President Nixon, Alexander Haig, and Ronald Ziegler met to discuss the mounting political pressure surrounding the Watergate scandal, specifically focusing on the allegations made by John Dean. They reviewed the status of evidence, including Dean’s personal records and meeting logs, and discussed the necessity of obtaining the original documents to challenge the veracity of Dean's claims. The President emphasized his desire to clarify the timeline of his interactions with Dean and directed staff to secure relevant files immediately to prepare a coherent White House response.
On June 4, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., unknown person(s), and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:12 am to 8:34 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 931-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 931-1
Date: June 4, 1973
Time: 8:12 am - 8:34 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
President’s schedule
-Staff meeting
Event
-Israel
-Danny Kaye
-Speech
-Statements about President
-Compliments
-President’s conduct at John Ford Dinner
-Support for President
-Kaye’s personal politics
-Audience
-Haig’s conversation
Melvin R. Laird
-William J. Baroody, Jr.’s forthcoming call to Haig
-Position on White House staff
-Bryce N. Harlow’s opinion
-Additional candidates
-Experience with the administration
-Trustworthiness
Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] director position
-[Clarence M. Kelley]
-Timing of announcement
-Laird announcement
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. June-2011)
Conversation No. 931-1 (cont’d)
White House staff
-Laird, Peter G. Peterson [?]
-Internal White House decisions
Watergate
-John W. Dean, III
-Records
-David C. Hoopes’s possible reproduction
-Restrictions on use
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
-Haig’s conversation with Hugh Scott, June 3
-Dean
-Records
-Hoopes
-Conversations with President
-Dates
-Ronald Ziegler
-President’s recollections
-Statement concerning meetings with President
-White House response to press story
-Ziegler
-Responses by Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Meetings with President
-Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-February 27, 28, 1973
-Ziegler
-Records
-Hoopes
-Haldeman
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 8:12 am.
Ziegler’s attendance at meeting
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 8:34 am.
Watergate news summary
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. June-2011)
Conversation No. 931-1 (cont’d)
-Dean’s statements
-William Buckley, Jr.’s [?] column
-Veracity
-Dean
-Statements
-Documents
-Press coverage
-Motives
-President’s response
-Conversations concerning investigations
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-President
-Executive privilege
-Bugging President’s plane in 1968
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-William Sullivan
-White House response
-Clark Clifford’s statement
-Resignations of President and Spiro T. Agnew
-Democrats
-Popular opinion
-Testimony of Robert E. Cushman, Jr. and Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
-White House involvement in cover-up
-Walters’s memoranda of conversations [memcons]
-Leak to New York Times
-President’s opponents' strategy
-Clifford
-Paul N. McCloskey, Jr.
-Statement concerning President’s impeachment
-Governors
-Linwood Holton
-Possible effect
-White House response
-President’s impeachment
-McCloskey
-Walters’s memcons
-New York Times coverage compared to Washington Post
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. June-2011)
Conversation No. 931-1 (cont’d)
-Dean
-New York Times
-Revelation of Huston Plan
-Press coverage
-News summary
-Popular opinion
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC] poll
-Ervin Committee hearings
-David Brinkley’s mail
-Conversation with Henry A. Kissinger [?]
-Haig
-Effect on career
-Dean
-Possible future revelations
-Meetings with President
-$1,000,000
-President’s call to Haldeman on June 3
-Haldeman’s recollections
-Las Vegas
-Clemency
-Time
-President’s response
-Tape
-President’s motive
-White House response
Ronald Ziegler entered at 8:29 am.
Watergate news summary
-Dean
-Chronology of meetings with President
-Haldeman’s recollection
-Log
Ziegler left at an unknown time before 8:33 am.
Watergate news summary
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. June-2011)
Conversation No. 931-1 (cont’d)
-Dean
-Records
-Copies, originals
-Possible examination by President
-Hoopes
-Knowledge of location
Ziegler entered at an unknown time after 8:29 am.
Watergate news summary
-Dean
-Chronology of meetings with President
-February 28, March 1, 1973
-March 2, 1973 press conference
-Records
-Originals
-Memoranda
-Dean’s dictation
-Ziegler
Ziegler left at 8:33 am.
Watergate news summary
-President’s position
-White House response
-Records
-Ehrlichman
Laird
-Possible role on White House staff
-William D. Ruckelshaus
-Haig’s assessment of candidates
-President’s appointment strategy
-Congressional questioning of appointee
The President and Haig left at 8:34 am.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. June-2011)This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.