Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 898 › Conversation 898-019

Nixon & Ehrlichman on Watergate and Immunity

Tuesday, April 17, 1973 · 2:39 PM–2:40 PM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation898-019 on Tape 898StartTuesday, April 17, 1973 at 2:39 PMEndTuesday, April 17, 1973 at 2:40 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 898-019 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discussed the administration's strategic position regarding legal immunity and potential grand jury indictments for individuals involved in the Watergate scandal. They reached a consensus on adopting a firm policy that excludes immunity for key figures while allowing for flexibility in cases involving corroborating evidence. This brief exchange served to finalize the President's directives for Ehrlichman to convey during his upcoming discussions with Henry Petersen at the Department of Justice.

Audio

Download MP3 · 4.9 MB

Transcript (AI-generated)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
But I just wanted to be sure to check the points you want with Peterson at the end of five minutes.
So one, no immunity.
However, I would say for any top, any of the top three.
In other words, so that I can, it sort of appears that if you want to give it a strong, that's okay.
See, don't you think that's a good line?
Yeah.
Okay, that I've done.
Which is charges are indicted.
Right.
Yeah.
And leave from the grand jury.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Do what you want.
I think I'll have that in strength as a position.
Please mention these four to me on the circuit.
A little quicker.
Chargers.
Chargers.
I'm glad you're going to follow the policy of subject resolution.
Is that it?
Oh, of course.
That's another way to know that.
That's my type.
And, uh, this presentation will be reduced to cooperation.
Right?
What about terminals and chargers?
Yeah, that gray area.
Yeah, and I'll say that if there's a serious corroborative charge... Yeah, all right, all right, fine, okay.

NARA Description

On April 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:39 pm to 2:40 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 898-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 898-19
                                             -38-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 898-19 (cont’d)

Date: April 17, 1973
Time: 2:39 pm-2:40 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

[See Conversation No. 38-86]

Also recorded on April 17, 1973

  • 898-013 2:20 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:20 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 898-014 2:20 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:20 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 898-015 2:20 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:20 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 898-016 2:20 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:20 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 038-085 2:30 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:30 pm and 2:39 pm.
  • 038-086 2:39 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 2:39 pm to 2:40 pm.
  • 898-020 2:40 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:40 pm and 2:46 pm.
  • 898-021 2:46 PM · 1 hr 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry E. Petersen, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:46 pm to 3:49 pm.

All 53 conversations from April 17, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 898-019, April 17, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/898-019 (accessed October 12, 2026).