Conversation 045-075

TapeTape 45StartTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 12:59 PMEndTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 1:00 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone

AI Summary

President Nixon directed Stephen B. Bull to instruct Leonard Garment to revise a memorandum regarding access to the personal papers of H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman. Expressing shock and disappointment at the breadth of the proposal, the President insisted that the documents be protected rather than opened to FBI scrutiny, explicitly stating that his former aides were not defendants. The conversation also touched upon coordinating the President’s concerns with Secretary of State William P. Rogers's schedule.

WatergateH.R. HaldemanJohn D. EhrlichmanLeonard GarmentWilliam P. RogersFBI accessExecutive privilege

Audio

NARA Description

On May 1, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 12:59 pm to 1:00 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-075 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 45-75

Date: May 1, 1973
Time: 12:59 pm - 1:00 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Stephen B. Bull.
                                             -54-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     (rev. October-2012)

                                                           Conversation No. 45-75 (cont’d)

[See also Conversation No. 433-6]

     William P. Rogers’s schedule
           -Willy Brandt
           -Luncheon

     Watergate
          -Language of memorandum
               -Rogers’s review
               -Leonard Garment
               -Intent
                     -Access to papers of H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
                     -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
               -President’s reaction
                     -Disappointment

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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

Yeah.

Yes, sir, Steve, Bill.

I think Bill Rogers, I'm afraid, is giving a lunch for, you might check to see if he isn't giving a lunch for the Chancellor.

Then, before any decision is made on this, I want him to look at the language and work this out.

All right, so I tell Garment that this is, that the President is really shocked.

that he would have the bad judgment to have something as broad as this.

Would you do that?

All right, sir.

Mr. President, looking further at the intent of this, this would not give the FBI access.

Rather, it would protect those papers so they could not be removed.

And the misleading thing was in... No, the hell with that.

God damn them.

They're not going to...

These men are not defendants.

These men are not defendants, and I'm not going to allow that.

You understand?

All right, sir.

I know.

And tell Garment I'm shocked and I am very disappointed in him.

And give him that message immediately.

All right, sir.

Fine.

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