Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 424 › Conversation 424-013

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Watergate and Special Prosecutor

Tuesday, March 27, 1973 · 7:10 PM–8:56 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation424-013 on Tape 424StartTuesday, March 27, 1973 at 7:10 PMEndTuesday, March 27, 1973 at 8:56 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 424-013 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon dictates a memorandum for the file to document his internal deliberations regarding the escalating Watergate scandal. The recording reflects his concerns over the potential appointment of a special prosecutor, the creation of an independent commission, and the ongoing investigation into White House staff involvement, including Charles Colson. The President further considers the political fallout of potential testimony and the strategic response to the Ervin Committee's inquiries into campaign activities.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 45% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Whether I recorded this or not, I can't recall, but it's now 9 o'clock, and I'm going to be recording for the day.

And, uh, I'm trying to get away from the hotbed.

The response I see is, uh, it's up to the fire department to, uh, follow the, uh, posture of some of these operations.

So far, uh, it's going to be with the fire department.

The vulnerability of those operations.

Thank you.

uh uh

Thank you.

I don't know if I should be sitting right here.

Thank you.

NARA Description

On March 27, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:10 pm and 8:56 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 424-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 424-13
                                             -15-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 424-32 (cont’d)

Date: March 27, 1973
Time: Unknown between 7:10 pm and 8:56 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President dictated a memorandum for the file.

*****************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]

       Watergate
            -President’s meeting with H. R. “Bob” Haldeman
                  -Charles W. Colson
                        -Opposition to independent commission
                  -Special prosecutor
                  -White House staff
                  -Colson’s involvement
                  -Ronald L. Ziegler’s statement on grand jury cooperation
                        -Testimony
                  -Independent commission
                        -William P. Rogers’s reaction
            -Ervin Committee [?]
                  -Subject of investigation
            -Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
                  -Donald H. Segretti
                  -Campaign contributions [?]
            -President’s statement
                  -Appearance

*****************************************************************

Also recorded on March 28, 1973

424-011 7:10 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:10 pm and 8:56 pm.
424-012 7:10 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:10 pm and 8:56 pm.
424-034 7:10 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:10 pm and 8:56 pm.
424-035 7:10 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:10 pm and 8:56 pm.
044-036 8:26 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:26 am and 9:00 am.
421-020 8:35 AM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:35 am and 8:40 am.
421-021 8:40 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:40 am and 8:45 am.
421-022 8:45 AM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:45 am and 9:00 am.

All 65 conversations from March 28, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 424-013, March 28, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/424-013 (accessed October 1, 2026).