Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 023-138
Date: Wednesday, May 3, 1972 at 2:53 PM
Participants: Ehrlichman, John D.; White House operator; Ziegler, Ronald L.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-138

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:02] This is John Ehrlichman.
[0:04] Can you give me Ron Ziegler, please?
[0:05] Thank you.
[0:08] This is John Ehrlichman.
[0:20] Can you give me Ron, please?
[0:38] Yeah, let me just run through this with you.
[0:52] You'll introduce Kleindienst.
[0:54] He will announce that he and the President have just had a meeting, that the offer's been made and accepted, and he's announcing Pat Gray as acting.
[1:05] He'll introduce Pat.
[1:06] Pat will say a few words, then they'll get down and leave.
[1:09] You can suggest afterwards, if you're asked, that the reason that they don't answer questions is that they're both pending before the Senate.
[1:18] No, he's not anymore.
[1:19] Well, sure he is, technically.
[1:21] Well, but he won't be.
[1:22] All right, he won't be, but he still is.
[1:24] And he's not going to take any questions today, so you can handle that any way you want to.
[1:28] Now, as a technicality, he is still Assistant Attorney General.
[1:34] in the civil division.
[1:36] And he will remain that.
[1:38] He will still fill that slot.
[1:41] And that's for salary purposes because there isn't any way of getting him paid otherwise.
[1:47] Okay?
[1:50] But you need to know that in case you get asked.
[1:52] And you're the one who's going to make the announcement that the President does not intend to send a permanent nomination until after the election and explain why after they leave.
[2:02] All right, you guys swing by here, will you?
[2:03] Yep.
[2:04] Be about two or three more phone calls.
[2:08] Okay, because I want to get the exact words from you as to what I say.
[2:12] Yeah, I've already given them to you.
[2:13] No, you haven't.
[2:14] Yes, I have.
[2:14] No, you haven't.
[2:16] Not that stuff.
[2:16] Well, I better come over there right now.
[2:18] Would you?
[2:18] Yeah.
[2:19] Morris here, and we're trying to develop.
[2:20] All right.
[2:21] All right.