Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 38 › Conversation 038-058

Nixon phone call with Petersen on Watergate scandal and G. Gordon Liddy

Sunday, April 15, 1973 · 9:39 PM–9:41 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Petersen, Henry E.Conversation038-058 on Tape 38StartSunday, April 15, 1973 at 9:39 PMEndSunday, April 15, 1973 at 9:41 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 038-058 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Assistant Attorney General Henry Petersen discussed securing the cooperation of G. Gordon Liddy’s attorney, Peter Maroulis, regarding the Watergate investigation. Emphasizing a desire for full disclosure, Nixon directed Petersen to instruct Maroulis that his client must reveal everything he knows about the scandal. The President preferred that Petersen handle the communication personally to maintain professional distance, though he remained willing to meet with the attorney directly if the initial effort failed to produce the desired result.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Henry, I've been talking to John Dean, and I'm quite finished, but he stepped out for a minute.
I wanted to ask you this.
He says that he thinks it's important that I tell Libby's attorney, I don't know his name, I'm a realist, you know, that what I told you a few minutes ago, that he's still, huh?
Yes, we're already trying to get in touch with him.
Let me say this.
You tell him, if necessary, you haul his ass in here and I'll tell him, okay?
All right.
You know what I mean?
You tell him that I have called you directly tonight and that you have a direct from the president.
If he needs to hear it from me, I'll tell him.
Very good.
Because, you see, John felt that maybe he wouldn't take it from you, but I would think he would.
What do you think?
What's your judgment?
Well, we'll certainly tell him.
He and Lydia are very close friends and I'm certainly worried we'll get back to him.
Okay, you tell Morales that the president has directed that you, that he is here to talk to him and to tell him he is to tell everything he knows.
He should have before, but my point is, if necessary, if he has to come in and see me, but you come with him.
I don't want any things where he comes in and makes any motions.
You see what I mean?
I understand.
Does this sound like good medicine to you, or do you think I should not see him?
I think we ought to raise that question after we see what the reaction is.
Right.
I would prefer if you could handle it, because it ought to be handled at your level rather than me bringing some crummy attorney in and giving him an order.
I agree.
So you do it on my direction.
I think that'll do the trick.
If it doesn't, I'll see myself.
Very well.
All right.

NARA Description

On April 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen talked on the telephone from 9:39 pm to 9:41 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-058 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 38-58

Date: April 15, 1973
Time: 9:39 pm - 9:41 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Henry E. Petersen.

[A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared Richard Nixon’s Special
White House Counsel for Watergate Matters and submitted to the Committee on the Judiciary of
the House of Representatives. This transcript can be found in Submission of Recorded
Presidential Conversations (SRPC), pages 770-771 (1-2). Please refer to the logging below.]

     Watergate
          -President’s conversation with John W. Dean, III
          -G[eorge] Gordon Liddy’s attorney, Peter L. Maroulis
          -President’s desire for full disclosure

Also recorded on April 16, 1973

  • 038-055 8:25 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen talked on the telephone from 8:25 pm to 8:26 pm.
  • 038-056 8:26 PM · 18 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:26 pm and 9:15 pm.
  • 038-057 9:17 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:17 pm and 9:39 pm.
  • 038-059 10:16 PM · 19 sec — John D. Ehrlichman and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm.
  • 038-060 10:16 PM · 2 min — John D. Ehrlichman and L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm.
  • 038-061 10:16 PM · 14 sec — John D. Ehrlichman, White House operator, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm.
  • 038-062 10:16 PM · 2 min — John D. Ehrlichman and L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm.
  • 038-063 10:16 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm.

All 56 conversations from April 16, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 038-058, April 16, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/038-058 (accessed October 22, 2026).