Conversation: 916-019
Prev: 916-018 Next: 916-020Start Date: 11-May-1973 12:53 PM
End Date: 11-May-1973 2:02 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; [Unknown person(s)];Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On May 11, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:53 pm to 2:02 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 916-019 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 916-19
Date: May 11, 1973
Time: 12:53 pm - 2:02 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Watergate
-Haldeman’s meeting with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
-62-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Wiretaps
-Haig’s role
-Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
-Memoranda of conversations [Memcons]
-Meeting with Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman and Richard M. Helms
-Meetings with John W. Dean, III
-Buzhardt
-Wiretaps
-W. Matthew Byrne
-Morton Halperin
-Effect on job
-Walters
-Dr. James R. Schlesinger’s orders
-Henry E. Petersen
-Meeting with L[ouis] Patrick Gray concerning Central Intelligence Agency
[CIA] involvement
-Meeting with Helms, Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Helms’s conversation with Gray
-CIA involvement
-Memcons
-Location
-Meeting among Helms, Ehrlichman, Haldeman and Dean
-Walters’s possible actions
-Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s possible testimony
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.’s activities
-Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s conversation with Walters
-Gray
-Walters
-Memcons
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National security]
[Duration: 7 s ]
-63-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
SOURCES
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Possible testimony
-Conversation with Gray
-Memcons
-Dean’s actions
-President’s conversation with Haig
-Haldeman’s conversation with Helms, Walters and Ehrlichman
-Watergate burglars
-Bay of Pigs
-Hunt and G[eorge] Gordon Liddy
-Possible testimony by Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Walters
-Memcons
-Possible effects
-Haldeman’s conversation with Helms, Walters and Ehrlichman
-President’s order
-Bay of Pigs
-Helms’s concerns
-Walters’s possible conversation with Gray
-Walters
-Memcons
-Possible effect
-Ehrlichman
-Ehrlichman’s possible testimony
-Effects
-Pentagon Papers, plumbers, wiretapping of newsman
-Kissinger
-64-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-Possible release of information to Byrne
-Ellsberg
-Buzhardt’s previous meeting with Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Wiretaps
-Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger and Haldeman
-J. Edgar Hoover
-Wiretaps
-News article
-Ehrlichman’s possible testimony
-President’s orders regarding Walters and Gray
-Executive privilege
-Dean
-Role
-President’s orders regarding Walters and Helms
-Bay of Pigs
-President’s meeting with Helms
-Haldeman’s meeting with Ehrlichman, Helms and Walters
-Ehrlichman’s role
-Facts compared to implications
-Haldeman’s meeting with Helms, Walters and Ehrlichman
-Haldeman’s motives
-Dean
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Walters’s memcon
-Helms’s possible testimony
The President talked with Haig at an unknown time between 12:53 pm and 1:20 pm.
[Conversation No. 916-19A]
[Begin telephone conversation]
Memcons
-Request for delivery to Oval Office
[End telephone conversation]
-65-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
Watergate
-Previous telephone call with Haig
-Memcons from Buzhardt
-Presidential papers
-National security
-W. Mark Felt
-Haig, Ruckelshaus
-New York Times
-Wiretap of Ellsberg
-Time Magazine
-Stanton, Smith [?]
-William C. Sullivan
-Tom C. Huston
-President’s meeting with Haldeman
-Lincoln Room
-Breadth of investigation
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Robert L. Vesco
-John N. Mitchell and Maurice H. Stans
-Stans
-Mitchell
-Grand Jury
-Ehrlichman’s possible testimony
-Walters’s memcons
-Ehrlichman’s possible testimony
-Fake cover for CIA
-Gray
-Haldeman’s meeting with Ehrlichman, Helms and Walters
-Motives
-President’s order
-Ehrlichman’s role
-Daniel Ellsberg
-Gen. Robert E. Cushman and Schlesinger
-Affidavit regarding call from Ehrlichman, July 7, 1972
-Meeting with Ehrlichman regarding July 7, 1972 telephone call
-Request for memo
-Affidavit
-66-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-Ehrlichman’s testimony
-Possible testimony regarding President and Haldeman
-Myths compared to facts
-Ervin Committee hearings
An unknown person talked with the President at 1:20 pm.
[Conversation No. 916-19B]
[Begin telephone conversation]
[No discernable topic]
[End telephone conversation]
Watergate
-Walters’s memos
-President’s viewing
Haig entered at 1:20 pm.
Watergate
-Walters’s memcons
-Meeting with Helms, Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Dean
-Dean
-President’s role
-Orders to Haldeman and Ehrlichman regarding Helms and Walters
-Motives
-President’s meeting with Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Ehrlichman’s office
-President’s knowledge
-Haldeman’s knowledge
-Walters’s meetings
-Dean and Helms
-President’s orders to Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-CIA
-67-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-Bay of Pigs
-President’s meeting with Helms
-CIA involvement
-Walters’s meetings
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman and Helms
-Gray
-Dean
-Authorization
-Memcons
-Gray
-Telephone call from the President
-Gray
-Testimony, May 10
-Conversation with the President
-President’s call concerning FBI’s prevention of San Francisco hijacking
-Walters’s memcons
-Meeting with Haldeman, Ehrlichman and Helms
-Haldeman’s statements
-Gray
-CIA
-Bay of Pigs
-Hunt and Liddy
-Pentagon Papers
-Meeting with Gray
-June 23, 1972 and July 6, 1972
-June 23, 1972
-CIA
-Mexican bank connection
-Kenneth Dahlberg
-Gray’s possible meeting with Dean
-Motives behind Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s meeting with Helms and Walters
-Hunt and Liddy
-Walters’s meetings with Gray
-Dean
-Dean
-Role
-Contacts with CIA
-68-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-Haldeman’s knowledge
-Timing
-Hunt
-Hunt
-Involvement
-Walters
-Memcons
-Executive privilege
-National security
-Location of copies
-Schlesinger, William E. Colby’s awareness
-Schlesinger’s order
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Haig’s telephone call to Schlesinger
-Haldeman’s forthcoming meeting with Buzhardt
-Colby
-Richardson
-Executive privilege
-Leonard Garment’s approach
-Dean
-Schlesinger, Colby
-Buzhardt’s possible call to Colby
-National security, executive privilege
-Watergate contrasted with memo in Ellsberg case
-Executive privilege
-Haldeman’s lawyers’ view
-Walters’s memcons
-Richardson
-Walters’s possible testimony
-National security
-Individuals with knowledge
-Walters’s possible testimony
-Walters’s memcons
-69-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National security]
[Duration: 10 s ]
CHILE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Walter’s memcons
-Hunt and James W. McCord
-Buzhardt’s view
-Innuendo
-Buzhardt’s meeting with Walters
-Gray
-Grand Jury testimony regarding CIA
-President’s order
-Walters’s memcon
-President’s conversation with Gray
-Walters’s possible testimony
-Walters
-President’s role
-Conversation with Gray
-Concern regarding CIA
-Buzhardt’s view
-Conversation withGray
-Walters’s memcon, July 13, 1972
-Dean
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Walters
-70-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-Possible testimony
-Possible conversations
-Richardson, Colby, and Schlesinger
-Attitude toward the President
-Dean
-Haig’s conversation with Schlesinger
-Helms
-Possible testimony
-Conversation with Haldeman
-Meeting concerning CIA involvement
-Conversation with the President concerning CIA involvement
-White House reaction
-CIA involvement
-Cubans
-Walters
-Possible testimony
-Location
-Possible conversation with the President
Haig left at 1:55 pm.
Watergate
-Ehrlichman
-Dean
-Role
-Colby’s belief
-White House reaction
-CIA
-Hunt
-Gray
-Meeting with the President
-Walters
-Value of possible testimony
-Indictments of Mitchell and Maurice H. Stans
-Perjury
-White House response
-Goals of the President’s opponents
-71-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-President’s principles
-Ellsberg
-New York Times
-Ervin Committee hearings
-Haldeman’s forthcoming meeting with FBI
-Walters’s memcons
-James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa
-President’s role in clemency
-Recommended by Justice Department
-Dean’s possible statements
-Subpoena to Haldeman
-Federal Court, Illinois
-Dorothy Hunt’s plane crash
Haig talked with the President between 2:00 pm and 2:01 pm.
[Conversation No. 916-19C]
[Begin telephone conversation]
[See Conversation No. 46-3]
[End telephone conversation]
Watergate
-Haldeman’s mood
The President and Haldeman left at 2:02 pm.