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Conversation: 909-029

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Start Date: 2-May-1973 4:13 PM

End Date: 2-May-1973 4:56 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ehrlichman, John D.

Recording Device: Oval Office

909-029.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:13 pm and 4:56 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 909-029 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 909-29

Date: May 2, 1973
Time: Unknown between 4:13 pm and 4:56 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

       Watergate      

             -Ehrlichman’s conversation with Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr. 

                    -Krogh’s conversation with Elliot L. Richardson
                           -John W. Dean, III’s conversation with President
                           -Richard G. Kleindienst’s conversation with President
                    -Krogh’s possible affidavit regarding Daniel Ellsberg break-in
                           -Content
                    -David R. Young, Jr.’s possible actions
                    -Forthcoming New York Times story
                           -Krogh’s role
                                  -Timing of Krogh’s affidavit
                    -Krogh’s conversation with Richardson
                           -Dean
                                  -Timing
                               -58-

    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                        Tape Subject Log
                       (rev. October-2012)

                                                Conversation No. 909-29 (cont’d)

-President’s conversation with Henry E. Petersen
       -E. Howard Hunt, Jr.’s testimony
       -Ellsberg break-in
-Krogh’s possible affidavit
       -Petersen
       -Dean’s conversation with Krogh, November 1972
               -Petersen, L[ouis] Patrick Gray, and Earl J. Silbert
-Petersen’s role
       -Prosecutions
               -Ellsberg break-in
-Krogh’s conversation with Richardson
       -President’s conversation with Kleindienst
       -President’s conversations with Dean
-President’s possible conversation with Richardson
-Ehrlichman’s notes
       -National Security Council [NSC] leak to Jack N. Anderson
               -Bangladesh and Pakistan issue         

       -Rose Mary Woods’s safe            

       -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer             

-President’s possible conversation with Richardson
       -President’s conversations with Dean
       -Photograph of G[eorge] Gordon Liddy
               -Justice Department          

               -Petersen       


-Richardson’s handling of case
       -Petersen and Silbert
              -Need for disclosure
-Ehrlichman’s knowledge of Ellsberg break-in
       -Photograph of Liddy
       -Possible reporting
              -National security
              -Dean’s conversations with Ehrlichman
                      -Petersen
                      -Timing
                             -Dean’s conversation with Krogh
                      -Ehrlichman’s response
                              -59-

    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                       Tape Subject Log
                      (rev. October-2012)

                                              Conversation No. 909-29 (cont’d)

-Ellsberg case
       -Petersen
       -Ehrlichman’s assessment
       -US Supreme Court
-President’s knowledge of Ellsberg break-in
       -Dean’s conversations with President
-Photograph of Liddy
       -Dean
       -Petersen
               -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]       

               -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] and FBI 

       -CIA and FBI           

               -Gray and Silbert        

       -Dean’s conversation with Ehrlichman          

               -Petersen        

-Krogh
       -Conversation with Richardson regarding Ellsberg break-in
       -Forthcoming resignation
               -New York Times story
-Young’s employment
-President’s knowledge of Ellsberg break-in
       -Petersen
-Ehrlichman’s knowledge of Ellsberg break-in
       -Timing
       -Plumbers
       -Hunt
-Dean’s conversation with prosecutors
       -President’s subsequent meeting with Kleindienst and Petersen
               -President’s response
-President’s knowledge
       -Reliance on counsel
-Dean’s conversations with President
       -Petersen
-President’s possible conversation with Richardson
       -Ehrlichman’s informing the President regarding Petersen’s knowledge of
        photograph of Liddy
               -Timing
                                    -60-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. October-2012)

                                                    Conversation No. 909-29 (cont’d)

       -President’s investigation
              -Meeting with Dean, March 21, 1973
                       -Camp David
                       -“Cancer on the Presidency” conversation
       -Seymour M. Hersh’s article in New York Times, May 2, 1973 

              -Ehrlichman’s and Haldeman’s role in cover-up 

              -James W. McCord, Jr.            

              -Liddy          

              -Hugh W. Sloan, Jr.           

                       -Conversation with Ehrlichman
                                -Ehrlichman’s response
                                       -Need for attorney
       -Dean         

              -Haldeman and Ehrlichman               

              -Immunity           

                       -Ervin Committee
                                -Compared with prosecutors
                                -Procedures
                                -Impact on prosecution
              -Grand jury           

              -Press coverage            

                       -Public perception          

              -Contrasted with Ehrlichman and Haldeman 

              -Corroboration           

                       -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
                                -LaCosta
                                -Attorney
                                -Recollection
              -LaCosta
              -Conversations with President            

                       -Executive privilege          

                       -Ervin Committee           

                       -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III        

                       -John N. Mitchell         


White House staff
      -Spiro T. Agnew’s meeting with Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
                                      -61-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. October-2012)

                                                      Conversation No. 909-29 (cont’d)

             -Agnew’s role in domestic policy 

                     -President’s remarks, May 1        

             -Cole’s telephone call to Ehrlichman 

       -Agnew’s role         

             -Leaks        

             -Ambition         


John B. Connally
       -Party affiliation
               -Announcement

President’s schedule
       -Otto E. Passman
       -Haldeman

Watergate
      -Ehrlichman’s lawyer’s view
             -Robert L. Vesco
             -Ellsberg break-in
                     -Obstruction of justice
      -Ellsberg break-in
             -Dean’s knowledge
                     -Timing
             -President’s knowledge
             -Photograph in Hunt’s camera
                     -CIA
             -Ehrlichman’s knowledge
                     -Possible reporting
                             -Motives
                             -Neil Sheehan
                                    -Harvard University
             -Krogh’s responsibility
                     -Ehrlichman
                     -Press coverage
                     -Role
                             -Covert operation contrasted with burglary
                                    -62-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                             Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. October-2012)

                                                   Conversation No. 909-29 (cont’d)

White House staff
      -Ehrlichman’s assistance
      -Agnew
             -Domestic Council
                    -Cole
             -President’s response
             -Ehrlichman’s forthcoming conversation with Cole
                    -Briefing of President
                            -Trip to Florida

Watergate
      -President’s possible conversation with Richardson
             -Timing
                     -Trip to Florida
             -President’s previous conversation with Richardson
                     -National security investigations
                     -Plumbers
                              -Hunt and Liddy
             -Possible update
             -Krogh
             -President’s conversations with Ehrlichman and Dean
                     -Justice Department         

      -Dean’s blackmail          

             -Justice Department           

                     -Immunity         

      -President’s actions           

      -Ehrlichman’s contact with Justice Department 

      -President’s possible conversation with Richardson 

             -Tone          

             -Perception           

      -Krogh’s conversation with Richardson 

             -Kleindienst            

             -President’s knowledge of Ellsberg break-in 

             -Dean         

      -Krogh         

             -Possible clemency          

                     -Erhlichman’s request         

                                            -63-


                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                      Tape Subject Log 

                                     (rev. October-2012)

                                                             Conversation No. 909-29 (cont’d)

              -Mitchell         

              -Krogh         

                     -Obstruction of justice          

                              -Motives        

                     -Possible clemency           

                              -Authority        

                     -Ehrlichman’s viewpoint            

              -Petersen’s conversation with President 

                     -Dean
              -Petersen’s possible statement regarding knowledge of Ellsberg break-in
              -Petersen’s telephone conversation with President
                     -Ellsberg break-in
                              -Reporting to Justice Department
              -Petersen
                     -Tenure in office
                              -Richardson          

                     -Kleindienst          

                     -Motives         

                     -Dean         

              -Ervin Committee           

                     -Howard H. Baker, Jr.           

                     -Dean         

                              -Testimony
                                     -Timing
                                             -Possible conviction
                                                     -Immunity
                                                     -Contempt
                     -Ehrlichman’s testimony
                              -Timing
                     -Hearing schedule

Ehrlichman left at an unknown time before 4:56 pm.
                                           -64-


                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                    Tape Subject Log 

                                   (rev. October-2012)

                                                               Conversation No. 909-30 (cont’d)