President Nixon instructed Stephen B. Bull to establish firm control over White House staff files, asserting that all correspondence between himself and his staff—particularly regarding national security—belongs exclusively to the President rather than individual staff members. This directive was intended to clarify ownership protocols in response to a memorandum drafted by Leonard Garment. Bull was tasked with revising the document to reflect the President's position for subsequent review by William P. Rogers.
On May 1, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 1:07 pm to 1:08 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-079 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 45-79 Date: May 1, 1973 Time: 1:07 pm - 1:08 pm Location: White House Telephone The President talked with Stephen B. Bull. [See also Conversation No. 433-11] [A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under court order for Special Access 57, Harry R. Haldeman v. Rowland G. Freeman, III, et al.,United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Civil Action No. 80-3250, page 1. The National Archives and Records Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy. See logging below.] Watergate -Staff member files -Ownership -National security -Watergate -Leonard Garment’s memorandum -William P. Rogers
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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.