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Conversation 046-037

TapeTape 46StartMonday, May 14, 1973 at 7:27 PMEndMonday, May 14, 1973 at 8:15 PMParticipantsZiegler, Ronald L.;  Higby, Lawrence M.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

Ronald Ziegler and Lawrence Higby discuss H. R. Haldeman’s recent grand jury testimony regarding the Watergate scandal, specifically his interactions with the CIA and General Vernon Walters. Higby conveys Haldeman’s account of the testimony and his current mood, while noting that Alexander Haig and J. Fred Buzhardt are coordinating efforts to verify Walters’s statements. The two also agree to shield the President from involvement in issues surrounding the Nixon Foundation and Robert Finch.

WatergateH. R. HaldemanGrand juryVernon WaltersAlexander HaigNixon Foundation
AudioNARA Description

On May 14, 1973, Ronald L. Ziegler and Lawrence M. Higby talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:27 pm and 8:15 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-037 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 46-37
                                             -22-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      (rev. January-2011)

Date: May 14, 1973
Time: Unknown between 7:27 pm and 8:15 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Ronald L. Ziegler talked with Lawrence M. Higby.

[See also Conversation No. 436-15D]

     Watergate
          -Higby’s conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
               -Haldeman’s grand jury testimony, May 15
                     - [William] Stuart Symington report
                           -Haldeman’s meeting with Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
               -Haldeman’s mood
               -Walters
                     -Meeting with Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr., May 15
               -Higby’s conversation with Haldeman
                     -Haldeman’s grand jury testimony
                           -Earl J. Silbert and Seymour Glanzer
               -Nixon Foundation
                     -Robert H. Finch
                           -Haig
                     -President’s knowledge
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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.
Hi, Ron.
Hi, Larry.
Yeah.
The president, he was interested to know how Bob did today.
Bob felt fine.
He felt fine?
Yeah, five and a half hours worth, he said.
And he said they felt they had plenty to indict him or that they were just giving up and he wasn't sure which.
What did they get into?
Everything.
They covered the full range of things, including apparently somehow they got a news report in on the Symington thing and they asked...
Oh, and he was able to knock that out?
Well, he said, my entire involvement with the CIA consisted of one meeting with General Walters.
That's the only meeting I ever had.
And he said, I can't get into it because it was national security, primarily.
And it simply left it at that.
As I understand it.
And Bob's in good spirits.
He doesn't know if he'll have to go back or not.
Was he yelling at you the other year?
That's right.
And he talked about some other things, and he said that he's very concerned, and we have Haig now finding out specifically what Walter said.
Yeah.
You can tell him that's underway right now.
Haig and Bazzard have got Walter's in the office there.
Right.
He knows that.
Okay.
Bob thought it went well.
He thought it went well.
He couldn't get a reading on it.
You know, he said that half the grand jury was asleep and Lanzer was jumping all over the place and Silbert was just kind of shaking his head.
All of the blacks, huh?
Most definitely.
Okay.
Okay?
All right.
Any other topics other than that?
I don't know.
Did Haig get into the Finch Foundation thing?
Well, Al, let me talk to you about that one.
Okay, because there's a way, and there's plenty of ways out of that.
The president shouldn't even be bothered with working.
Yeah, he's not.
He's not at all.
Okay, good.
He's not going to be.
Well, Bob, there's very... No, that's something that I wouldn't even raise with the president.
You know, it's something he shouldn't.
Good.
Okay, fine.
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