Conversation No. 917-44

Date: May 14, 1973
Time: 6:28 pm - 7:27 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     Watergate     

          -News story regarding the President’s San Clemente home 

               -Leonard Garment         

                     -Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.      

               -Lyndon B. Johnson [?]        

               -Possible sources      

                     -Frank DeMarco, Jr.        

                     -Robert H. Abplanalp and Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo 


Alexander M. Haig, Jr. entered at an unknown time after 6:28 pm.

     Watergate
                                  -48-

       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                          Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. June-2012)

                                                  Conversation No. 917-44 (cont’d)

-John W. Dean, III’s Huston Plan documents
      -Possible contents
      -[First name unknown] Barnlow [sp?], security expert
      -Judge John J. Sirica
-National security
      -Barnlow [?]
      -Classification
             -Sirica
             -COMINT         

                   -Risk       

                   -Dean’s knowledge         

                   -Justice Department        

                   -Sirica       

             -E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
                   -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-Possible contents
      -Hunt
             -Break-in at Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office
-Elliot L. Richardson
      -Special Prosecutor
             -Testimony in confirmation hearings
                   -Telephone calls from Garment and Haig
-Henry E. Petersen
      -Possible indictments
      -Grand jury testimony
             -Conflicts
             -Dean       

      -Connections to White House          

      -Possible indictments of John N. Mitchell and Jeb Stuart Magruder 

-Ervin Committee hearings
-Nixon Foundation
      -Robert H. Finch
      -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s and telephone call to Taft Schreiber
      -John D. Ehrlichman’s telephone call to Leonard K. Firestone
      -Timing of Haldeman and Ehrlichman’s possible appointments
      -Haldeman’s conversation with the President concerning Schreiber
-Possible financial help for Haldeman and Ehrlichman
                                              -49-


                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                      Tape Subject Log 

                                       (rev. June-2012)

                                                             Conversation No. 917-44 (cont’d)

                  -Peter M. Flanigan      

                  -Schreiber       

                  -Abplanalp and Rebozo           

                  -Flanigan      

                  -Obstruction of justice     

                  -Defense fund        


            -Richardson
                  -Special Prosecutor
                        -White House suggestions
                        -Bella S. Abzug
                        -Unknown person
                        -Warren Christopher
                        -Edmund G. (“Pat”) Brown
            -Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters 

                  -Testimony, May 14          

                        -Possible effects
                              -Haldeman and Ehrlichman
                              -President
                                     -Role in CIA inquiry
                                     -Burglars
                        -W[illiam] Stuart Symington’s comment
                              -Haldeman, Ehrlichman
            -News story regarding San Clemente home 

                  -Howard H. Baker, Jr.         

                  -Garment       

                        -Telephone calls to Ervin Committee
                  -President’s reaction

Ziegler left at 6:42 pm.

      Watergate
           -Walters     

                -Testimony       

                -Conversation with Haig       

                      -Rehearsals of testimony with Haig and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
                -Testimony
                                           -50-


                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                    Tape Subject Log 

                                     (rev. June-2012)

                                                          Conversation No. 917-44 (cont’d)

                      -Haldeman and Ehrlichman
                            -Possible role in cover-up
                                  -Richard M. Helms
                                  -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
                 -Conversations with Gray concerning CIA involvement
                      -Conversation with Helms
                 -Memoranda of conversation [Memcons]

Ziegler entered at 6:46 pm.

     Watergate
          -News story regarding President’s San Clemente home
               -Ziegler’s conversation with Garment
                     -Garment’s conversation with Thompson
                     -Baker and Ervin
               -White House response
                     -Possible statements, May 5
                           -Financing arrangements
                                 -Trust for Nixon Foundation
                                 -Abplanalp and Rebozo
                                       -Adjoining property
                                              -Nixon Foundation
                           -DeMarco
                                 -Orange County land files
                                       -Purchase of fifteen acres
                                       -Cost
                           -President’s interest
                           -Trust for Nixon Foundation
                                 -Purpose
                                 -Cemetery
                                       -San Clemente and Yorba Linda

     Watergate     

          -Garment’s conversations   

               -Thompson and Samuel Dash           

          -Walters     

               -Testimony, May 14      

                                -51-

       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. June-2012)

                                                Conversation No. 917-44 (cont’d)

             -Possible effect
                   -Haldeman and Ehrlichman
                   -Dean
                   -President
      -Memcons
             -Dean
      -Testimony
             -Ervin Committee counsel, May 14
             -Grand jury, May 15
             -Possible response by Haldeman and Ehrlichman
                   -Armed Services Committee
-Possible financial help for Ehrlichman and Haldeman
      -Nixon Foundation
      -Flanigan
-Walters
      -Testimony, May 14
      -Request for papers
             -National security
      -Availability of notes
             -Possible copies
                   -Helms and William E. Colby
             -Psychiatrist’s report on Daniel Ellsberg
-Colby
      -Confirmation
-Helms
      -Forthcoming conversation with Buzhardt
      -Helms’s conversation with the President concerning CIA involvement
-Walters
      -Testimony, May 14
             -Possible effects
                   -President
                   -Haldeman and Ehrlichman
                   -Dean
                   -Legal liability for Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-CIA involvement
      -President’s views
             -Bernard Barker and Hunt
                                             -52-


                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                      Tape Subject Log 

                                       (rev. June-2012)

                                                             Conversation No. 917-44 (cont’d)

                  -White House knowledge
                        -Mitchell and Magruder
                        -Haldeman and Ehrlichman
                        -Helms
                  -Walters
                        -Meeting with Gray
                  -Haldeman and Ehrlichman
                        -Possible testimony before Ervin Committee
            -Armed Services Committee
            -Participants’ actions
                  -Motives       

                  -James W. McCord, Jr.        

            -White House response
                  -Protection of presidency
                  -Charges against Haldeman and Ehrlichman
            -Possible indictments       

                  -Petersen’s view        

                  -Dean        

                  -Possible immunity        

                  -Possible evidence against others      

                  -Documents         

                        -Timing of opening

Haig left at 7:08 pm.

      Watergate      

           -Possible effect on the President 

                 -President’s innocence        

           -White House response
                 -News story regarding President’s San Clemente home
                 -Public reaction
                 -President’s activity
                       -White Paper
                       -Frequency and type of Television [TV] appearances
           -Dean
           -Lawrence M. Higby
                 -Conversation with the President
                                              -53-


                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                       Tape Subject Log 

                                        (rev. June-2012)

                                                              Conversation No. 917-44 (cont’d)

                         -Haldeman’s grand jury testimony

Haig talked with the President between 7:12 pm and 7:13 pm.

[Conversation No. 917-44A]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 46-32]

[End telephone conversation]

      Watergate
           -Dean’s documents
                -Timing of opening
                -Possible contents
                      -Higby’s view

Haig entered at 7:14 pm.

      Watergate
           -Walters
                -Haldeman and Ehrlichman
                      -Helms
                -Dean
                -Conversation with Gray
                      -Gray’s conversation with the President
                      -Possible testimony
                -Memcons
                      -National security and executive privilege
                -Affidavit to Armed Services Committee
                      -Possible effects
                             -Haig’s previous conversation with Buzhardt
           -Dean’s documents
                -Sirica

Haig left at 7:19 p.m.
                                             -54-


                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                       Tape Subject Log 

                                        (rev. June-2012)

                                                            Conversation No. 917-44 (cont’d)


      Watergate
           -White House response       

                -Adherence to strategy      

                -Haig      

                -Buzhardt       

                -Garment      

                      -News story regarding President’s San Clemente home
                      -Ervin

Ziegler talked with Garment at an unknown time between 7:19 pm and 7:27 pm.

[Conversation No. 917-44B]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 46-33]

[End telephone conversation]

      Watergate     

           -News story regarding President’s San Clemente home 

                -Ziegler’s previous conversation with Garment
                      -Ervin Committee
                      -Garment’s conversation with Thompson
                      -Efforts to reach Ervin
                -Ziegler’s possible statement, May 15

      Ziegler’s schedule       

            -Press briefing        


The President and Ziegler left at 7:27 pm.
                                                -55-


                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                          Tape Subject Log 

                                           (rev. June-2012)