About this recording
902-3
- President Richard M. Nixon
- Henry E. Petersen
- Stephen B. Bull
- UNKNOWN
April 19, 1973
Conversation No. 902-3
Date: April 19, 1973
Time: 10:12 am - 11:07 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry E. Petersen.
[A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was initially prepared for the
Watergate Special Prosecution Force (WSPF) and can be found in Record Group (RG) 460, Box
174, “Transcript of a Recording of a Meeting among the President, H. R. Haldeman, and John
Ehrlichman on April 19, 1972 from 9:31 a.m. to 10:12 a.m.,” pages 1-7. The Nixon Presidential
Materials Staff reviewed the transcript and made changes as necessary. This transcript has been
reviewed under the provisions of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of
1974 (PRMPA). The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[Begin transcribed portion]
[End transcribed portion]
-5-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
Ellsberg
[Resume transcribed portion]
[End transcribed portion]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National security]
[Duration: 5 s ]
BUGGING
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
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[Resume transcribed portion]
[End transcribed portion]
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National security]
[Duration: 9 s ]
SOURCE
-6-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
[Resume transcribed portion]
[End transcribed portion]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National security]
[Duration: 7 s ]
BUGGING
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
[Resume transcribed portion]
[End transcribed portion]
Watergate
-John D. Ehrlichman’s and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s lawyers
-John J. Wilson and Frank H. Strickler
-Grand Jury leaks
-Harold H. Titus, Jr. and Earl J. Silbert
-Seymour Glanzer
-Petersen’s staff
-Reporters
-7-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
-Prosecutors
-Gordon C. Strachan’s testimony
-Petersen’s meetings with Silbert, Titus and Glanzer
-Court reporters
-Executive privilege
-John W. Dean, III
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Possible resignation
-Jeb Stuart Magruder
-Washington Post story
-Dean
-Conversations with President
-White House staff involvement
-Report to President
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s statement
-Conversations with prosecutors
-White House staff involvement
-Conversations with President
-John N. Mitchell
-White House staff involvement
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-Conversations with Petersen
-Information on status of investigation
-Investigation
-Immunity
-Prosecutors’ bargaining
-Negotiations with prosecutors
-Immunity
-Conversations with President
-Mitchell
-Magruder
-Credibility
-Magruder and Strachan
-Dean
-Magruder and Strachan
-Lie detector
-Charles W. Colson
-8-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
-Lie detector
-Magruder and Strachan
-Haldeman
-Strachan’s story
-Magruder’s story
-Ehrlichman
-Materials from E. Howard Hunt, Jr.’s safe
-Motives of funds for defendants
-Dean’s conversation with President
-William O. Bittman
-Blackmail
-$1,000,000
-President’s response
-Bittman
-Attorney’s fee
-President’s conversations with Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Veracity
-Stories concerning funds for defendants
-Ehrlichman’s reaction
-Ehrlichman’s and Haldeman’s desire for full disclosure
-Mitchell
-Responsibility
-Strachan and Magruder
-Conflict in stories
-Haldeman
-Problem of prosecution
-$350,000
-Haldeman’s knowledge
-Frederick C. LaRue
-Ehrlichman
-Hunt materials
-Destruction by L[ouis] Patrick Gray
-Conversation with Gray and Dean
-Dean
-Professed role in Watergate
-Ehrlichman, Haldeman, Mitchell
-Difficulty of corroboration
-9-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
-Testimony of those involved
-Political conversations
-President’s statement
-Immunity
-Petersen’s role
-Dean’s lawyer’s current activity
-Prosecutors’ strategy
-Dean
-Knowledge of pre-Watergte activities
-Subornation of perjury
-Macgruder
-Defense and mitigation of sentence
-Funds for defendants
-Prosecutors’ case
-White House cooperation
-Immunity
-Corroboration
-Dean position on White House staff
-Ehrlichman
-Hunt materials
-Possible case against
-William P. Rogers’s opinion
-Haldeman
-Information from Strachan
-$350,000
Stephen B. Bull and an unknown man entered at an unknown time after 10:12 am.
President’s schedule
-Meeting with Henry A. Kissinger
-Meeting with Jewish leaders
-Kissinger’s briefing
-Message from Soviet Union leaders
-President’s appearance
Bull and the unknown man left at an unknown time before 11:07 am.
-10-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
Soviet Jews
-Meeting with Jewish leaders
-Emigration of Soviet Jews
-President’s meeting with Jacob K. Javits and Abraham A. Ribicoff, April 18, 1973
-Emigration issue
-Impact on relations with Soviet Union
-Risks
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] II
-Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction [MBFR]
-Soviet Union Relations
-Middle East
-Southeast Asia
-Upcoming meeting with Soviet Union leaders
-Impact on US public opinion
-Javits’s statement
-Press relations
Watergate
-Haldeman
-Conspiracy case
-Knowledge of Gemstone
-Electronic intelligence
-Magruder compared to Strachan
-President’s conversation with Dean, April 16, 1973
-Resignations
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-Dean
-Ehrlichman
-Conspiracy case
-Obstruction of justice
-Funds for defendants
-Bittman, Paul L. O’Brien, Haldeman
-James W. McCord’s statement
-Dorothy Hunt
-Bittman’s statement
-Bittman
-Contacts
-11-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
-Dean
-Colson
-Conversation concerning funds
-LaRue’s delivery of money to law firm Hogan and Hartson
-LaRue
-Testimony
-Obstruction of justice
-Magruder’s testimony
-Possible plea
-Haldeman
-O’Brien
-Dean
-Knowledge of Bittman’s request for funds
-Mitchell
-Conversations with prosecutors
-Colson
-Bittman
-Haldeman [?]
-Conspiracy charges
-Ehrlichman
-Haldeman
-Ehrlichman
-Dean’s conversation with Ehrlichman concerning funds
-Ehrlichman’s reaction
-Fund transfers
-Authorization
-Timing
-Haldeman
-Possible resignation
-Mitchell
-William Hundley, Fred Vinson
-LaRue
-Magruder
-Appearance before John J. Sirica
-Conflict with Strachan
-President’s schedule
-Directorship of Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
-Watergate case
-President’s activities
-Dean
-Mitchell
-Funds for defendants
-Conversation with President
-President’s reaction
-Report
-Haldeman
-Magruder
-Petersen’s record
-Interviews
-White House cooperation
-Dean
-Directorship of FBI
Petersen left at 11:07 am.
Date: April 19, 1973
Time: 10:12 am - 11:07 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry E. Petersen.
[A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was initially prepared for the
Watergate Special Prosecution Force (WSPF) and can be found in Record Group (RG) 460, Box
174, “Transcript of a Recording of a Meeting among the President, H. R. Haldeman, and John
Ehrlichman on April 19, 1972 from 9:31 a.m. to 10:12 a.m.,” pages 1-7. The Nixon Presidential
Materials Staff reviewed the transcript and made changes as necessary. This transcript has been
reviewed under the provisions of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of
1974 (PRMPA). The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[Begin transcribed portion]
[End transcribed portion]
-5-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
Ellsberg
[Resume transcribed portion]
[End transcribed portion]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National security]
[Duration: 5 s ]
BUGGING
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
[Resume transcribed portion]
[End transcribed portion]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National security]
[Duration: 9 s ]
SOURCE
-6-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
[Resume transcribed portion]
[End transcribed portion]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National security]
[Duration: 7 s ]
BUGGING
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
[Resume transcribed portion]
[End transcribed portion]
Watergate
-John D. Ehrlichman’s and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s lawyers
-John J. Wilson and Frank H. Strickler
-Grand Jury leaks
-Harold H. Titus, Jr. and Earl J. Silbert
-Seymour Glanzer
-Petersen’s staff
-Reporters
-7-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
-Prosecutors
-Gordon C. Strachan’s testimony
-Petersen’s meetings with Silbert, Titus and Glanzer
-Court reporters
-Executive privilege
-John W. Dean, III
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Possible resignation
-Jeb Stuart Magruder
-Washington Post story
-Dean
-Conversations with President
-White House staff involvement
-Report to President
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s statement
-Conversations with prosecutors
-White House staff involvement
-Conversations with President
-John N. Mitchell
-White House staff involvement
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-Conversations with Petersen
-Information on status of investigation
-Investigation
-Immunity
-Prosecutors’ bargaining
-Negotiations with prosecutors
-Immunity
-Conversations with President
-Mitchell
-Magruder
-Credibility
-Magruder and Strachan
-Dean
-Magruder and Strachan
-Lie detector
-Charles W. Colson
-8-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
-Lie detector
-Magruder and Strachan
-Haldeman
-Strachan’s story
-Magruder’s story
-Ehrlichman
-Materials from E. Howard Hunt, Jr.’s safe
-Motives of funds for defendants
-Dean’s conversation with President
-William O. Bittman
-Blackmail
-$1,000,000
-President’s response
-Bittman
-Attorney’s fee
-President’s conversations with Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Veracity
-Stories concerning funds for defendants
-Ehrlichman’s reaction
-Ehrlichman’s and Haldeman’s desire for full disclosure
-Mitchell
-Responsibility
-Strachan and Magruder
-Conflict in stories
-Haldeman
-Problem of prosecution
-$350,000
-Haldeman’s knowledge
-Frederick C. LaRue
-Ehrlichman
-Hunt materials
-Destruction by L[ouis] Patrick Gray
-Conversation with Gray and Dean
-Dean
-Professed role in Watergate
-Ehrlichman, Haldeman, Mitchell
-Difficulty of corroboration
-9-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
-Testimony of those involved
-Political conversations
-President’s statement
-Immunity
-Petersen’s role
-Dean’s lawyer’s current activity
-Prosecutors’ strategy
-Dean
-Knowledge of pre-Watergte activities
-Subornation of perjury
-Macgruder
-Defense and mitigation of sentence
-Funds for defendants
-Prosecutors’ case
-White House cooperation
-Immunity
-Corroboration
-Dean position on White House staff
-Ehrlichman
-Hunt materials
-Possible case against
-William P. Rogers’s opinion
-Haldeman
-Information from Strachan
-$350,000
Stephen B. Bull and an unknown man entered at an unknown time after 10:12 am.
President’s schedule
-Meeting with Henry A. Kissinger
-Meeting with Jewish leaders
-Kissinger’s briefing
-Message from Soviet Union leaders
-President’s appearance
Bull and the unknown man left at an unknown time before 11:07 am.
-10-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
Soviet Jews
-Meeting with Jewish leaders
-Emigration of Soviet Jews
-President’s meeting with Jacob K. Javits and Abraham A. Ribicoff, April 18, 1973
-Emigration issue
-Impact on relations with Soviet Union
-Risks
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] II
-Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction [MBFR]
-Soviet Union Relations
-Middle East
-Southeast Asia
-Upcoming meeting with Soviet Union leaders
-Impact on US public opinion
-Javits’s statement
-Press relations
Watergate
-Haldeman
-Conspiracy case
-Knowledge of Gemstone
-Electronic intelligence
-Magruder compared to Strachan
-President’s conversation with Dean, April 16, 1973
-Resignations
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-Dean
-Ehrlichman
-Conspiracy case
-Obstruction of justice
-Funds for defendants
-Bittman, Paul L. O’Brien, Haldeman
-James W. McCord’s statement
-Dorothy Hunt
-Bittman’s statement
-Bittman
-Contacts
-11-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
-Dean
-Colson
-Conversation concerning funds
-LaRue’s delivery of money to law firm Hogan and Hartson
-LaRue
-Testimony
-Obstruction of justice
-Magruder’s testimony
-Possible plea
-Haldeman
-O’Brien
-Dean
-Knowledge of Bittman’s request for funds
-Mitchell
-Conversations with prosecutors
-Colson
-Bittman
-Haldeman [?]
-Conspiracy charges
-Ehrlichman
-Haldeman
-Ehrlichman
-Dean’s conversation with Ehrlichman concerning funds
-Ehrlichman’s reaction
-Fund transfers
-Authorization
-Timing
-Haldeman
-Possible resignation
-Mitchell
-William Hundley, Fred Vinson
-LaRue
-Magruder
-Appearance before John J. Sirica
-Conflict with Strachan
-President’s schedule
-Directorship of Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. March-2012)
Conversation No. 902-3 (cont’d)
-Watergate case
-President’s activities
-Dean
-Mitchell
-Funds for defendants
-Conversation with President
-President’s reaction
-Report
-Haldeman
-Magruder
-Petersen’s record
-Interviews
-White House cooperation
-Dean
-Directorship of FBI
Petersen left at 11:07 am.