Nixon & Ziegler on Watergate scandal and John W. Dean III

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Oh, I just wanted to ask you a quick question.

No, I'm just, I'm going to go over time.

I think so, yes sir.

I need to talk with Al.

We're going to have a meeting Thursday.

As much as we can get by that time, we'll at least have the defense and the CIA ready to go.

Of course, Al, I hope you have something else, but we'll see.

I want to show a sensible man...

And Conley would be here for that.

And Conley would be here for that, and that's right.

I'll announce him at that same time, so that would be a good review.

The main thing is to give it a damn good.

We haven't talked to him yet.

Right.

Good.

How do you do with Rogers today?

Well, I just tell him, you just tell him that Rogers will help all that you have.

He will not do it.

He is not that bad at it.

That's all right, Rob.

I think so.

We go one way, we do another.

Roger's going to help us every way he possibly can.

He'll be a good surveyor.

He's a good man to have around.

He'll get advice from people along the way.

That's very interesting.

Once Richardson gets over there and confirms, I think it's a very good thing.

That's going to be, for us, a very good place for you to just frankly say, I'm not going to comment on that.

I agree.

You can't do that right now, you see, because you don't have it.

So I realize that's a problem.

But I would certainly leave the whole question of this

who said this morning that we are kind of saying about that person.

Yeah, just like the Department of Justice.

When you say they cut him off anyway.

Yeah, right.

They cut him off about the time story, right?

You have nothing further on the Dean's report yet?

No, not yet.

You know, the Bureau Chief and Bernie,

For some people, not this time, maybe the first time, even if you were wrong, you cannot allow, as the doctor, you cannot allow a man who's the president's counsel to sit here and advise people, you and everybody else for nine months, and then go out, and then not only...

not only revealed competences, but basically out of context and a lie.

The second one is that even if you were telling the truth, you cannot allow this to happen.

They must be destroyed.

And it all feels, he says, that's the way he feels about it.

But my view is, you certainly will say, my view is that's out of our hands.

Totally over there.

Out there, they want to move.

But I think in terms of him running, I mean, he's sort of a mad dog at the moment.

He's going to lash out, but you know the worst.

Let him lash.

My view is we don't have to crack it, though.

I'm not sure we can wait, though, until when he does lash, until I...

No, no, there are other ways to do that.

I mean, I think that he should be cautiously shut down.

So I think he says the president was personally involved.

That's the worst thing you can say.

That he was informed.

But the point is, it's a critical thing.

That's the point.

It's a critical thing.

Because nobody's going to believe that the president is willing to go out and raise money.

And not before.

He did raise the problem of money from Ron, as you know.

We learned later that LaCosta remembered the famous meeting of LaCosta.

But not with you.

No, that's true.

I remember following her with the lieutenant there.

And it was raised, although they say that was not the main purpose of the meeting.

But it was only raised against the defendants needing money, and that's when our own earnings manager cracked the effect.

I don't know, let him get a rock and roll check, send him to ruin it around, or something like that.

But even that, taking those guys, that shows knowledge, I guess.

But it doesn't show participation, does it?

No.

It says he's got somebody else's problem.

And even there, I guess, Moore is about to blow the whistle on the whole thing.

Because basically, it's going to stick him too, isn't it?

That's where Dean's got to do some heavy thinking.

But let it, you know, in my view, let him lash out like a mad dog here.

Because we've got more important things to do.

That's right.

And we can deal with it more effectively.

I agree with you.

You have a tough thing, I know that.

No, I don't.

Not everybody.

Well, I've had television.

You have Snackers and the rest of it.

It's, uh, I don't think you should do this.

I'm excited about the film work, but you just keep your cool.

You know, we're going to come out all right.

Yes, sir.

I believe that.

All right.

Because we've got to.

Sure.

We've got to.

We cannot allow this goddamn silly, asinine, stupid, innocent person

You cannot allow it to destroy the presence, but keep the presence from doing things to the world.

I'm having it all depend on us, right?

I just thought of that, right?

What in the name of God are we thinking of?

That's what's involved here.

We're not going to do it, right?

And all the time,

This is the second day of fighting.

This is the third day.

Third day.

May.

May 6th.

This is May.

That's right.

Walk out there.

Anniversary of the...

Walk out there, you.

I think you've got a very good point, too.

Don't try to knock anything you've named down specifically.

Right.

I'm just talking about a comment.

Can I just say that hello?

I'm going to.

I said we've made a comment.

I'm not going to elaborate on it.

I may be able to go that far.

I think that's what I'll say.

I think I will.

I'm not going to elaborate on it, John.

I made a comment.

It's complete.

I'm not going to elaborate.

Well, John, I'm not going to elaborate.

Well, then, Rod, are we to suppose that the president and all these gentlemen, this statement rests combined with the speech, and there's nothing more that we're going to say?

That's right.

I'm not going to say any more.

If you have any other questions, I'll be glad to take them.

But I have nothing more to say on this subject.

Thank you.

Okay.

Yes, sir.

Good luck.

Okay.

You're going around at 11.

Okay.

Nixon & Ziegler on Watergate scandal and John W. Dean III

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on May 8, 1973

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