{"conversationCode":"881-008","tapeNumber":881,"conversationNumber":8,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-881-008","startDateTime":"1973-03-16T21:51:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1973-03-16T21:52:00.000Z","startDate":"16-Mar-1973","startTime":"4:51 PM","endDate":"16-Mar-1973","endTime":"4:52 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.;","description":"On March 16, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:51 pm to 4:52 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 881-008 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"OVAL","recordingDevice":"Oval Office","latitudeEstimated":38.8974,"longitudeEstimated":-77.0374,"chronCode":"5.4","chronRelease":"Fifth Chronological Release: Part IV","chronReleaseDate":"8-Dec-2010","aogpRelease":"Abuse of Governmental Power Release","aogpSegment":"Segment 0","lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 881-8\n\nDate: March 16, 1973\nTime: 4:51 pm - 4:52 pm\nLocation: Oval Office\n\f                                               -33-\n\n                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM\n\n                                                               Conversation No. 881-8 (cont’d)\n\nThe President met with John D. Ehrlichman.\n\n[The recording began while the conversation was in progress]\n\n       Watergate\n            -Sherman Adams analogy in Washington Post article, March 16, 1973\n                 -Parallels with John W. Dean, III's testimony\n                       -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman\n                       -Differences\n            -White House staff\n                 -Testimony\n                       -Charges of criminality\n\nEhrlichman left at 4:52 pm.","filename":["881-008.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Ehrlichman, John D."],"prevCode":"881-007","nextCode":"881-009","transcript":[{"start":6.1,"end":14.46,"text":"There was a Chairman Adams piece in the Post this morning, which was on the editorial page."},{"start":14.48,"end":22.72,"text":"It was a sort of historical review, a fairly factual piece, and it tried to draw parallels."},{"start":23.22,"end":24.54,"text":"All of them?"},{"start":24.6,"end":28.02,"text":"No, largely around Dean and whether or not he should testify."},{"start":29.68,"end":30.3,"text":"Yeah, it was..."},{"start":31.68,"end":33.1,"text":"That is what I'm finding."},{"start":34.94,"end":35.24,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":36.2,"end":37.1,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":37.18,"end":38.58,"text":"And he was charged with the crime."},{"start":38.6,"end":38.82,"text":"Sure."},{"start":39.3,"end":40.02,"text":"That's why he was."},{"start":40.04,"end":41.66,"text":"I wouldn't question that."},{"start":41.69,"end":42.73,"text":"He was the president's lawyer."},{"start":42.77,"end":42.85,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":43.93,"end":44.85,"text":"Well, that's true."},{"start":45.09,"end":48.57,"text":"Let's suppose if anybody in this staff is charged with a crime, he was up there."},{"start":48.59,"end":49.67,"text":"Do you agree with that?"},{"start":49.69,"end":50.07,"text":"Absolutely."},{"start":50.77,"end":51.77,"text":"That is what we're talking about."},{"start":51.79,"end":52.67,"text":"That's right."},{"start":52.69,"end":53.9,"text":"And I think that's a clear thing."},{"start":53.91,"end":54.77,"text":"I was talking to you."},{"start":55.28,"end":55.42,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":55.46,"end":56.42,"text":"I was talking about a crime."},{"start":56.52,"end":58.12,"text":"I was talking about the information."},{"start":58.14,"end":58.94,"text":"I was talking to you."},{"start":58.96,"end":59.08,"text":"Yeah."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman discussed a recent Washington Post editorial comparing the current Watergate controversy, specifically regarding John W. Dean III, to the historical case of Sherman Adams. They deliberated on the potential necessity for staff members to resign if formal criminal charges were brought against them. The two men reached a consensus that any White House staffer accused of a crime would be required to leave their position.","topics":["Watergate","John W. Dean III","Sherman Adams","White House Staff","Criminal Allegations"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-08T23:03:36.298Z"},"topicSlugs":["watergate","john-w-dean-iii","sherman-adams","white-house-staff","criminal-allegations"],"audioDurationSec":64,"audioFiles":[{"file":"881-008.mp3","bytes":430080,"durationSec":64.44,"bitrate":53392,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:20:00.697Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:44:54.773Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/881-008.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/881-008","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/881/conversation-881-008","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}