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Conversation 045-036

TapeTape 45StartFriday, April 27, 1973 at 4:31 PMEndFriday, April 27, 1973 at 4:35 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Petersen, Henry E.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AudioNARA Description

On April 27, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen talked on the telephone from 4:31 pm to 4:35 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-036 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 45-36

Date: April 27, 1973
Time: 4:31 pm - 4:35 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Henry E. Petersen.

[See also Conversation No. 906-10]

     Watergate
          -Daniel Ellsberg case
                -William M. Byrne’s handling of government’s disclosure
                -Earl J. Silbert’s memorandum
          -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]interview of John W. Dean, III and John D.
           Ehrlichman
          -Lewis J. Fielding
                -Burglary of office
                -President’s and Petersen’s knowledge
          -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
                -Resignation
          -President’s investigation
                -Grand Jury information
          -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
                -Interview with U.S. Attorney
                      -John J. Wilson
          -Jeb Stuart Magruder
                -Grand Jury testimony
          -Dean
                -Subpoena in Robert L. Vesco case
                -Negotiations
                      -President’s possible actions
          -Departures from White House staff
                                               -24-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      (rev. October-2012)
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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

hello president yes hello how are you i just wanted to call you and give you a report on that case yeah uh judge bernard opened it up last night and at first was inclined to the view that uh the disclosure to him was sufficient and then apparently overnight he changed his opinion right and uh read the
from Silver to me in open court, indicated that the defendants were entitled to a hearing on it, and I requested the disclosure of the source, which I've authorized, and asked for all the information the government has.
We don't have anything, you know.
No.
But, I mean, there was nothing.
There was no material, was there?
Well, that's right.
As far as we know.
I've asked the Bureau to interview... You remember our telephone call that night, and I told you, I said, it's an agenda.
When I say all I can tell you is what people tell me, Henry, in these days I don't know what the hell to believe.
Well, you know, we're— Maybe they burned it.
They interviewed Dean and— What did he say?
Well, we haven't, but I said we're going to have the Bureau interview Dean.
Yeah, right.
And Ehrlichman, see if they know anything about it.
Right.
see if we can locate the psychiatrist, Ellsberg psychiatrist, and see whether or not there was a report of a burglary or what have you.
Right, right, right, right.
Do the best we can.
Right, right.
Thank God you didn't get anything.
You never knew of anything you ever got.
We can't find any trace of it here.
Yeah, and I didn't know anything about it either.
Fine, fine.
Well, things have moved fast today.
Indeed so.
Right, and I think he had to resign, though.
It's a sad, sad thing, but Jesus Christ.
Well, he called.
because he's, in my judgment, an unwitting victim.
An unwitting victim.
There are quite a few in this, Henry, quite a few.
Mr. President, you asked me for something.
Yeah, a piece of paper, if I could get it.
I don't think I can produce.
I'll tell you why.
Most of the information, almost everything you have, except that which I've already given you in writing, is all grand jury.
Oh, I see.
I get it.
Well, I can't have it then.
That's right.
That's right.
run under the circumstances and would just have to leave me in a spot where I just got to, you know, look at matters.
You see, the problem I have, I'm trying to get— I understand.
—conduct my own investigation, and yet I don't want the grand jury stuff.
That's for there, I'm sure.
That's right.
And, you know, that's what—it's a direct conflict.
Yeah.
Yeah, I get your point.
All right.
All right.
I understand.
I understand.
That's the way you've got it.
We'll just leave her there.
Oh, I do understand.
Do I understand that they're going to finally see Holloman Ehrlichman?
Gosh, I wish they could get it earlier.
Darn it, can't you do it Monday?
Well, you know, we tried to work that out.
This is the best we can work out with John Wilson and our fellows.
And we're trying to get Magruder into the grand jury in the early part of the week.
Yeah.
Now, where does the dean think he's at?
Well, you know, at no place.
He's been served with a forthwith subpoena to appear in New York on the Vesco thing.
Yes.
And he will do that.
I assume, whether or not he takes the Fifth Amendment, we're going to be determined.
Our negotiations with him are, you know, just
No place.
We're not getting any further.
I have to say at this point, Mr. President, that you cannot jeopardize our position with Dean by anything you might do now.
There's no basis for me to ask you to withhold any longer so far as he's concerned.
I see.
Well, we just don't know what to do on that one, do we?
No, sir.
Because he's, in effect, saying...
that he goes provided the other guys go and so forth, and that isn't the proper way to do it.
I mean, nobody can tell me that, you know what I mean?
I can, the others can say, well, they'll go if he goes.
Well, you know.
And you say everybody should go.
Yes, sir, I do.
You know, I think the longer you wait, the worse it gets.
Right, right, right.
All right, okay, thank you very much.
You're welcome, sir.
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