881–3

Conversation No. 881-3

Date: March 16, 1973
Time: 10:34 am -11:10 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John W. Dean III.

Watergate
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] files disclosure to investigation
-Press conference question
-Richard G. Kleindienst's meeting with Samuel J. Ervin, Jr. and Howard H.
Baker, Jr.
-Evaluated report on files
-Inspection by committee counsel
-Limits on disclosure
-Previous agreements with J. Edgar Hoover
-L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III's testimony to Judiciary Committee
-Raw files
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Roman L. Hruska's inspection
-Limits on raw files
-James O. Eastland
-Gray
-FBI investigations
-Control
-Credibility of FBI
-Dean report
-Richard A. Moore
-Oral report
-Summary of findings
-Briefing of Ziegler, White House staff
-Cooperation with Congress
-Washington Star reports
-White House clarifications
-FBI files
-Kennedy
-Judiciary Committee
-Chairman, ranking members
-Gray
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 881-3 (cont’d)


-Release to Attorney General
-Propriety
-Gray's testimony
-Meeting with Ervin and Baker
-Administration's position
-Baker's statements on television [TV]
-Kleindienst
-Previous conversation with President
-Discussion of issues and ground rules
-Options
-Baker's motives
-John N. Mitchell
-Talk with Baker
-Baker
-Talk with President
-Contents
-Contacts with Kleindienst
-Influence of Washington, D.C. on attitudes
-Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
-Edward J. Gurney
-Position on Watergate
-Political aspirations
-Fred D. Thompson
-Dealings with Samuel Dash
-Ervin Committee
-Investigation of charges against Democrats
-Publicity
-Barry M. Goldwater speech
-Letter to Ervin
-William H. Sullivan
-Material
-Call to Dean
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Amount of material
-Need to broaden investigation
-Democrats
-Strength, organization
-Press
-Detroit News
-Inadequacies of White House efforts
 -7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 881-3 (cont’d)


-President's image
-Protection
-Dangers
-Disclosure of information
-Dean testimony
-Watergate
-Donald H. Segretti
-Disclosure of information
-Briefing of Ziegler
-Strategy
-Dean report
-Oral report
-Responses to committee
-Post election
-Full disclosure
-Dangers
-Advantages
-Cover-up
-Interviews of White House staff at White House offices by Dash
-Pre-emption of hearings
-Full disclosure
-Problems
-Ervin Committee
-Baker
-Court challenge
-Credibility
-Expressions of concern
-Work by Dean and Moore
-Need for master plan
-Stay at Camp David
-Mitchell
-Judgment
-John D. Ehrlichman, Maurice H. Stans
-G. Harrold Carswell, Kleindienst, Gray
-Cover-up
-Avoidance
-Necessity
-Presidency
-Ziegler's answer on Dwight L. Chapin and Segretti at press conference
-Misleading statements
 -8-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 881-3 (cont’d)


-News summary
-Note to Dean from President
-FBI agent's comments
-Herbert W. Kalmbach
-FBI files
-Dean's meeting with Ziegler

An unknown man entered at an unknown time between 10:34 am and 10:58 am.

Request for Ziegler's attendance at meeting

Watergate
-TV coverage of press conference
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
-John W. Chancellor
-President's responses to questions
-Credibility
-Advantages of TV
-President's credibility
-Necessity
-Ervin Committee
-Activities, thinking
-White House knowledge
-Attitude of members
-Gurney, Baker

Ziegler entered at 10:58 am.

-White House strategy
-FBI files
-Kleindienst's report to Ervin and Baker
-Disclosure
-Answer to press
-Limitations, guidelines
-Hoover precedent
-Statement on disclosure
-Raw files
-Danger to innocent people
-Committee chairman
-Ervin
 -9-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 881-3 (cont’d)


-White House policy
-Kleindienst
-Ervin and Baker
-Gray
-Orders from White House
-Supervision of Attorney General
-Leaks to press from Judiciary Committee
-Kalmbach
-White House policy
-Gray
-Testimony
-Disclosure of information
-Dean report
-Format
-Statements
-Ehrlichman
-Kleindienst's meeting with Ervin and Baker
-Ziegler's comments to press
-President's meeting with Baker
-White House staff appearances before Committee
-President's opposition
-Ervin's knowledge
-Baker's statement
-Baker's ideas on testimony
-Stans
-Mitchell
-President's view
-White House staff
-White House staff
-Testimony before Committee

Dean's call to Kleindienst

Dean left at 11:06 am.

Dean's job
-Difficulties

President's press conference
-TV coverage
 -10-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 881-3 (cont’d)


-Watergate
-Issues covered in T.V. coverage
-Food prices, Dr. David K. E. Bruce's appointment
-Vietnam settlement

Watergate
-Ziegler's statement
-Cooperation of administration
-President's orders
-Limitations
-Past precedents
-Ziegler's briefing on Watergate
-Problem of cover-up
-Segretti
-Protection of President
-Ervin Committee
-Work with White House
-Complete disclosure of facts
-Concern for innocent
-Ziegler's comments for press
-Past statements
-Stans
-Referral to President's statement

President's press conference
-TV coverage
-Ziegler's evaluation
-Press hostility
-Press respect for President
-Firmness
-Wire services
-Reactions
-Networks, morning newspapers
-Washington Star

Ziegler left at 11:10 am.
 -11-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)