Conversation 427-012

On April 16, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, Manolo Sanchez, John D. Ehrlichman, White House operator, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, Adele (Langston) Rogers, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:55 pm to 6:01 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 427-012 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 427-12
Date: April 16, 1973
Time: 4:55 pm - 6:01 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with William P. Rogers.

     Greetings

Manolo Sanchez entered at 4:55 pm.

     Refreshments

Sanchez left at 4:55 pm.

       Watergate
             -President’s situation
                    -Advisory role fulfillment
                             -Attorney General
                                    -Henry E. Petersen
                                    -Richard G. Kleindienst
                                    -Difference from traditional role
             -John W. Dean, III
                    -March 21, 1973 meeting
                    -Jeb Stuart Magruder
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            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

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                                                        Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)

        -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman
                -Petersen
        -John N. Mitchell, Magruder
        -Possible testimony
                -Effect on Haldeman’s position
                        -Question of disposition of money
                                -Conversation
                                -Dean
        -Petersen
        -President’s schedule
                -Organization of American States [OAS]
                -White House correspondents event
                -Speech to building trades union officials April 16, 1973
        -Proposed action
                -Leonard Garment
        -Dean’s negotiations with prosecutors
        -White House staff involvement
                -The President’s query to Dean
                        -Response
                -Dean report
                -President’s role
                        -Limitation to investigation
                        -Magruder
                        -Mitchell
                        -Responsibility
        -E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
                -Ehrlichman
                -Petersen
                -Dean’s possible testimony
                -L. Patrick Gray, III’s custody of materials from safe
                        -Recollection on transfer
                -Material political, not Watergate
                        -Transfer to Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]

William Rogers’ schedule
    -Dinner
        -Spiro T. Agnew
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                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      (rev. October-2012)

                                                            Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and
5:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 427-12A]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 38-72]

[End telephone conversation]

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 4:55 pm.

     President’s schedule
         -Evening outing on Sequoia
              -Rogers
              -Arrangements

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:45 pm.

William Rogers talked with Agnew at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 427-12B]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 38-73]

[End telephone conversation]

     Schedule
         -Adele Rogers

     Watergate
        -Dean
             -Defense
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                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                   (rev. October-2012)

                                                          Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)

William Rogers talked with Adele Rogers at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 427-12C]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 38-75]

[End telephone conversation]

       Watergate
             -White House staff roles
                    -Ehrlichman
                           -Responsibilities
                                   -National security leaks
                                   -Daniel Ellsberg
                                   -Hunt’s operation
                    -Testimony
                           -Mitchell, Dean, Magruder
                                   -Haldeman
                                   -G[eorge] Gordon Liddy
                    -Ehrlichman
                           -Materials from Hunt’s safe
                           -Relevance to Watergate
                           -Transfer to Gray of FBI
                    -Dean’s claim to act as agent only
                           -Ehrlichman, Haldeman, Mitchell
                           -Cover-up
                           -Placement of blame on Haldeman and Ehrlichman
                           -Lawyer Charles Shaffer
                    -Ehrlichman’s log of meetings with Dean
                           -Non-Watergate subjects
                                   -The President’s estate
                    -Dean
                           -Responsibility for investigation
                    -Post-Watergate break-in activities
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                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

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                                                              Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)

                             -Funds for accused burglars
                                    -Dean’s conversation with Haldeman
                                           -Request for money
                                           -Herbert W. Kalmbach
                             -Dealings with defendants
                                    -Paul L. O’Brien
                                    -Liddy
                                    -E. Howard Hunt, Jr., Dorothy Hunt
                                    -Reasons for giving money
                                           -Mitchell
                                           -Campaign period post-June 1972
                                                   -Possible effect of allegations
                                           -Effect
                                                   -Ervin Committee
                                                   -Compounding of problem
                                           -Instructions to defendants
                                    -Lawyer for Cubans
                                           -Henry B. Rothblatt
                                    -Responsibility for money disbursement
                                           -Haldeman, Kalmbach
              -Ehrlichman
                     -Dean
              -Haldeman
              -Petersen

The President talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 427-12D]

[Begin telephone conversation]

       Watergate
             -President’s meeting with Rogers
             -Money [?]
                    -Purpose
                           -Ehrlichman’s knowledge
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                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     (rev. October-2012)

                                                            Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)

       President’s schedule
              -Sequoia

       Watergate
             -Activities
                     -Magruder, Mitchell
                     -Petersen
                            -Materials from Hunt’s safe

[End telephone conversation]

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 4:55 pm.

       Sports coat

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:45 pm.

       Watergate
             -Materials from Hunt’s safe
                    -Reason for characterization as non-Watergate related material
                            -Dean as source of information
                            -FBI

Rogers talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 4:44 pm and 5:54 pm.

[Conversation No. 427-12E]

[Begin telephone conversation]

       Watergate
             -Recollection of activities
                    -Magruder
                    -Transfer of materials to FBI
                            -Gray

[End telephone conversation]
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           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                             (rev. October-2012)

                                                    Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)

Watergate
      -Materials from Hunt’s safe
              -Transfer by Dean to Gray
              -Characterization of material
      -Dean
              -Petersen
      -Possible White House action
              -Timing effect
      -Dean
              -Alleged pre-break-in conversation with Haldeman about proposed
               intelligence gathering plan
                       -Culpability
                              -Haldeman, Dean
                       -Fund
                       -Kalmbach
      -Pre-election action by defendants
              -Silence
                       -Press
      -White House staff’s relation to 1972 campaign staff
              -Money
              -Mitchell
              -Dean-Haldeman meeting about intelligence gathering plan
                       -Disapproval of plan
                       -Petersen’s interpretation of inaction
                              -Haldeman’s lack of role in campaign
                              -Dean’s role
      -Magruder’s testimony
              -Mitchell
              -Haldeman
                       -Role in campaign
                              -Separation of White House from campaign
                              -Campaign finances
      -Liddy’s proposals on intelligence gathering
      -Mitchell
              -Role in campaign
      -Haldeman, Ehrlichman
              -Vulnerability
                                              -29-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      (rev. October-2012)

                                                              Conversation No. 427-12 (cont’d)

                              -President’s conversation with Petersen
                              -Possible indictments
               -Dean
                      -Actions
                              -Agent of President
               -Haldeman, Ehrlichman
                      -Position
                              -Retention of lawyer
               -Petersen’s conversation with President
                      -Haldeman, Ehrlichman
                      -Possible indictments
               -Magruder’s forthcoming testimony
                      -Promise by Ervin Committee
                      -Possibility of guilty plea
                      -Judge John J. Sirica
               -Dean
                      -Position
                      -Magruder statement
               -Grand jury

      Rogers’ car
         -Arrangements

      Watergate
         -Kleindienst

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at an unknown time after 4:55 pm.

       Car

       Press relations

The President, Rogers, and Ziegler left at 6:01 pm.
                                             -30-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       (rev. June-2010)

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.

Bill, how are you?
Secretary should call me.
I know.
I have some time.
Booyah.
Booyah.
Down, down.
Well, your advice.
Well, I try to be.
I can't tell you how it is.
Yeah.
Yeah.
.
.
.
.
.
The only part that he did not get is the tail.
Now he can come in and fight it back.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think it's a pretty fair case.
It's a bunch of bears, but basically what they have
As several sectors move across the rest of my father, it's a different thing.
Sure, sure.
I mean, well, it's like, what Bob tells me is, you know, the information is kind of just, just because I didn't read it, you know, it's just a little bit, a little bit, a little bit.
Yeah, that's what he says.
That decision was between Bob and, you know, you know, about the money.
So, to get it out of wherever it was, some of it, uh, we expect some time.
But you could say that'll depend on the means of it, and the odds of it.
Of course, one day I said, you know, I was proposing.
You know, it was the paper that I asked for.
So, one day I said, yeah.
What I was trying to say was, what Peterson said, Mr. President, what Peterson said, what Peterson said, what Peterson said, what Peterson said, what Peterson said, what Peterson said, what Peterson said,
Oh, a blindfolded device.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think there's a lot of stories, an awful lot.
I don't want to take it seriously.
I don't want to take it seriously.
I can't.
It's familiar.
It's new.
It's going to be just as good.
When you speak about recently with me, you're going to get a lot of respect.
I ask anybody involved.
But again, it's going to be at a later time about
What happened since?
Well, we didn't.
I was told it all.
But I had it.
I knew that by John.
I said, why didn't you?
And I said, I don't know.
He had the name, and I told him.
I said, well, he put it on his table.
I said, well, I had it.
I had it.
Well, the reason he had it, I didn't have it.
I said, it was a cop.
I said, it was a cop.
I said, it was a cop.
I said, it was a cop.
I said, it was a cop.
I said, it was a cop.
I said, it was a cop.
I said, it was a cop.
You see, there again, when he talked to me about that, that's when I...
I always suspected that they had to do it.
That's when I went up and explained to him.
Meaning that it wasn't my job to get a connection for Ritter, but this guy had to get there.
I had to check and see why he hadn't got a connection.
I wasn't trying to get a connection for Ritter, but he had to get a connection for Ritter.
So Ritter did it.
If the first thing that happens is the estimation look like it was all over here, it looks like it's all over here, it looks like a complete recession.
Yeah.
They are.
They are.
They are.
They are.
But what about their being?
Let me ask you this.
What about their being dragged down?
Is this a bill that is being dragged down?
I don't know.
His point is, the president can take on this.
He doesn't have to.
He doesn't have to turn any percent of it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
.
.
.
.
.
He says, I don't have this information, but that information does not make a rule.
John Irving said, listen, you're making this up about the Watergate.
He never signed it, and he doesn't know what it is.
He was told that.
He said, there's stuff on the site that is perfectly political stuff, but it's not about Watergate.
And he dropped the thing and dropped it, and I didn't see it.
He said, it's not about Watergate.
It's got to do with the Better Game of the Great.
.
.
.
.
.
We brought it out from outside the country for what it is.
Right.
And that's what we're supposed to get information on.
We have the bomb, we have the gun, we have the service, all three of them are going to get the $5,000.
That's what we're supposed to get information on.
We're supposed to get information on what it is, the quality.
Right.
I said, give it to the head of the FBI.
I said, everything, I'll do everything.
So, I said, okay, I'm just going to do it.
I said, I've been there, I'm still doing it.
I'm just going to do it.
I don't know what I'm going to do.
So I'm going to go to the vice president's office.
I'm going to go to the vice president's office.
I'm going to go to the vice president's office.
I don't know how else to put it.
I don't know.
I mentioned about it.
It's a nice thing to go on this flight.
Just have a half hour.
Just have a half hour.
You just have to get it.
You just have to get it.
You just have to get it.
You just have to get it.
You just have to get it.
You just have to get it.
You just have to get it.
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
Now, they will, there's other things.
The theme, let me tell you what themes are excellent for us.
That's the real problem.
I don't know how to do that.
Well, I don't know.
Say, uh, it depends on what you want.
I thought, uh, I thought that was a good idea.
Yeah, okay.
Okay.
Uh, well.
Yeah.
Other than that, no.
And the whole business, like the whole business of the needs of the national security stuff, of the whole service and all that stuff.
And the hot group is the athletes.
And they're the ones who do the drugs, you know.
And they get a hell of a lot of stuff.
But on the other hand, on that, that's certainly kind of a privilege.
I mean, they should be paying a lot of attention to that, but it's so bad now.
You know, all these lawyers got, you know, a little bit of a hard time.
You know, a little bit of a hard time.
You know, a little bit of a hard time.
You know, a little bit of a hard time.
You know, a little bit of a hard time.
I don't know why I feel that way.
I don't know why I feel that way.
I don't know why I feel that way.
I don't know why I feel that way.
I don't know why I feel that way.
Whatever he said, I don't know if it was his spirit, but he was saying one thing or the other, saying the other.
Uh, I'm going to put it, put it to John, that when John found out that Mark was arrested, he had to do it in the state.
He did it in the state.
He did it in the state.
He did it in the state.
He did it in the state.
He did it in the state.
He did it in the state.
He did it in the state.
He did it in the state.
He did it in the state.
I don't think that's a good question to ask.
I don't think that's a good question to ask.
You know, if you did get the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh,
He said he never did a thing without falling on earth.
That's what he said.
So he's going to try falling on earth and after what he did, he's going to recover.
We'll look at that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think he will put it up.
He'll put it up.
I think he's going to put it up.
He's going to put it on post.
I think he's going to start to resonate with me when I put it up here.
I don't know why he isn't doing this.
I don't know why he isn't doing this.
I don't know why he's not doing this.
I don't know why he's not doing this.
We don't
In the case of the three-day and fifth vote, we're going to have to take a second vote.
We're going to have to vote.
In the case of the Trump team, it's a charter.
It's a charter.
It's not a whole lot.
They're thinking it's the other way.
Instead of, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't have any idea what the defendants were playing.
They had to have money.
take care of the parents, the little kids, and all of those who take care of their, uh, their little kids.
Uh, apparently, he, uh, helped them.
And he was, he went to, uh, oh, there's another guy.
He went to Poland once and said that, I don't know if you guys know this, but I used to talk to him about his experience in Poland.
He said, I can't help you.
He said, I can't help you.
The point is, who dealt with the defendants?
There are currently many.
That was done by, uh, Brian, the lawyer, I think.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
So, what happened?
Now, the question is, were the defendants told you, and by who, on the call?
If they were told not to talk, they'd be guilty of it.
But if they were told not to do that, if they were asked to investigate, if they were being asked to go to people that didn't hire them, then they should be able to talk.
And if the consideration of that was required, and that would be our suggestion, not all that short, it would be urgent of what happened.
But they, uh, they got, there comes another actor, another Jewish lawyer, who was a lawyer for the children.
He didn't want to do this boat.
He really didn't want to do it.
He wanted to do it.
He wanted to do it.
He wanted to do it.
He wanted to do it.
He wanted to do it.
He wanted to do it.
He wanted to do it.
He wanted to do it.
Everybody.
All right.
But all of them who've got it, they're smart.
She said, well, you've got it now.
And I keep all the, all the pop-ups.
There's all of them that we use, getting them for the purpose of that.
All of them.
They say, I've heard about it.
They're just getting it now.
It's not the only company.
They're going to win it over here.
They're going to win it over here.
They're going to win it over here.
They're going to win it over here.
They're going to win it over here.
They're going to win it over here.
.
.
.
.
I don't know about it.
I don't know about it.
I found that name.
I'll find out what else about her.
She kept writing all this stuff.
But if you do it, I'm not going to be too sure.
You know what I mean?
You know what I mean?
You know what I mean?
You know what I mean?
You know what I mean?
You know what I mean?
You know what I mean?
... ... ... ... ... ... ...
You know, there we all have that, right?
You want to be on credit?
Yeah.
Listen to the response.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's not bad.
But I think it helps the, you know, the director of capture, you know, the reception point, you know, the reception panel, or the captain of the reception, you know, both of those things.
You know, I, yes.
Okay.
Before I go, I have to leave all of the, you know, all of the other connections to the U.S. Guard.
What about the story that you had back in November?
But I don't know.
You've got to spark folks like you are.
You've got to spark folks like you are.
You've got to spark folks like you are.
You've got to spark folks like you are.
You've got to spark folks like you are.
You've got to spark folks like you are.
You've got to spark folks like you are.
You don't know any, you know, and you don't know how to do a lot of it.
Except this, that's what I'm supposed to do.
It's very, very hard for me.
Why are you doing that?
Why are you doing that?
Because you're getting it from the FBI.
Okay.
Okay.
You're just letting the public know.
Okay, here we go.
There's all that we have to do right now, isn't there?
95 days in the car.
45.
We're going to have to start all over again, right?
25 days.
We're going to have to get through that.
We're going to have to get through that.
We're going to have to get through that.
We're going to have to get through that.
I said that the packet was going to make a total, it was going to help with the bite, and it was just raining, and it was just, it was just telling us what was happening, and it was raining, and it was just going to make it rain.
But as far as that is concerned, you know, I don't expect it was going to be as good as it really is, you know.
... ... ... ... ...
They probably got here.
I don't know.
That's everything that's around.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Before the election, and I certainly am, I wasn't sure I wanted to, but I wasn't sure I wanted to go to court.
They were standing in for your bill.
That's what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about that.
I'm talking about that.
That's what I'm talking about.
That's what I'm talking about.
That's what I'm talking about.
Because the employer is changing.
That's one thing.
But if this dude, the money isn't sufficient to pay the charge, I don't know if you know that, but that was one of the other things.
He was a police officer.
He was a police officer.
He was a police officer.
He was a police officer.
He was a police officer.
He was a police officer.
.
.
.
.
.
We ought not to have any part of the whole accident.
We ought not to have any part of the whole accident.
I got that directly from Dean.
What is your recollection?
The way the conversation started.
And all of a sudden, I totally agree.
Now, I, and Peterson said that, makes a great deal out of that.
I'm saying all of them, by, they were in the back.
Therefore, I said, well, wait a minute.
I said, all of them are not going to be here.
All of them are not in charge of the budget.
After all, he, I would think, had a hell of a lot of responsibility then.
He should have gone right back.
I don't know what's wrong with him.
I just don't know how he's doing it.
No, hold on.
You can't keep him up all night.
No, I don't think he's doing it.
That's why I'm complaining.
All of us do the right thing.
All of us do the right thing.
All of us do the right thing.
All of us do the right thing.
All of us do the right thing.
I don't think so.
I don't think so.
I don't think so.
I don't think so.
I don't think so.
I don't think so.
God damn it, that's a problem.
Well, uh, I would think that on this
... ... ... ... ...
I had to put it on the table, and I had to wait on it.
I had to watch it.
I had to watch it.
I had to watch it.
I had to watch it.
I had to watch it.
I had to watch it.
I had to watch it.
I had to watch it.
So that explains the reason why I'm asking you.
When you're having a holiday, and you want to spend time, and you don't have a budget, and you can't spend money, and you don't have money, and you can't spend money, and you don't want to get, you don't want to get attention, you don't want to hire someone to spend time with you.
They can't give up.
You can't make them, they can give up.
They can't give up.
They can't give up.
And that's why
You know, the kids, you know, all of them are, you know, good kids, you know.
You know, they're just, you know, they're just fine.
You know, they're just really good kids.
You know, they're just fine.
You know, they're just really good kids.
You know, they're just fine.
You know, they're just really good kids.
And that's why it's so interesting.
That's what I've always heard.
It's all about the mind.
But anyway, my point is that I think he is now building the story in such a way that I think it's a damn good setting.
That's what I think.
I asked her, you know what I mean?
You know what I mean?
You know what I mean?
You know what I mean?
We're going to try to work on a solution that's going to be effective.
We're going to look at a lot of challenges.
What do you have in mind?
What are the things that you're going to do?
What are the things that you're going to do?
What are you going to do?
I think that's it.
But I think that's it.
But I think that's it.
But I think that's it.
But I think that's it.
But I think that's it.
But I think that's it.
I don't know.
Well, here's some tells me about what he makes of it in the present time.
He's a very, he's just, he's a very, you know, he makes it, he makes it also the way that we did so long ago.
And we're not going to hold him for too long.
But I'm not going to put him in the wrong direction at all.
You know, he's strong.
He's not going to have a guy like that every year.
There was a perfect chance that both would come out on that time.
On the other hand, there was a question that I was about to ask myself.
For example, did I have a connection with Dr. Collins?
I don't know.
I can't remember.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
But they haven't been paid to do it.
That's something they can't do.
It's not a good thing.
It's not a good thing.
It's not a good thing.
It's not a good thing.
It's not a good thing.
It's not a good thing.
... ... ... ... ... ...
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
Thank you.
Is that it?
You all right?
You've got your car here.
Yeah.
I'm back here.
Yeah, I think that's good.
Good for you.
Good for you.
.
.
.
.
.
Right.
Sure.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
I don't know what's going on.
I don't know what's going on.
I don't know.
Thank you.