{"conversationCode":"046-081","tapeNumber":46,"conversationNumber":81,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-046-081","startDateTime":"1973-05-16T18:51:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1973-05-16T18:52:00.000Z","startDate":"16-May-1973","startTime":"2:51 PM","endDate":"16-May-1973","endTime":"2:52 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Buzhardt, J. Fred, Jr.;","description":"On May 16, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. talked on the telephone from 2:51 pm to 2:52 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-081 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"WHT","recordingDevice":"White House Telephone","latitudeEstimated":38.89767,"longitudeEstimated":-77.03655,"chronCode":"5.5","chronRelease":"Fifth Chronological Release: Part V","chronReleaseDate":"21-Aug-2013","aogpRelease":"Abuse of Governmental Power Release","aogpSegment":"Segment 0","lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 46-81\n\nDate: May 16, 1973\nTime: 2:51 pm - 2:52 pm\nLocation: White House Telephone\n\nThe President talked with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.\n\n[See also Conversation No. 437-9]\n\n      Watergate\n           -J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.’s meeting with Charles W. Colson\n           -John W. Dean, III’s documents\n                  -Evaluation","filename":["046-081.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Buzhardt, J. Fred, Jr."],"prevCode":"046-080","nextCode":"046-082","transcript":[{"start":1.09,"end":2.29,"text":"Yes, Mr. President."},{"start":2.31,"end":4.48,"text":"You finished your meeting with Chuck?"},{"start":4.5,"end":4.8,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":5.3,"end":5.88,"text":"Are you free now?"},{"start":5.94,"end":6.24,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":7.06,"end":9.98,"text":"We are now going over these documents, Mr. President."},{"start":10,"end":10.36,"text":"I see."},{"start":11.81,"end":13.69,"text":"We have... Oh, yeah."},{"start":13.71,"end":15.29,"text":"And we'd like to get in a report to you."},{"start":15.31,"end":18.47,"text":"I would... Yeah, take time."},{"start":18.53,"end":19.07,"text":"All right."},{"start":19.09,"end":19.38,"text":"All right."},{"start":19.39,"end":20.26,"text":"Thank you, sir."},{"start":20.28,"end":21.94,"text":"But they are the type you described."},{"start":22.08,"end":25.06,"text":"They are the type, but they do present problems nevertheless."},{"start":27.3,"end":27.62,"text":"Okay."},{"start":27.64,"end":28.48,"text":"All right, sir."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon consulted with White House counsel J. Fred Buzhardt regarding his recent meeting with Charles Colson and the ongoing evaluation of sensitive documents provided by John W. Dean. Buzhardt confirmed that the materials matched the President's description but noted they presented significant legal or political complications. The two agreed that Buzhardt should take the necessary time to complete his assessment and prepare a formal report for the President.","topics":["Watergate scandal","John W. Dean","Charles W. Colson","White House legal strategy","document review"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T07:28:07.573Z"},"topicSlugs":["watergate-scandal","john-w-dean","charles-w-colson","white-house-legal-strategy","document-review"],"audioDurationSec":35,"audioFiles":[{"file":"046-081.mp3","bytes":1120256,"durationSec":34.92,"bitrate":256645,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:20:04.104Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/046-081.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-081","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/46/conversation-046-081","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}