424–10

Conversation No. 424-10

Date: March 27, 1973
Time: 6:05 pm – 7:10 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 424-10 (cont’d)



Watergate
-Haldeman's conversation with Charles W. Colson?
-Obstruction of justice and conspiracy changes
-Independent panel
-Problems
-Warren Commission
-Special prosecutor
-Problem
-No limit on authority
-Grand Jury
-Danger of losing control
-Problem
-Culpability of White House staff
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
-Advisor for President
-Trial and criminal law experience
-Overreaction
-Richard G. Kleindienst’s meeting with John J. Sirica
-Signal to Sirica
-Trial lawyer's advice
-Criminal lawyer
-Advice
-William P. Rogers
-Sirica
-President's conversation with Ronald L. Ziegler
-James W. McCord, Jr.
-Colson
-Hunt's statement
-Ziegler's understanding
-Cover-up
-Charges
-Hearsay
-Grand Jury
-John W. Dean, III’s testimony
- McCord's allegations
-Cooperation with judiciary
-Limitations
-Haldeman
-Answers to Grand Jury
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 424-10 (cont’d)


-Executive privilege
-Guidelines
-Colson
-Effect of Watergate
-Dean
-Effect of Watergate
-Involvement
-Firing
-Disbarment
-Colson's involvement
-Jeb Stuart Magruder
-Meeting with Dean
-Perjury
-Conspiracy charges against Dean
-Funds for lawyers' fees
-Colson
-Involvement in Watergate
-Advice
-Retention of criminal lawyer for White House
-Legal advisor
-Colson
-Damage to presidency
-Danger of extent of damage
-John D. Ehrlichman, Dean
-Watergate
-Extent of damage to presidency
-Conversation with Hunt
-Clemency question
-Previous discussion
-Time
-Hunt
-Dorothy Hunt
-Family
-President's handling of issue
-Influence of election
-Ehrlichman
-Involvement with other activities
-President's handling
-Past mistakes
-Independent panel
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 424-10 (cont’d)


-Rogers's advice
-John N. Mitchell
-Involvement with Watergate
-Resolution of issue
-Administrative strategy
-Colson's advice
-Potential problems
-Hunt, Sirica
-Dean
-Testimony
-Colson
-Assessment of damage of cover-up
-Options for President
-Independent panel
-Special counsel
-Benefits
-Problems
-Full disclosure
-Problems
-Court cases
-Colson
-Statement for Ziegler
-Executive privilege
-Possible waiver
-White House staff
-Cooperation with grand jury, Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Statement for Ziegler
-Colson's advice
-Criminal charges
-Cooperation with Grand Jury
-Extent
-Statement for Ziegler
-Drafting
-Executive privilege
-Application with grand jury, Congress
-Criminal conduct
-Colson's advice on statement for Ziegler
-Cooperation with grand jury
-Separation of powers
-Criminal charges
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 424-10 (cont’d)


-Form of investigation
-Senate hearing
-Sirica
-Dealings with Kleindienst
-Appointment to bench
-Rogers's action as Attorney General during Dwight D. Eisenhower
Administration
-Cover-up charges
-Involvement of White House staff
-Haldeman, Dean, Ehrlichman
-Gordon C. Strachan
-Mitchell
-Robert C. Mardian, Frederick C. LaRue
-Kenneth W. Parkinson, Paul L. O'Brien
-Dean
-Haldeman
-Extent
-Colson
-Ehrlichman
-Colson
-Clemency and funds for defendants
-Extent
-Perjury charges
-Magruder
-Strachan
-Cover-up charges
-Comparison to original crime
-Full disclosure
-Advantages compared to problems
-Ehrlichman
-Colson
-Issue
-Danger of perspective
-Election campaign
-Effect on Watergate issue handling
-Colson
-Promise of clemency
-Clemency
-Sirica's use of sentencing
-Independent panel
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 424-10 (cont’d)


-President's opposition
-Dangers
-Colson's opposition to panel
-Sherman Adams case
-Eisenhower administration
-White House staff
-Firing of everyone
-Possible prison terms
-Executive privilege
-Colson
-Dean
-Level of involvement
-Danger of firing
-Further disclosures
-Hearsay nature of evidence
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Surveillance
-Legitimacy
-Personal life
-Disclosures
-L. Patrick Gray, III

Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 6:05 pm and 7:10 pm.

[Conversation No. 424-10-A]

Gray
-Information

The President talked with the unknown person at an unknown time between 6:05 and 7:10 p.m.

Watergate

[End of telephone conversation]

Watergate
-Donald H. Segretti
-Investigation by Kennedy
-Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities
-Lowell P. Weicker Jr.'s subpoena
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 424-10 (cont’d)


-Activities
-Direction
-Haldeman's knowledge
-Authorization of money
-Purpose
-Public defense of Haldeman's role
-Ervin Committee
-Weicker
- Confrontation with Haldeman
-Money for campaign
-Cash contribution
-Investigation
-Executive privilege
-Limits of investigation
-White House strategy
-Press
-Interest
-Ability to sustain
-Washington Post
-Editorials
-President's interest in Watergate
-Need for diversion
-Special counsel
-Problems
-Colson
-1972 campaign
-Discussions with President
-President's use of time


*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National security]
[Duration: 14s ]


LAOS, CANADA

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 424-10 (cont’d)



*****************************************************************


President's meeting with George P. Shultz

Watergate
-Dealing with case
-Special counsel
-Benefits
-Nature of advice
-Value
-Legal ramifications of actions
-Recruitment
-Reputation
-Henry E. Peterson
-Criminal lawyer as advisor to White House
-Consultation with President
-Dealings with White House staff
-Weicker's campaign finances
-Ervin Committee
-A list
-Campaign financing
-Murray M. Chotiner
-Colson's advice
-Public disclosures
-Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
-Special counsel
-Petersen and Kleindienst
-Statement by Ziegler
-McCord
-Ervin Committee
-Areas of investigation
-Campaign funds
-Haldeman's defense
-Dean
-Defense against charges
-Money to Committee to Re-elect the President [CRP]
-Weicker
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-2010)
Conversation No. 424-10 (cont’d)


Haldeman left at 7:10 pm.