Conversation: 906-008
Prev: 906-007 Next: 906-009Start Date: Friday, April 27, 1973 8:48 PM
End Date: Friday, April 27, 1973 9:30 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ruckelshaus, William D.; White House operator; Ehrlichman, John D.; Kleindienst, Richard G.; [Unknown person(s)]; Ziegler, Ronald L.Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On April 27, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, William D. Ruckelshaus, White House operator, John D. Ehrlichman, Richard G. Kleindienst, unknown person(s), and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:48 pm to 4:30 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 906-008 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 906-8
Date: April 27, 1973
Time: 3:48 pm - 4:30 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with William D. Ruckelshaus.
Ruckelshaus’s job
Watergate
-L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
-Destruction of documents
-President’s relationship
-Work at Justice Department
-Ruckelshaus’s replacement
-Destruction of documents
-Need to investigate
-Ruckelshaus
Ruckelshaus
-Current job
-Assignment at Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Acting director
-President’s conversation with Richard G. Kleindienst
-Nomination for director
-FBI staff changes
-J. Edgar Hoover’s legacy
-Clyde A. Tolson, William C. Sullivan and Cartha D. (“Deke”)
Deloach, W. Mark Felt
-Morale
-Compared with acting director
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)
-Current job
-Deputy Director
-Tenure
-Political, judicial options
Watergate
-John N. Mitchell’s indictment
-Attorney general
-Replacement
-Martha (Beall) Mitchell
-Distraction from work
-Grand jury
Ruckelshaus
-Watergate
-Connection, knowledge
-Assignment at FBI
-Ruckelshaus’s background
-Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]
-Nomination for director
-Law enforcement experience
-Compared to Gray
-Congress [?]
-Vance Hartke [?]
-Bob [unintelligible name][?]
-Acting director
-Duration
-FBI study
-Reorganization
-Lines of authority
-Attorney General
-President
-Kleindienst
Watergate
-Gray
-Response to White House requests
-13-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)
-Materials turned over to John W. Dean III
Ruckelshaus
-Announcement of appointment
Watergate
-Possible statement
-Gray and raw files
Ruckelshaus
-Assignment at FBI
-Gray’s successor
-Reorganization
-Evaluation of staff members
-Felt
-Possible press conference
-Gray announcement
-Resignation from EPA
-Meeting with John D. Ehrlichman
-Statement
-Standards under Hoover
-Compared with Gray
-President’s search for permanent Director of FBI
-Ruckelshaus’s role
-FBI files
Watergate
-Possible investigations
-President’s instructions
-FBI investigation
-Quality
-John D. Mitchell
Ruckelshaus
-Conversation with Ehrlichman
-Record of service
-14-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)
Watergate
-Possible White House staff changes
-Forthcoming grand jury indictments
-Mitchell
Gray
-Announcement of resignation
-President’s return from Mississippi
-Staff at FBI
President’s conversation with Kleindienst
The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:48 pm and
4:10 pm.
[See Conversation No. 906-8A]
[Begin telephone conversation]
[See Conversation No. 45-33]
[End telephone conversation]
Presidential appointment
Kleindienst
-Relationship with Mitchell
Ehrlichman entered at 4:10 pm.
Ruckelshaus
-Acting director
-Transfer
-EPA
-Leave of absense
-Instructions from President
-FBI reorganization
-15-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)
-Announcement of appointment
-Kleindienst
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Press conference
-Ziegler
-Location
Watergate
-President’s instructions
-Grand jury
-Ruckelshaus’s relationship with Mitchell
-Henry E. Petersen and Kleindienst
-Ruckelshaus’s service in Justice Department
Ruckelshaus
-Reputation
-Relationship with Mitchell
-Duration of appointment
The President talked with Kleindienst between 4:14 pm and 4:16 pm
[Conversation No. 906-8B]
[Begin telephone conversation]
[See Conversation No. 45-34]
[End telephone conversation]
President’s previous conversation with Kleindienst
-Felt
Felt
-Leaks from FBI
-Washington Post, Time
-Gray
-Position in FBI
-16-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)
-Information from Time magazine lawyer
-Instructions for Ruckelshaus
FBI Directorship
-Attorney General’s prerogatives
-President’s telephone call to Hoover
Ruckelshaus’s possible statement to press
-Announcement of appointment
An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 3:48 pm.
Request for meeting with Ziegler
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 4:30 pm.
Ruckelshaus’s statement to press
-Acting director
-Transfer
-Leave of absence
-Resignation
Watergate
-Integrity of FBI
Press relations
-Ruckelshaus’s appointment to FBI
-Acting director
-Attorney General’s appointment
-Press statement phrasing
-Search for permanent director
-Importance of director appointment
-Impact on Gray’s resignation
-Return to EPA
-Press questions
-Ruckelshaus’s potential permanent appointment as director
-Declination
-17-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)
-Desire for appointment
-President’s view
Watergate
-President’s instructions to Ruckelshaus
-Possible press statement
-Content and wording
-Ziegler’s view
-Wording regarding investigation questions
Press relations
-Ruckelshaus’s role
-Statement compared to answering questions
-Zielger’s statement
-Attorney General
-Acting Director
-President’s additions
-Leave from EPA
-Duration as Acting Director
-Ruckelshaus’s role
-Location of announcement
-White House compared to EPA
-Environmental reporters
Watergate
-Ruckelshaus’s response to questions
-Possible statement
-Press satisfaction
-Appearing at home
-Jill Ruckelshaus
-Gray
-Possible response to questions
-Resignation
Congratulations
President’s schedule
-18-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Conversation No. 906-8 (cont’d)
-Telephone call
Ruckelshaus, Ehrlichman, and Ziegler left a t 4:30 pm.