437–11

Conversation No. 437-11

Date: May 18, 1973
Time: 12:49 pm - 1:52 pm
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

Watergate
-Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters’s memoranda of conversation [memcons]
-President’s concerns regarding Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] involvement
-President’s orders to Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
-Richard M. Helms
-John W. Dean III’s follow-up meeting with CIA
-President’s conversation with L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
-Motives of the President and Haldeman regarding CIA and Federal Bureau of
Investigation [FBI]

-Burglars and Mexican bank

-Plumbers

-Possible impeachment

-Need for full disclosure

-Ehrlichman

 -10-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-11 (cont’d)

-Conversations with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. and Ronald L. Ziegler
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-CIA
-Need for full White House disclosure
-Ervin Committee
-Possible testimony by Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Forum for disclosure
-Grand jury and Senate committee
-John L. McClellan
-President’s order to Haldeman regarding CIA
-Walters and Helms
-Contact with FBI
-Walters’s Gray memcons
-Haldeman’s statements

-Arrests

-Mexico

-CIA involvement

-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.

-White House concern regarding expansion of investigation
-Plumbers
-Dean and Earl Silbert
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Bay of Pigs
-Haldeman’s conversation with Walters and Helms
-Helms’s reaction
-Bay of Pigs investigation by Ehrlichman
-CIA
-Missing memo
-Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s meeting with Walters and Helms
-Topics of conversation
-FBI’s concern regarding CIA involvement
-Walters’s memcons
-Possible release

-Possible statements by Haldeman and Ehrlichman

-Timing of preparation

-Conversation with Dean, June 26

-Conversation with Ehrlichman concerning Dean

 -11-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-11 (cont’d)

-Possible White House release of material
-Huston plan
-Tom C. Huston
-Henry A. Kissinger wiretaps
-Plumbers
-Huston plan
-Huston plan
-Haldeman’s knowledge
-William Sullivan
-J. Edgar Hoover’s objection
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Plumbers
-Information for Buzhardt
-Charles W. Colson’s line
-James W. McCord’s testimony, May 18
-John N. Mitchell

-Buzhardt’s concern

-Promise of clemency to McCord
-President’s conversations with Ehrlichman concerning clemency
-President’s conversation with Colson concerning clemency
-Hunt

-Mitchell

-Staff members’ notes of conversations with the President
-President’s ownership
-Haig
-Possible misuse


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


BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

[Personal returnable]

[Duration: 43 s ]

 -12-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-11 (cont’d)

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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

Watergate

-President’s conversation with Dean, March 21

-President’s conversation with Haig



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


BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

[Personal returnable]

[Duration: 1 m 43 s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


Watergate
-President’s conversation with Dean, March 21
-President’s conduct during meeting
-President’s knowledge of Ehrlichman’s call to Herbert W. Kalmbach
-Mitchell
-Fundraising
-President’s knowledge of fund-raising

-Kalmbach and Mitchell

-Dean

-Cuban defense fund

-Fundraising
-Obstruction of justice
-Intent of individuals
-Defendants’ testimony regarding non-Watergate activities
-Haldeman’s possible testimony

-Executive privilege

-Third party conversations

 -13-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-11 (cont’d)

-Haldeman’s notes
-Content
-Eillot L. Richardson
-March and April 1973
-Discussion of defendants
-Dean
-Role in conspiracy
-Conversations with President
-Thomas Pappas

-Colson

-Haldeman

-Possible problems
-Staff members’ notes
-President’s ownership
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Colson
-Ehrlichman
-Buzhardt’s view
-Pressure on Buzhardt for full disclosure
-Need for full disclosure
-Possible sworn affidavits by Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Walters’s memcons
-Haldeman’s possible affidavit
-Dean
-CIA
-Haldeman’s view of break-in as set-up


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


BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

[Personal returnable]

[Duration: 1 m 18 s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

*****************************************************************
 -14-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-11 (cont’d)


-Ehrlichman’s conversation with the President at San Clemente regarding
clemency, Summer 1972
-Ehrlichman’s conversation with the President at San Clemente concerning cover-
up, June 1972

-Discussion of dangers of cover-up

-Harry S. Truman

-Ehrlichman’s testimony

-Walters

-President’s motive in involving with FBI



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


BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

[National security]

[Duration: 4 s ]



Walter’s knowledge of CIA


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


Watergate

-Walters

-President’s motive in involving with FBI

-Mexican bank money

-Mexican bank money

-Chronology of revelation

-Dean

-Documents

-Huston plan

-Cancellation of implementation

 -15-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-11 (cont’d)

-Huston plan
-Louis W. Tordella
-Consideration by the President and Haldeman
-Surreptitious entry and burglary
-Meeting with law enforcement agency heads on coordinated action
-Hoover’s objections
-Approval/cancellation


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


BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

[Personal returnable]

[Duration: 2 m 45 s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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


Watergate

-Haldeman’s possible public statement

-Possible return to grand jury

-Dean

-Interview with Walter L. Cronkite

-Need for full disclosure

-Format

-Possible demand for impeachment vote

-Buzhardt and Haig

-Impeachment
-House of Representatives procedures
-Bella S. Abzug
-Buzhardt’s strategy
-National mood
-Robert C. Odle, Jr.’s testimony before Ervin Committee
-Separation from operations to plug leaks
-Pentagon Papers
 -16-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-11 (cont’d)

-John J. (“Jack”) Caulfield and clemency

-McCord’s testimony, May 18

-Caulfield and the President
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.’s statements
-Mitchell and Jeb S[tuart] Magruder
-Edward J. Gurney’s statements

-Caulfield’s possible testimony

-Need for full disclosure

-Possible affidavits by Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Odle’s testimony before Ervin Committee
-Inaccuracy of press reports
-Washington Post
-Paper shredding
-Visit to McCord’s office
-Eugenio Martinez’s notebook
-Washington Post
-FBI

-Ehrlichman

-Possible resignation

-Haldeman’s resignation

-Raymond K. Price, Jr.

-Guilt

-President, Haldeman and Ehrlichman

-Impeachment

-Resignation

-Possible Senate trial

-Resignation

-Timing

-Trial

-Stewart J. O. Alsop’s view

-Andrew Johnson

The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:49 pm and 1:52
pm.

[Conversation No. 437-11A]
 -17-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-11 (cont’d)

[Begin telephone conversation]

Unknown person [Haig ?]’s schedule

[End telephone conversation]

Haldeman’s schedule

Watergate
-White House strategy
-Haig

Haldeman’s schedule

Haldeman left at 1:52 pm.