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Conversation: 906-008

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Start Date: 27-Apr-1973 3:48 PM

End Date: 27-Apr-1973 4:30 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ruckelshaus, William D.White House operatorEhrlichman, John D.Kleindienst, Richard G.[Unknown person(s)]Ziegler, Ronald L.

Recording Device: Oval Office

906-008.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 27, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, William D. Ruckelshaus, White House operator, John D. Ehrlichman, Richard G. Kleindienst, unknown person(s), and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:48 pm to 4:30 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 906-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 906-8

Date: April 27, 1973
Time: 3:48 pm - 4:30 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with William D. Ruckelshaus.

     Ruckelshaus’s job

     Watergate
          -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III 

               -Destruction of documents          

               -President’s relationship     

               -Work at Justice Department          

                      -Ruckelshaus’s replacement        

               -Destruction of documents          

                      -Need to investigate       

                            -Ruckelshaus       


     Ruckelshaus       

          -Current job       

          -Assignment at Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] 

                -Acting director
                -President’s conversation with Richard G. Kleindienst
          -Nomination for director
                -FBI staff changes
                      -J. Edgar Hoover’s legacy
                            -Clyde A. Tolson, William C. Sullivan and Cartha D. (“Deke”)
                               Deloach, W. Mark Felt
                            -Morale
                -Compared with acting director
                                              -12-

              NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. October-2012)

                                                          Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)

     -Current job         

            -Deputy Director          

                   -Tenure      

     -Political, judicial options         


Watergate
     -John N. Mitchell’s indictment
           -Attorney general
                 -Replacement
           -Martha (Beall) Mitchell
                 -Distraction from work
           -Grand jury

Ruckelshaus
     -Watergate
           -Connection, knowledge
     -Assignment at FBI
           -Ruckelshaus’s background
                 -Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]
           -Nomination for director
           -Law enforcement experience
                 -Compared to Gray          

           -Congress [?]       

                 -Vance Hartke [?]        

           -Bob [unintelligible name][?]

           -Acting director       

                 -Duration       

                 -FBI study         

                        -Reorganization       

           -Lines of authority          

                 -Attorney General        

                 -President       

                 -Kleindienst         


Watergate
     -Gray
             -Response to White House requests
                                        -13-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. October-2012)

                                                         Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)

           -Materials turned over to John W. Dean III

Ruckelshaus
     -Announcement of appointment

Watergate
     -Possible statement
     -Gray and raw files

Ruckelshaus
     -Assignment at FBI        

           -Gray’s successor       

           -Reorganization       

                 -Evaluation of staff members      

                        -Felt    

     -Possible press conference       

           -Gray announcement          

     -Resignation from EPA         

           -Meeting with John D. Ehrlichman 

     -Statement       

           -Standards under Hoover
                 -Compared with Gray
                 -President’s search for permanent Director of FBI
                 -Ruckelshaus’s role
                 -FBI files

Watergate
     -Possible investigations
     -President’s instructions
     -FBI investigation
           -Quality       

           -John D. Mitchell       


Ruckelshaus
     -Conversation with Ehrlichman
     -Record of service
                                               -14-


                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                        Tape Subject Log 

                                       (rev. October-2012)

                                                                 Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)

     Watergate      

          -Possible White House staff changes 

          -Forthcoming grand jury indictments 

                -Mitchell

     Gray        

            -Announcement of resignation         

                   -President’s return from Mississippi      

            -Staff at FBI       


     President’s conversation with Kleindienst

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:48 pm and
4:10 pm.


[See Conversation No. 906-8A] 


[Begin telephone conversation] 


[See Conversation No. 45-33] 


[End telephone conversation] 


     Presidential appointment

     Kleindienst
          -Relationship with Mitchell

Ehrlichman entered at 4:10 pm.

     Ruckelshaus
          -Acting director
                -Transfer
                      -EPA
                      -Leave of absense
          -Instructions from President
                -FBI reorganization
                                                    -15-


                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                      Tape Subject Log 

                                     (rev. October-2012)

                                                             Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)

            -Announcement of appointment               

                  -Kleindienst       

                  -Ronald L. Ziegler   

            -Press conference      

                  -Ziegler     

                  -Location      


     Watergate
          -President’s instructions
          -Grand jury
          -Ruckelshaus’s relationship with Mitchell
          -Henry E. Petersen and Kleindienst
          -Ruckelshaus’s service in Justice Department

     Ruckelshaus      

          -Reputation      

          -Relationship with Mitchell           

          -Duration of appointment          


The President talked with Kleindienst between 4:14 pm and 4:16 pm

[Conversation No. 906-8B]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 45-34]

[End telephone conversation]

     President’s previous conversation with Kleindienst
           -Felt

     Felt
            -Leaks from FBI      

                  -Washington Post, Time

                  -Gray      

            -Position in FBI
                                              -16-


                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                       Tape Subject Log 

                                      (rev. October-2012)

                                                              Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)

           -Information from Time magazine lawyer 

           -Instructions for Ruckelshaus    


     FBI Directorship       

          -Attorney General’s prerogatives        

          -President’s telephone call to Hoover 


     Ruckelshaus’s possible statement to press 

          -Announcement of appointment           


An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 3:48 pm.

     Request for meeting with Ziegler

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 4:30 pm.

     Ruckelshaus’s statement to press 

          -Acting director       

                -Transfer      

                      -Leave of absence        

                      -Resignation      


     Watergate       

          -Integrity of FBI      


     Press relations      

           -Ruckelshaus’s appointment to FBI 

                  -Acting director
                        -Attorney General’s appointment
                        -Press statement phrasing
                        -Search for permanent director
                              -Importance of director appointment
                              -Impact on Gray’s resignation
                        -Return to EPA
                  -Press questions
                        -Ruckelshaus’s potential permanent appointment as director
                              -Declination
                                        -17-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. October-2012)

                                                          Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)

                       -Desire for appointment
                       -President’s view

Watergate
     -President’s instructions to Ruckelshaus
     -Possible press statement
           -Content and wording        

           -Ziegler’s view        

           -Wording regarding investigation questions       


Press relations
      -Ruckelshaus’s role
             -Statement compared to answering questions
      -Zielger’s statement       

             -Attorney General        

             -Acting Director       

             -President’s additions     

                   -Leave from EPA
                   -Duration as Acting Director    

      -Ruckelshaus’s role        

      -Location of announcement         

             -White House compared to EPA 

             -Environmental reporters      


Watergate
     -Ruckelshaus’s response to questions
     -Possible statement
           -Press satisfaction       

                 -Appearing at home        

                        -Jill Ruckelshaus      

     -Gray       

           -Possible response to questions         

                 -Resignation          


Congratulations

President’s schedule
                                                -18-


                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                       Tape Subject Log 

                                      (rev. October-2012)

                                                            Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)

           -Telephone call

Ruckelshaus, Ehrlichman, and Ziegler left a t 4:30 pm.