Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 44 › Conversation 044-021

Haldeman & Mitchell on Watergate investigation and Ervin Committee

Tuesday, March 27, 1973 · 12:10 PM–1:16 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsHaldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Mitchell, John N.Conversation044-021 on Tape 44StartTuesday, March 27, 1973 at 12:10 PMEndTuesday, March 27, 1973 at 1:16 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 044-021 ↗

AI Summary

H. R. Haldeman and John Mitchell coordinated a meeting in Washington to discuss legal strategies regarding the Watergate investigation, specifically proposing a "blue-ribbon" commission as an alternative to existing proceedings. The two men expressed frustration with Attorney General Richard Kleindienst’s lack of initiative in establishing a necessary liaison with the Ervin Committee and gathering information from the grand jury. Additionally, Mitchell sought Haldeman’s intervention to resolve employment obstacles for Herbert "Bart" Porter at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Mr. Haldeman?
Yeah.
They're putting Mr. Mitchell on the phone.
Thank you.
We're ready, operator.
Hello.
Hey, Bob.
Hi, John.
How are you?
Fine.
Where are you, up in Newark?
Yeah.
Any chance of your coming down?
It would be pretty difficult.
What about tomorrow?
That's okay.
You can't do it today, huh?
I'm afraid not.
I've got some of my own problems, as you can imagine.
Okay.
Can you come down first thing in the morning?
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yes, sir, I will, to see you.
Any chance of tonight?
No, that's the problem.
Yeah, yeah.
Okay, yeah, see me and also the other fellow.
Mm-hmm.
All right.
Because we need to get back at a couple points again.
Yeah, John's been talking to me about his idea, which...
Which, you mean the commission thing?
Yeah, mm-hmm.
What's your feeling on that?
Basically, if it's structured right, and I think it can be, not containing all of the provisions that John's talking about, but something in between.
He goes a little far on this thing of everybody waiving rights of trial and all that sort of thing.
Yeah.
Which, of course, is a little silly, and I don't think it's constitutional.
And if it were, it would still need legislation, and it isn't necessary.
Just set up a commission and let them report out their findings with the idea that criminal prosecution will follow.
Yep.
It's a blue-ribbon, four-star grand jury is really what it is.
That's about what it is.
And, of course, the climate is right for it on both sides.
Mm-hmm.
the rights on both sides okay one other thing that uh relating to coming down is did he tell you that jeb wants to meet with you and me uh jeb is here with me now oh he is okay sir that's uh i thought the last i heard was he wanted to get together with the two of us yeah well that was the next thing we were going to take a stab at down here
If he's there, you'll have covered that ground with him.
Yeah, well, if it's appropriate, then maybe we can do that tomorrow.
Yeah.
Now, have you established any liaison with that committee up there?
With Irvin?
Yeah.
What committee?
The Irvin committee.
No.
Information.
No.
Wasn't Klein Dean supposed to?
Klein Dean's supposed to, yeah.
But that's...
We agreed.
What is he doing about it?
Nothing.
He's been invited to or told to?
He's been told to, yes.
He's been told that he's the guy to do it.
There's been specific follow-up on specific items, but he does call him and say, call somebody and say this.
He calls somebody and says exactly that and then calls back and says, oh, I didn't get any answer and that's it into that.
Well.
No initiative and there's no step beyond the basic one.
Well, if that's the case, then there's got to be some other liaison established.
Yeah.
And furthermore, somebody ought to get a hold of him so that you're kept abreast of what's going on in that grand jury.
Well, Dean says we aren't getting that either.
Do you think I should talk to Klein Deans?
I certainly do.
You do, okay.
I know on certain terms.
Okay.
And I think that's the only way it'll come from.
On A, the committee, and B, the grand jury?
Yep.
Yes, sir.
All right.
Okay.
All righty.
When do you have the office call?
What time are you going to be here?
I'll have the office call, and hopefully you can have a car come out, huh?
Okay.
All righty?
Right.
Very good, Bob.
Thanks, Bob.
Yes, sir.
One thing I've forgotten.
They're screwing around with Bart Porter and some job over at HUD.
And apparently what they're doing is being held up because of that confrontation he had with Malick.
And I think it would be very helpful if you or somebody would just...
I thought that had been busted through.
No, it hasn't been busted through.
They're still playing some games with it.
Okay, I'll take a look at that.
All righty, will you do that?
Yes, sir.
Okay, I'll see you tomorrow.
Okay.

NARA Description

On March 27, 1973, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:10 pm and 1:16 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 044-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 044-021

Date: March 27, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:10 pm and 1:16 pm
Location: White House Telephone

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with John N. Mitchell.

[See also Conversation No. 423-3C]

       Mitchell’s schedule
            -Visit to Washington, DC
            -Unnamed person

       Watergate investigation
            -Mitchell’s conversation with John D. Ehrlichman
                   -Possibilities
            -Jeb Stuart Magruder
                   -Desire to meet with Haldeman, Mitchell
                   -Current meeting with Mitchell
            -Ervin Committee
                   -Liaison with administration
                         -Richard G. Kleindienst
            -Grand jury
                   -White House need for information
                         -John W. Dean, III
            -Haldeman’s talk with Kleindienst

       Mitchell’s visit to Washington, DC

       Herbert L. (“Bart”) Porter
            -Job at Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD]
                   -Frederick V. Malek

Also recorded on March 27, 1973

  • 423-001 10:58 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:58 am and 11:07 am.
  • 423-003 11:00 AM · 2 hr 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Ronald L. Ziegler, Sally Inge, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, Pierre E. Trudeau, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm.
  • 044-018 11:07 AM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:07 am and 11:08 am.
  • 423-002 11:07 AM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:07 am to 11:08 am.
  • 044-019 12:05 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Pierre E. Trudeau talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:05 pm and 12:10 pm.
  • 044-020 12:10 PM · 7 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:10 pm and 1:16 pm.
  • 044-022 12:10 PM · 37 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:10 pm and 1:16 pm.
  • 044-023 12:10 PM · 1 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:10 pm and 1:16 pm.

All 50 conversations from March 27, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 044-021, March 27, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/044-021 (accessed October 2, 2026).