President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler met to coordinate the White House's public response to mounting Watergate pressures, specifically focusing on John W. Dean III's shifting cooperation and potential implications for H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman. They reviewed Dean’s past reports, his role in the investigation, and the legal strategy regarding his potential immunity and testimony to the grand jury. The discussion also addressed the administration's public posture toward the press, including Ziegler’s forthcoming briefing on Dean and the President's recent communications with Assistant Attorney General Henry Petersen.
On April 19, 1973, Stephen B. Bull and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:08 am and 12:48 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 902-012 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 902-012
Date: April 19, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:08 am and 12:48 pm
Location: Oval Office
Stephen B. Bull and an unknown man met.
Request
-Airport
-[Unintelligible name]
Bull and the unknown man left an unknown time before 12:48 pm.
Conversation No. 902-005
Date: April 19, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:29 pm and 12:48 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President and Ronald L. Ziegler entered. This recording began at an unknown time while
the conversation was in progress.
Watergate
-John W. Dean, III
-Statement
-Contents
-Ziegler’s response to possible questions
-Notification of Ziegler
-Christopher Leyen story in the New York Times
-Dean’s activities
-Report
-Meetings with President
-Dean
-Ziegler’s response to possible questions
-Henry E. Petersen’s opinion
-Instructions for Ziegler on telephone call
Ziegler talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 12:48
pm.
[Conversation No. 902-005A]
[Begin telephone conversation]
[See Conversation No. 038-106]
[End telephone conversation]
Dean
Return call
Ziegler’s statement
-President’s authorization
Ziegler talked with Dean at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 12:48 pm.
[Conversation No. 902-005B]
[Begin telephone conversation]
[Conversation No. 038-107]
[End telephone conversation]
Watergate
-Ziegler’s conversation with Dean
-Story about Dean
-Magruder [?]
President’s meeting with Jewish leaders
-Soviet Jews
-Ziegler’s forthcoming press briefing
-Soviet Union [USSR]
-Communication
-Exemption
-United States [US] cooperation
-Freedom of emigration
Watergate
-Dean
-President’s public posture
-Conversation with President, March 21, 1973
-President’s reaction
-Dean’s report
-Possible indictment
-Conversations with President concerning Watergate
-President’s previous public statement
-William L. Safire’s column
-Washington Post editorial
-President’s April 19, 1973, conversation with Petersen
-Dean’s role in Watergate
-Immunity
-Corroborative evidence
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Reports
-President
-Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Ziegler
-President’s August 29, 1972, statement
-Role in investigation after March 21
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
-Role in Watergate
-President’s conversation with Petersen
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Grand Jury
-Presidential initiative
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Possible resignations
-Ziegler’s forthcoming press briefing
Ziegler left at 12:48 pm.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.