’s desire for full disclosure
-Ehrlichman, Dean
-President’s call from Florida
-Dean’s subsequent trip to Camp David
-James McCord
-$1,000,000
-March 21, 1973 meeting
-Call from Florida
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Buzhardt
-Role on intelligence evaluation committee
-Robert F. Frohlke
-Dean
-March 21, 1973 meeting with President
-Funds for defendants
-Clemency offer
-March 22, 1973 meeting with President, Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Mitchell
-March 21, 1973 meeting with President
-Clemency offer
-Subornation of perjury
-Funds for defendants
-Blackmail
-William O. Bittman
-President’s knowledge
-White House staff procedures
-Dean
-Conversations with President
-Content
-Ervin Committee
-March 21, 1973
-President’s response
-Investigations by Dean and Ehrlichman
-Possible White House response to testimony
-Testimony of Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and Moore
-23-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2011)
Conversation No. 441-23 (cont’d)
-President’s possible statement
-Connally’s view
-President’s possible testimony
-Ervin Committee
-Grand jury
-Precedent
-Andrew Johnson
-Possible White House response
-White House response
-Gerald L. Warren
-Legal questions
-Dean
-President’s call from Florida
-Dean’s subsequent call to Ziegler
-Dean’s possible pleading
-Petersen
-Advice to President
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr. break-in of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office
-National security
-Meeting with President and Kleindienst
-Ellsberg information to William M. Byrne, Jr.
-President’s activities, April 15 - April 30, 1973
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and Dean
-Resignations of Haldeman, Ehrlichman and Dean
-Dean
-Meeting with Buzhardt, June 3, 1973
-Logs
-Possible release to Dash
-Conversations with President
-Lawyer’s story
-Timing
-Possible immunity
-Conversations with President
-Seymour M. Hersh’s story
-Robert U. (“Bob”) Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s story
-September 15, 1972
-Indictments of defendants
-Haldeman’s notes
-Internal Revenue Service [IRS] investigation of Larry F. O’Brien
and Howard Hughes
-24-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2011)
Conversation No. 441-23 (cont’d)
-Campaign tactics
-Dean’s efforts
-Haldeman
-Signing of President’s will
-Memorandum to Haldeman
-Organization of Counsel’s office
-Frederic V. Malek’s study
-1972 campaign
-Haldeman’s response
-Role in 1972 campaign
-Financing law
-Fred F. Fielding’s work
-Documents in lock box
-Buzhard’s efforts
-Meeting with Buzhardt, June 2, 1973
-Paycheck
-Staff members’ files
-Location
-Archives
-Certificate
-Dean’s files
-Certification
-Contacts with Buzhardt
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National security]
[Duration: 19 s ]
INTELLIGENCE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
-25-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2011)
Conversation No. 441-23 (cont’d)
Watergate
-Dean
-Meeting with Buzhardt, June 2, 1973
-Dean’s possible testimony
-Files
-Files
-Return of personal materials
-International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] investigation
-Robert Vesco
-ITT investigation
-Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC]
-Removal of boxes to Justice Department
-Vesco
-Buzhardt’s forthcoming conversations
-Ralph E. Erickson, Justice Department
-William J. Casey
-Erickson
-William Rehnquist
-Removal of boxes to Justice Department
-Casey
-Vesco
-Possible White House response
-Backgrounders
-Woodward and Bernstein
-Buzhardt’s conversations with Woodward
-Washington Post
-Forthcoming trials
-Possible Dean testimony
-Outcome
-Interest
-Possible motions
-Effect
-Mitchell, Magruder, Frederick D. LaRue
-LaRue
-Funds for defendants
-Testimony
-Dean
-Meeting with Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and Monroe in California, February
1973
-Wiretaps
-26-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2011)
Conversation No. 441-23 (cont’d)
-Robert C. Mardian’s testimony
-Meeting with President in 1971 in San Clemente
-William C. Sullivan’s view
-President’s instructions to Mardian
-Wiretap log
-Ziegler’s statement
-President’s recollection
-Ehrlichman
-Buzhardt’s conversation with Mardian and his lawyer
-Ellsberg case
-Ehrlichman’s call to Mardian
-Mardian’s statement
-Sullivan
-President’s instructions
-Mardian’s conversations concerning visit to San Clemente
-Ellsberg case
-Meeting with President, Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-Wire service leads
-Scott’s statement
-Johnson’s John F. Kennedy’s wiretaps
Johnny Mathis
-President’s assessment
-Buzhardt’s assessment
Watergate
-White House response
Buzhardt’s schedule
Watergate
-White House response
-Ervin Committee, Cox
-President as defendant
-Dean
-Statements
-Immunity
-Senate
-Forthcoming indictment
-Cox vs. Dash
-27-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2011)
Conversation No. 441-23 (cont’d)
-Dean
-Use immunity
-Possible indictment
-Cox
-Blanket indictments
-Possible effect
-Possible trials
-Dean
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Possible indictments
-Possible indictments
-Mitchell, Magruder
-Hugh W. Sloan, Jr.
-Strachan
-Sally Harmony
-G[eorge] Gordon Liddy
-Colson
-Kalmbach
-Kalmbach
-Funds for defendants
-Expectation of indictments
-Thomas A. Pappas
-Funds for defendants
-Mitchell
-Mitchell’s possible testimony
-President’s March 21, 1973 conversation with Dean
-Mitchell
-Pappas
-Intent
-Mitchell
-Conflict between self-interest and animosity
-Mitchell
-Ehrlichman, Haldeman
-Mitchell
-Role in bugging and cover-up
-Dean’s subornation of Magruder’s perjury
-Pappas’s fund-raising
-President’s March 21, 1973 meeting with Dean
-President’s relations with Pappas
-Fundraising efforts
-28-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2011)
Conversation No. 441-23 (cont’d)
-Maurice H. Stans
-Dean
-Possible statements
-Effect
-Conversations with President
-White House response
-Credibility of Dean
-Conversations with President
-Lawyers’ efforts
-Woodward’s and Hirsh’s efforts
-Timing
-Log for January 1973
-Requests for March 1973 and April 1973 logs
-Possession of logs
-April 19, 1973 request of Jack Nessitt
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 5:29 pm.
President’s schedule
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 7:14 pm.
Watergate
-Dean
-Meetings with President
-Kleindienst’s impression
-Buzhardt’s impression
-Statements to lawyers
-Charles N. Shaffer
-Lawyers’ actions
-Possible immunity
-Cox
-Prosecutors’ view
-March 21, 1973 meeting with President and Haldeman
-President’s methodology
-Ehrlichman
-Funds for defendants
-Haldeman
-Amnesty, clemency, funds for defendants
-Dean’s possible statements
-29-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2011)
Conversation No. 441-23 (cont’d)
-Bittman
-Possible subpoena of President’s papers
-White House response
-Cox and Dash
-White House response
-Dean’s meetings with President
-Logs
-Dates
-Haldeman
-Buzhardt’s possible call to Dash
Buzhardt left at 7:14 pm.