912-002b

Conversation No. 912-2

Date: May 8, 1973
Time: 8:21 am - 9:23 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

Watergate

-News summary

-Harris poll

-President’s possible resignation
-President’s possible resignation

-Bella S. Abzug

-Previous conversations in Florida

-Ziegler’s forthcoming press briefing
-President’s knowledge of Watergate activities
-Exposure to story in newspapers, reports
-James W. McCord, Jr.
-Break-in and cover-up
-Donald H. Segretti
 -2-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 912-2 (cont’d)

-Dwight L. Chapin and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Funds for defendants
-Dinner for Daniel Ellsberg
-President’s involvement in cover-up
-Role of intent
-President’s conversation with John W. Dean, III, March 21
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr., William O. Bittman and $120,000
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Pentagon Papers
-President’s instructions regarding leaks
-President’s knowledge of Ellsberg break-in
-Krogh
-Timing
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Reaction to knowledge of break-in

-President’s investigation

-Photograph

-Justice Department
-Krogh
-President’s meeting with Richard G. Kleindienst and Henry E. Petersen,
April 15
-Need for disclosure to judge

-President’s reaction

-Press allegations

-President’s prevention

-President’s telephone call with Petersen

-National security

-Interrogation of Hunt

-President’s concerns over press allegations
-Dean
-Delay in disclosing evidence
-W. Matthew Byrne

-National security

-President’s meeting with Kleindienst and Petersen
-Disclosure of evidence
-Justice Department investigation
-Confirmation from Kleindienst
 -3-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 912-2 (cont’d)

-Delays
-President’s telephone conversation with Petersen, April 16
-Hunt
-Ellsberg
-National security
-Fruits of plumbers’ investigation
-Ellsberg prosecutors

-President’s knowledge of Hunt’s involvement


Henry A. Kissinger’s cable
-Announcement of US - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] summit
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Watergate
-Dominance in press
-Harris poll
-President’s possible resignation

-Special Prosecutor

-Implications

-Public support of bold actions

-Ziegler’s conversation with Haig on plane

-William P. Rogers


White House staffing
-Changes
-Ziegler’s views

-Internal shuffling

-Conversation with Haig

-Rogers
-Resignation

-Leonard Garment and Joseph R. Califano

-Kissinger and State Department

-Rogers

-John B. Connally

-Consultant

-Domestic Council

-Pentagon

 -4-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 912-2 (cont’d)

-Dr. James R. Schlesinger

-William J. Casey

-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]

-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] Director

-Public relations [PR] aspects

-James T. Lynn

-Richard B. Ogilvie

-President’s conversations with Haig, Ziegler

-Connally

-Treasury Department

-State Department

-Kissinger

-Kissinger

-Foreign policy role

Impact on Watergate


Press relations
-News stories

-Lebanon

-Release of Terrance G. Leonhardy in Mexico

-River convoy to Phnom Penh

-North Vietnam

-Invitation to US families to visit burial sites in North Vietnam

Watergate
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Ziegler’s forthcoming press briefing
-President’s knowledge and participation
-Allegations of cover-up
-John N. Mitchell

-Funds for defendants

-President’s investigation


Press relations
-News items
-Wounded Knee
-Watergate
 -5-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 912-2 (cont’d)

-Ziegler’s forthcoming press briefing

-Disaster Preparedness and Assistance Act

-Transmission to Congress


Watergate
-Hunt’s possible testimony

-Charles W. Colson

-Clemency

-Dean
-Possible immunity by prosecutors
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] report
-Ziegler’s opinion
-Dean’s reaction
-President’s statement
-Prison
-Fear
-Treatment
-Jeb Stuart Magruder
-Conviction

-Bargain

-Conversations with President

-Tone

-Bittman’s request for $120,000

-President’s response
-Haldeman’s recordings
-President’s response
-Possible statement by Dean

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 8:21 am and left at an unknown time before
9:23 am.

Watergate

-Ellsberg break-in

-President’s knowledge

-Ehrlichman
-Ziegler’s knowledge
-Ziegler’s forthcoming conversation with Haldeman
 -6-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 912-2 (cont’d)

-President’s knowledge

-Press coverage

-Revelations regarding Hunt and G[eorge] Gordon Liddy

-Timing

-Ziegler’s conversation with Ehrlichman

-Ehrlichman’s possible departure

-National security

-Bugging compared to burglary

-Hunt and Liddy

-Ehrlichman’s files
-Hunt and Liddy
-National security
-President’s discussion with Henry E. Petersen
-President’s need for counsel
-Ziegler’s discussions with Haig
-Garment
-Harris Poll
-National mood
-Rogers
-Possible departure from State Department

-PR impact

-Possible role on White House staff

-Haig

-Kissinger

-Haldeman

-Image in nation
-Kissinger
-Connally
-Dean
-Papers
-Administration’s attempts to obtain

-Justice Department

-Haldeman’s motion [?]

-Garment

-Possible immunity

-Possible statements by lawyers

-Reasons for departure

 -7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 912-2 (cont’d)

-Seeking immunity

-Haldeman and Ehrlichman

-Possible White House response to attacks

-Patrick J. Buchanan and Garment

-Money for Bittman

-President’s investigation

-Ziegler’s conversation with Garment
-Fred D. Thompson’s desire for a private meeting with Ziegler
-Ziegler’s conversations with Dean
-Guidance for briefings
-Ziegler’s and Richard A. Moore’s forthcoming meeting with Thompson
-Ziegler’s conversations with Dean
-Thompson’s desire for private meeting with Ziegler and Gerald L. Warren
-Dean’s guidance for press briefings
-Dean
-Possible charges against President

-Assertions of executive privilege

-Blackmail

-Thomas A. Pappas

-Ziegler’s possible response

-Conversations with President regarding funds

-Possible response by President

-Ziegler’s conversations with Warren and L. Diane Sawyer
-Newsweek article

-Warren’s allegations regarding Dean’s veracity

-Jack N. Anderson comments

-Conversation with President, February 27

-Executive privilege

-Dean and L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III

-FBI files

-Dean’s possible investigation

-Possible strategy

-Newsweek article

-Possible charges against President

-Bittman

-John N. Mitchell

-Possible obstruction of justice

 -8-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 912-2 (cont’d)

-Newsweek article
-Conversation with Ziegler
-Feelings for President
-President’s statement on immunity
-Trials
-Difficulties for prosecution
-Mitchell
-Magruder
-Dean
-Dean
-Possible charges against President
-Bittman
-Lying by administration
-Clemency
-Veracity
-Ehrlichman
-Meeting with President, September 15, 1972
-Possible attack on credibility
-President’s request for resignation, April 15
-Possible testimony
-New York Times story
-Delay in presenting affidavit
-Petersen
-Jim Weihard of New York Daily News
-Conversation with Justice Department

President’s schedule

-Haig


Ziegler left at 9:23 am.
 -9-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 912-3 (cont’d)