Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 38 › Conversation 038-061
Nixon phone call with Ehrlichman on L. Patrick Gray III and FBI
Sunday, April 15, 1973 · 10:16 PM–11:15 PM ET · White House Telephone · 14 sec
AI Summary
John D. Ehrlichman requests that the White House operator facilitate a call to FBI Director L. Patrick Gray III at his private residence. President Nixon is audible in the background during this coordination effort. This outreach indicates an attempt to establish direct communication with the FBI leadership during the escalating Watergate investigation.
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On April 15, 1973, 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. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-061 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 38-61
Date: April 15, 1973
Time: Unknown between 10:16 pm and 11:15 pm
Location: White House Telephone
John D. Ehrlichman talked with the White House operator. the President can be heard in the
background.
Telephone call to L[ouis] Patrick Gray, IIIAlso 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.
- 038-060 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.
- 038-062 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 038-061, 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/038-061 (accessed October 12, 2026).