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Conversation 033-109

TapeTape 33StartSunday, November 19, 1972 at 10:49 AMEndSunday, November 19, 1972 at 10:51 AMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discussed a Washington Star report regarding the administration's second-term reorganization plans, which the President suspected was a compilation of previous legislative data rather than a deliberate leak. To mitigate further unauthorized disclosures, Nixon directed Ziegler to instruct John Ehrlichman and Caspar Weinberger to threaten the firing of any Office of Management and Budget (OMB) or Ehrlichman staff members responsible for future leaks. The President concluded by reinforcing a policy of strict silence, directing his subordinates to refrain from unauthorized commentary on administration planning.

White House ReorganizationLeaksOMBPress RelationsAdministration Management
AudioNARA Description

On November 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 10:49 am to 10:51 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 033-109 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 33-109

Date: November 19, 1972
Time: 10:49 am – 10:51 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

       Second term reorganization
            -[Washington Star] story
                  -Source
                        -Ziegler’s recent conversation with John D. Ehrlichman
                              -Camp David
                        -Washington Star reporter
                              -Garnet D. (“Jack”) Horner interview
                        -Office of Management and Budget [OMB] leak
                        -Ehrlichman’s forthcoming order to Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
                              -Prevention of leaks
                                     -Possible firings
                        -Ehrlichman’s staff
                        -Administration’s plans
                              -Recent Congress’ legislation
                        -Backgrounder

       Announcements
           -President’s guidelines
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Yeah.
Mr. Ziegler.
Yeah.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Yes, sir.
Yeah.
I read that story.
Who's it from?
I don't—I'm sure it's from no one who knows.
I talked to Ehrlichman.
He said they have all the thinking and plans locked up at Camp David, never left there.
I think what Joy did was to take, you know, some
Leeds from the Horner interview, and then to pick up a quote, I don't know where from, perhaps over in the OMB or somewhere, about, you know, from somewhere.
I'll get a hold of Ehrlichman or just as soon as we finish and tell him that he's to issue an order to not Weinberger at all that they're
any more leaks out of that, everybody will be fired in the OMB.
All right, fine.
I'll do—I'll be firm, too, on them.
Yeah.
But I know we can't be firm afterwards.
They've got to be firm now.
Right.
You just raise hell over there, call Weinberger and tell him we understand.
Ehrlichman, too, because Ehrlichman's staff could have leaked it, see.
They aren't the most—they've leaked before.
Reading—I read it over twice.
I'm sure it's not based upon any background or based upon anything where—
where someone sat down and said, here's what we think it will be, or here's what it will be, in reading through what it is as a compilation of, you know, material from the previous, the last session's legislation on reorganization.
And, you know, sort of a
indication she had probably that it was going to be done without further legislation.
But in reading it over, I'm convinced it's not based on a backgrounder.
Okay, let's get the orders out.
Absolutely.
Mr. President, what is your thinking as of now as to how
you want to proceed on announcements and so forth.
But just tell everybody just not talk so much.
Is that enough?
Yes, sir.
Fine.
Okay.
Okay, fine.
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