Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 164 › Conversation 164-025

Ziegler, Warren & Camp David operator on Watergate scandal and John Dean

Saturday, April 28, 1973 · 7:20 PM–8:10 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 3 min

ParticipantsZiegler, Ronald L.; Camp David operator; Warren, Gerald L.Conversation164-025 on Tape 164StartSaturday, April 28, 1973 at 7:20 PMEndSaturday, April 28, 1973 at 8:10 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 164-025 ↗

AI Summary

Ronald L. Ziegler initiated a call to Gerald L. Warren to receive a briefing on an impending Washington Post story regarding the Watergate scandal. Warren reported that John Dean was prepared to testify under oath that H. R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman directed a White House cover-up and possessed knowledge of illegal activities, including wiretapping. The conversation highlights the internal state of alarm and the chaotic efforts by senior officials to mount a counter-offensive against Dean's damaging allegations.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Yes, Pace?

Hi, this is Ron Zuckler.

Yes, sir.

Would you do me a favor?

Yes.

Have one of the operators get Jerry Warren on the line for me right away.

Then have the other operator place a call to Chuck Colson and hold him on the line until I can come back on.

Thanks a lot.

Thanks.

Mr. Warren.

Yeah, Jerry.

Well, I just got my first hint of what the Post has.

What is it?

They have a wire service, you know, that goes out to clients.

Right.

What is it?

The story says John Dean has evidence to show that he has been under the direction of Haldeman and Erichman conducting a cover-up of White House involvement in the Watergate case.

Just a moment.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah?

and had been reporting to them regularly.

Reporting to them regularly.

Hold on just a second.

Yes, sir.

Hello?

Yes, sir.

The story also says Dean also has knowledge of other illegal activities in the White House.

including wiretapping, going back to 1970.

Dean is prepared to testify to this under oath.

He goes on to say one reason why there hasn't been a faster action

in the White House following the President's statement on the 17th, is that there is confusion since officials and Bob Sjogren, who called me... Yeah, go ahead.

I don't have time for that crap.

Go ahead.

Officials, apparently Hallman and or Ehrlichman, are trying to mount a counter-defensive against Dean.

Is that it?

That's it.

Thanks a lot.

Okay.

Thank you.

NARA Description

On April 28, 1973, Ronald L. Ziegler, Camp David operator, and Gerald L. Warren talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:20 pm and 8:10 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 164-025 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 164-25

Date: April 28, 1973
Time: Unknown between 7:20 pm and 8:10 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

Ronald L. Ziegler talked with the Camp David operator.

     Request for telephone call
          -Gerald L. Warren
          -Charles W. Colson
                                             -21-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 164-24 (cont’d)

Ziegler talked with Warren.

     Watergate
          -Washington Post story
                -John W. Dean’s evidence on H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D.
           Ehrlichman and cover-up
          -Dean’s knowledge of illegal activities in White House
          -Wiretapping
          -Possible sworn testimony
          -White House confusion since April 17, 1973
          -Bob Schoegrin (sp?)

Also recorded on April 29, 1973

164-024 7:06 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:06 pm and 7:11 pm.
164-026 7:20 PM · 6 min — Ronald L. Ziegler and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:20 pm and 8:10 pm.
164-001 8:05 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:05 pm and 8:21 pm.
164-027 10:05 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:05 am and 10:19 am.
164-028 10:19 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 10:25 am.
164-029 10:25 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:25 am and 10:26 am.
164-030 10:26 AM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:26 am and 10:36 am.
164-031 10:36 AM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:36 am and 11:46 am.

All 17 conversations from April 29, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 164-025, April 29, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/164-025 (accessed October 12, 2026).