Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 903 › Conversation 903-011

Nixon & Petersen on Watergate scandal and John Dean

Friday, April 20, 1973 · 11:32 AM–11:40 AM ET · Oval Office · 8 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Petersen, Henry E.Conversation903-011 on Tape 903StartFriday, April 20, 1973 at 11:32 AMEndFriday, April 20, 1973 at 11:40 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 903-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Assistant Attorney General Henry E. Petersen to discuss the ongoing investigation into the Watergate scandal and legal concerns surrounding White House Counsel John Dean. Nixon urged Petersen to accelerate the investigation to counter negative public leaks and emphasized the need to distinguish between Dean’s official work product and his potential personal liability as an activist. The President reiterated that he would not grant executive privilege regarding Dean’s activities, except for private presidential communications, while expressing his intent to maintain distance from the investigation to allow Petersen full operational independence.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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I have a direct consider because of these things.
We're going to make sure to fix that.
And he talked about that too, that I specifically do not know what substance was said.
So, and I want you to bear that in mind because I don't want to be in a position where I might inform somebody else.
And I'd like you to be sure that you remember that.
We said it because I find it's what I would like to know.
You have mentioned today.
How long will that be, do you think?
Will it be several days or one day?
I see.
The other thing that occurred to me, and just as a matter of the strategy, which you might have impressed upon, it seems to me that dragging this thing out is going to make your problem increasingly difficult.
The leaks and the statements that the recruiter and dean are making publicly and all that sort of thing.
I know, obviously, you're trying to get corroboration and that sort of thing and get down the four corners and nail it all down.
I'm inclined to think, I don't know what your views are, but Iverson and Spock, your Spock, I would try to accelerate the thing.
You do know pretty well what the hell's going on.
Or do you agree with that?
I don't know.
I see.
Well, I just threw that out, and I can see the practical problem.
So the other thing is that the
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What was that, right?
I think it brings you back to the critical problem, doesn't it?
It occurs to me that one other problem we've got to deal with, because we want to be fair to the individuals in all of this case, is that I suppose that you could distinguish that
Whatever he did as basically work product, you know, and so forth and so on, as counsel, what he did as an activist was something else.
And I suppose that distinction is something that they're bearing in mind.
And he's bearing in mind.
In other words, if Dean's conducting an investigation, I'm just trying to figure, I'm figuring out how I'm just trying to deal with his own vulnerability.
If Dean conducts an investigation, that's what he's doing, buddy.
and activist thing and the recovery process and something else again.
But is there any distinction there that could be made?
I haven't talked to Dean, so I was just asking you.
If he has a brain, he has to give it.
I'm frankly thinking, I'm not talking about his testimony, I'm talking about his own legal liability.
And there, his liability runs only through his activism, unless he was suppressed in a violation of law.
Right.
I get it.
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Well, as I told you, as far as Dean was concerned, this isn't true of any of these.
There's absolutely no, there's no commentators I haven't seen at all, but as far as any others know, there's no privilege, whatever, except for conversations with the president, which
That's the only thing.
Otherwise, you'd just go right to the heart of this campaign.
I see you.
I see you.
I see you.
Right.
Well, now, as you understand, I have not done that with Dean, and I don't tend to.
Yep, I can't, but the recruiter's talking, and Dean's not.
I mean, Dean is still in the arms with the deal, and frankly, that's only fair to him.
I mean, I'm trying to be fair to all of them in this case.
I mean, I can't have one rule for Dean and one other rule for all of them.
Right.
Absolutely.
Right.
I think you're absolutely right on that.
Absolutely right.
Okay.
Uh, well, they, uh, I'll be in Florida with, uh, I believe it's about an hour and a few that, I mean, I can't, but they'll let me know, but otherwise it won't bother me.
And I hope they don't bother you.
The grand jury's on session tomorrow, isn't it?
And not Sunday, but Monday again at the end.
I may stay down here Monday or Tuesday myself.
But as I say, don't call me unless it's something you think I need to know.
Because the main thing is you just got to be free to conduct this investigation.
And there's no lack of it.
And of course, you must know that there's lack of cooperation by anybody.
Because that is another reason to see it.
And to indictment, that's the reason for me.
Lack of cooperation, of course, by anybody.
So you're, you're coming any place that ever, out.
You understand?
All right.

NARA Description

On April 20, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:32 am to 11:40 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 903-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 903-11

Date: April 20, 1973
Time: 11:32 am - 11:40 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Henry E. Petersen.
                                           -11-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Conversation No. 903-11

[See Conversation No. 38-129]

Also recorded on April 20, 1973

  • 038-128 11:23 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:23 am and 11:32 am.
  • 903-007 11:23 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:23 am and 11:32 am.
  • 903-008 11:23 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:23 am and 11:32 am.
  • 903-009 11:23 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:23 am and 11:32 am.
  • 903-010 11:23 AM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:23 am and 11:32 am.
  • 038-129 11:32 AM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen talked on the telephone from 11:32 am to 11:40 am.
  • 903-012 11:40 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:40 am and 11:43 am.
  • 903-013 11:40 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:40 am and 11:43 am.

All 34 conversations from April 20, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 903-011, April 20, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/903-011 (accessed October 5, 2026).