Conversation: 918-014
Prev:  918-013 Next: 918-015Start Date: 15-May-1973 9:59 AM
End Date: 15-May-1973 10:45 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Petersen, Henry E.; [Unknown person(s)]; Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On May 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry E. Petersen, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:59 am to 10:45 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 918-014 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 918-14 Date: May 15, 1973 Time: 9:59 am - 10:45 am Location: Oval Office The President met with an unknown man and Henry E. Petersen. Greetings The unknown man left at an unknown time after 9:59 am. Congressional relations -President’s previous meeting with congressional leaders -Delay -Traffic Watergate -12- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2012) Conversation No. 918-14 (cont’d) -J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. -Compared with John W. Dean, III -Petersen’s knowledge -Alexander M. Haig, Jr. -Special Prosecutor -President’s conversation with Elliot L. Richardson -President’s conversation with Petersen and Richard G. Kleindienst, April 15, 1973 -Justice Department investigation -White House cooperation -Dean -William D. Ruckelshaus -Special Prosecutor -Harold R. Tyler, Jr. -Relationship with Myles J. Ambrose -Richardson’s plan -Function -Decisions to prosecute -Grand Jury investigation -Effect on the President and Petersen -President’s appointments -John N. Mitchell, Maurice H. Stans, H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman -Alexander M. Haig, Jr. -President’s decisions -President’s conversation with Richardson -Petersen -Petersen’s actions -Possible alternatives -Kleindienst -Dean -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III -Telephone call from the President -Hijacking incident -Investigation -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] -Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters and Richard M. Helms -13- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2012) Conversation No. 918-14 (cont’d) -Kleindienst -Number of interviews -Gray -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] investigation -Jeb Stuart Magruder ***************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 [Statute] [Duration: 1 m 30 s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 ***************************************************************** Watergate -President’s meeting with Petersen and Kleindienst, April 15, 1973 -Resignations of Haldeman and Ehrlichman -Material for W. Matthew Byrne -President’s telephone call to Petersen from Camp David -G[eorge] Gordon Liddy -Break-in at Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office -Evidence -President’s knowledge -Justice Department investigation -CIA -Lawrence (“Larry”) Houston -Cooperation -President’s conversation with Walters -Haig -Dean -Efforts regarding CIA and defendants -Break-in at Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office -Justice Department’s investigation -14- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2012) Conversation No. 918-14 (cont’d) -CIA -Camera -Photographs -Liddy -Earl J. Silbert -Dean’s statement to Petersen, April 15, 1973 -President’s conversation with Dean -Timing -Justice Department’s investigation -Dean’s knowledge -Byrne -President’s conversation with Petersen, April 18, 1973 -E. Howard Hunt, Jr. -Petersen’s subsequent conversation with Richardson -Hunt’s White House activities -National security -Use of evidence -Effect on Ellsberg case -Byrne’s action -FBI wiretaps -Ellsberg -Morton H. Halperin, staff member of National Security Council [NSC] ***************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 [Privacy] [Duration: 12 s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 ***************************************************************** Watergate -National security -15- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2012) Conversation No. 918-14 (cont’d) -Ruckelshaus’s press release, May 14, 1973 -Ehrlichman -President’s telephone call to Petersen -Liddy’s lawyer, Peter L. Maroulis -Break-in of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office -Investigation -Hunt -Los Angeles -Joseph P. Busch -Justice Department -Ervin Committee -Hunt -Liddy -Testimony -Ervin Committee -Hunt -Immunity for witnesses -Immunity -Byron White’s decision -Murphy v. Waterfront -Effect on possible prosecutions -Dean -Petersen’s possible book -Petersen’s possible conversation with Richardson -Petersen’s conversation with the President -Hunt -Petersen’s previous conversation with Ronald L. Ziegler -President’s possible obstruction of justice -President’s conversation at Camp David -Leaks -Hunt and Liddy -Effect on NSC staff members -Halperin -Henry A. Kissinger -FBI records -William C. Sullivan -Mitchell -16- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2012) Conversation No. 918-14 (cont’d) -J. Edgar Hoover’s possible use -President’s knowledge -Lyndon B. Johnson -Robert F. (“Bobby”) Kennedy -Indictments -Timing -Testimony -Perjury -Personal gain -Corroboration -Documentation -Motives -Cover-up -Threat of jail -President’s conversation with Dean, March 21, 1973 -Money -William O. Bittman -Hunt -Cubans -Sentences -Compared with Ervin Committee investigator -John J. Sirica -White House cooperation with Justice Department -Buzhardt -Ellsberg case -Ellsberg case -Judge’s opinion of government’s case -FBI records -Halperin Presentation of gifts by the President -Cuff links Message to Mrs. Petersen Watergate -President’s cooperation -17- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2012) Conversation No. 918-14 (cont’d) -Ervin Committee -Effect on defendants’ trials -Mitchell -Ability to stop hearings -Petersen, Richardson, Special Prosecutor -Samuel L. Dash -Change of venue -Ellsberg Petersen left at 10:45 am.