Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 38 › Conversation 038-060
Ehrlichman & Gray on Watergate scandal and John Dean
Sunday, April 15, 1973 · 10:16 PM–11:15 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min
AI Summary
John D. Ehrlichman calls Acting FBI Director L. Patrick Gray to warn him that John Dean is cooperating with the U.S. Attorney and disclosing information regarding sensitive materials previously entrusted to Gray. The two discuss Gray's destruction of these documents, which he claims were purely political in nature, and contemplate how to handle the inevitable scrutiny. Ehrlichman stresses the need for Gray to be prepared, as Dean's cooperation with Henry Petersen creates a significant threat to their efforts to contain the Watergate investigation.
- Watergate scandal
- John Dean
- L. Patrick Gray
- Obstruction of justice
- Evidence destruction
- Henry Petersen
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On April 15, 1973, 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. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-060 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 38-60
Date: April 15, 1973
Time: Unknown between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm
Location: White House Telephone
John D. Ehrlichman talked with L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III.
-35-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 38-60 (cont’d)
Watergate
-John W. Dean, III
-Conversation with US Attorney
-Envelope to Gray
-Relations with Henry E. Petersen
-Envelope to Gray
-Gray’s reaction
-John D. Ehrlichman’s reactionAlso recorded on April 16, 1973
- 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.
- 038-058 9:39 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen talked on the telephone from 9:39 pm to 9:41 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.
- 038-061 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.
- 038-064 11:45 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen talked on the telephone from 11:45 pm to 11:53 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 038-060, 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/038-060 (accessed October 12, 2026).