Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 046-025
Date: Monday, May 14, 1973 at 11:25 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Higby, Lawrence M.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-025

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello.
[0:01] Hello.
[0:02] What have you found out so far?
[0:03] I found out so far that there's a definite no from the three girls that are here.
[0:08] There's one other person we should check, and that's Terry Decker.
[0:11] No, I don't think she ever did one at any.
[0:13] She did some stuff for you up at Camp David.
[0:16] And I just want to make sure we close the loop.
[0:18] But I've talked to Bev and Pat.
[0:21] Yeah.
[0:21] And they said that they never did a memorandum for Dean.
[0:24] Never did one for Dean.
[0:25] And their memories are good, are they?
[0:27] Yeah, I think so.
[0:28] Now, the only way we can verify it, which is very easy to do, is just for me to go over and take a quick look.
[0:33] No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
[0:35] No, no, to hell with it.
[0:36] Because, you see, what would have happened if the memorandum, you see, Larry, would have been done to Dean?
[0:45] What I would have done with that would have...
[0:48] I mean, I might have made a memorandum and made the copy to him and not have any copy made, just have the tape returned to me and then filed.
[0:56] And those I've got myself, so I can check those.
[1:01] No, I wouldn't go over and look at the goddamn thing.
[1:03] You're welcome about... Just to put your mind at ease, I'll be happy to do it if you want.
[1:10] Yeah, yeah.
[1:11] Well...
[1:12] It's up to you.
[1:13] Okay, but Terry Decker, I...
[1:16] Why don't you get her on the phone and ask her right now.
[1:18] OK.
[1:18] I've got a call with her.
[1:20] See, she did a whole group of them, I remember, very specifically up at Camp David about a month and a half ago when you were up there for a weekend.
[1:27] You did three tapes.
[1:29] And I remember...
[1:31] Were they mainly to Haldeman or Herhont?
[1:33] Almost all to Haldeman, a couple to Henry and a couple to John.
[1:37] But I recall seeing them, and I'm sure there was none to Dean.
[1:43] At what time of day?
[1:44] Well, but these were ones where copies were made, were there not?
[1:48] In other words, these were ones where she made...
[1:52] In other words, you saw the copies in the SS, didn't you?
[1:55] Well, I saw the Haldeman tape.
[1:57] I mean, the Haldeman memo.
[1:59] Oh.
[2:00] What about the Ehrlichman one you didn't see?
[2:01] I saw the Ehrlichman one also.
[2:03] And the Kissinger one.
[2:04] And the Kissinger one.
[2:05] And they all came through your office.
[2:06] Yeah, Bob handled them all for you.
[2:08] Well, for God's sakes, and that would cover that.
[2:11] I mean, I wouldn't have written one to Dean without having her...
[2:15] They were on different subjects, though.
[2:17] They weren't on Watergate.
[2:18] They weren't policy goals.
[2:20] Oh, look, I never wrote any goddamn things on Watergate.
[2:23] Yeah, I know it.
[2:24] As you know, we weren't thinking about that.
[2:26] Hell no.
[2:26] That's what people are forgetting around this damn place.
[2:29] Right.
[2:30] But I just wanted to check the files, you know, so that...
[2:33] I don't know.
[2:41] Do you think it's worth checking with Terry?
[2:44] Yeah.
[2:45] I think we ought to just to be sure.
[2:46] And as I say, if you want me to, I'll wander across the street.
[2:49] But I concur with what each one of the girls have told me.
[2:52] There just wasn't anything.
[2:53] Each of the girls told you this?
[2:54] Independently, on their own.
[2:56] And they said, did I ever, what did you ask them, did he ever write a memorandum to me?
[3:00] I said, do you recall those special memos that we did?
[3:03] Right.
[3:03] And I said, do you recall any one of those ever going to John Dean?
[3:07] And it all was a very emphatic no.
[3:10] Oh, good.
[3:10] All right.
[3:12] I can wander across and take a look if you like.
[3:14] Okay.
[3:15] All right.
[3:15] And report back to me.
[3:16] You call me as soon as you finish, though, and call me after you hear from Terry.
[3:19] Sure will.
[3:20] Fine.
[3:22] Good.