Conversation: 915-012
Prev: 915-011 Next: 915-013Start Date: 10-May-1973 11:21 AM
End Date: 10-May-1973 12:05 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob");Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On May 10, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:21 am to 12:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 915-012 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 915-12
Date: May 10, 1973
Time: 11:21 am - 12:05 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Nixon Foundation
-Employment of Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
-Considerations on access and retention of security clearances
-Value to Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Possible grand jury actions
-Timing
-19-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2012)
Conversation No. 915-12 (cont’d)
-Leonard K. Firestone and Taft Schreiber
-Roy L. Ash
Maurice H. Stans
-Committee to Re-Elect the President [CRP] Finance Committee funds for
defendants’ legal fees
-Republican National Committee [RNC] employees
-White House staff
-Gordon C. Strachan and Lawrence M. Higby
-Possible transfer to RNC
-George H. W. Bush
-Strachan
Watergate
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.
-Ervin Committee hearings
-Effect on rights of possible defendants
-News coverage
-John Chancellor
-Ervin Committee hearings
-Comparison of forum with court setting
-Kenneth Clawson
-President’s meeting with Haldeman and John W. Dean, III, September 15, 1972
-Recollection and Haldeman’s notes
-President’s log
-Dean’s request for information
-David C. Hoopes’s response
-Meetings, August 14, 1972 and February 1973
-Haldeman’s log
-President’s recollection
-New York Times story
-Dean’s evidence
-Documents in safe deposit box
-Seymour M. Hersh
-E. Howart Hunt, Jr.
-President’s meeting with Haldeman and Dean, March 21, 1973
-Executive privilege
-20-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2012)
Conversation No. 915-12 (cont’d)
-Haldeman’s possible testimony
-President’s motives
-James W. McCord, Jr.
-Richard A. Moore
-Dean’s presentation
-$350,000
-Blackmail
-Hunt’s alleged threat regarding Ehrlichman
-President’s response
-President’s methodology
-Dean’s conversation with John N. Mitchell
-Thomas A. Pappas
-Dean as focus of problem
-President’s order for meeting among Dean, Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and
Mitchell
-Meeting among Dean, Mitchell, Haldeman and Ehrlichman, May 22
-Dean’s desire for immunity
-Erlichman’s and Kalmbach
-Haldeman and $350,000
-CRP
-President’s statements regarding funds for defendants
-William O. Bittman
-President’s statements regarding clemency
-Blackmail
-Dean
-Relationship with prosecutors
-Jack N. Anderson
-President’s meeting with Dean and Haldeman, September 15, 1972
-Logs of the President’s daily schedule
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Dean’s possible actions
-Haldeman’s notes
-Ervin Committee hearings
-Special Prosecutor
-Effect on defendants’ rights
White House staff
-21-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2012)
Conversation No. 915-12 (cont’d)
-President’s conversation with Haldeman, May 9, 1973
-President’s needs
-Reassurance
-Advisor
President’s previous meeting with Gerald R. Ford, Hugh Scott, Robert P Griffin, and
Leslie C. Arends
-President’s speech, May 9
-Senatorial reaction to Watergate
-Griffin
-William Proxmire
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Republicans’s performance
-Lack of counterattaci
Watergate
-Washington Post column regarding television [TV] news stakeout of Haldeman,
May 16
-Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-President’s meeting with Haig, May 9
-Leonard Garment, [Horace] Chapman (“Chappie”) Rose and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
-Haldeman’s notes
-Statement by Haldeman’s lawyer
-Haldeman’s lawyers’ meeting with Garment
-Executive privilege
-John W. Wilson
-Compared to Joseph McCarthy
-Haldeman’s notes
-Dean’s call to Haldeman, March 26
-Dean
-Actions
-President’s response
Haig
-Role on White House staff
-Haldeman’s experience as Chief of Staff
-22-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2012)
Conversation No. 915-12 (cont’d)
Congress
-Program
-Republican leaders
-William E. Timmons
-Work ethic enthusiasm
President’s speech, May 9
-Crowd’s reaction
-Lobbyist
-Duty to supporters
Watergate
-Dean’s possible testimony
-Meeting on September 15, 1972
-Alleged bribe to Cubans
-President’s possible response
-Haldeman’s memory
-Ehrlichman
-Testimony in Robert L. Vesco case
-Dean
-Frank Strickler
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] allegations regarding Hunt
-Letter from Robert Cushman
-Krogh
-Memorandum from Cushman
-Popular opinion
-CIA
-Break-ins and bugging
-Watergate and Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office
-Cover-up
-Haldeman’s role
-Obstruction of justice
-Recognition as legal problem
-Haldeman’s working relationship with Dean
-23-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2012)
Conversation No. 915-12 (cont’d)
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Statute]
[Duration: 37 s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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Watergate
-Haldeman’s working relationship with Dean
-Haldeman’s intent regarding funds for defendants
-Dean’s role as lawyer
-Failure to point out illegalities
-Instructions
-Haldeman
-Gordon C. Strachan
-Wilson
-Haldeman’s intent
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s public statements
-Clearance with Dean
-Dean
-Possible counterattack by Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-John B. Connally
-Haldeman’s morning routine
-Contrasted with Garment
-Media
-New York Times story, May 10
-John W. Chancellor’s comment
-Teapot Dome scandal
-Motive
-President’s possible departure from office
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Effect on American political system
-President’s possible response to impeachment
-24-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2012)
Conversation No. 915-12 (cont’d)
-Bella S. Abzug
-Paul N. McCloskey, Jr.
-President’s meeting with Dean and Haldeman, 9/15/72
Haldeman left at 12:05 pm.