Date: May 9, 1973
Time: 11:31 am – 12:03 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with George H. W. Bush, David K. (“Pat”) Wilson, William E. Brock, III,
Robert H. Michel, and William E. Timmons.
Greetings
Photograph
Florida
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2011)
Wilson’s new role as Republican National Committee [RNC] Finance Committee
chairman
-Difficulty
-Fundraising
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 11:31 am.
Refreshment
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 12:05 pm.
Wilson
-Bush’s support
-Compared to Brock, Michel
Effect of Watergate
-Involvement of Republican Party
-Finance officials
-Individuals responsible
-Motive
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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
Fundraising
-Meeting in Buffalo, Niagara Falls
-Richard B. Ogilvie
-William Miller
-Erie County
-Problems
-Concentration in Washington, DC
-Big donors
-Fundraising dinner
-Lobbyists
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2011)
-Solicitations
-Timing
-Dinners
-Dinners
-Planning
-Timing
-Election
-Watergate as an issue
-Need to deflect interest
Republican Party
-Membership rolls [?]
-Candidate in North Dakota
-George S. McGovern
-Opinion poll
-Prisoners of war [POWs] as candidates
-President’s telephone conversation with Bush
-[First name unknown] Collins
-South Carolina
-Harry S. Dent’s support
-Dent
-Support for RNC
-Watergate
-Intelligence
-President’s role in helping candidates in 1974
-US-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] summit
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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Watergate
-Public perception
-L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III’s actions
-Violence in 1968 and 1972 campaigns
-Focus of issue
-June 1973 U.S.-U.S.S.R. Summit
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2011)
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Media coverage
-Senate hearings
-Grand jury
-Senate hearings
-Possible effects
-John N. Mitchell, Jeb Stuart Magruder, H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman,
John D. Ehrlichman
-John W. Dean, III’s appearance
-Effect on future trials
-Dean’s possible testimony
-Immunity
-Effect
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Special prosecutor
-Selection
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
-Benefit to Democratic Party
-John B. Connally
-Ervin Committee
-Minority counsel
Republican Party fundraising dinner
-Press coverage
-Speakers
-Supporters
Congressional relations
-Critical vote
-Transfer of authority
-Undecided votes
-Discussion at fundraising dinner
-Cambodia
-Funds for US operations
-Compared to Gulf of Tonkin resolution
-Opposition
-Democrats
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2011)
-Funding of US operations in Cambodia
-Purpose
-House of Representatives
-Conference
-Joe D. Waggoner, Jr.
-Policy Committee
-Gerald R. Ford, Leslie Arends
-Defense Department [?]
-Conservative support
-Supplemental appropriations
-Length
-Limit
-War powers bill
-Foreign Affairs Committee
-Ford
-Alphonzo Bell
-John M. Ashbrook
-Constitutional question
-“Right-wing”
-Supplemental appropriations
-Continuity of US military operations
-Republican Congress
Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Role in White House
-Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Possible role with Congress
-Strengths
-Appearance before Congressional conference
-Timmons
-Ford, Arends
-Compared with William P. Rogers, Richardson
-Experience in Vietnam
-Managerial style [?]
-Staff
Transfer of funds from the Committee to Re-elect the President [CRP] to the Republican
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2011)
National Committee [RNC]
-Legal problems
-Size of fund
-Losses
-Maurice H. Stans
-Transfers from RNC to CRP
-Returns
-Size of fund
-Losses
-Legal expenses
-Stans
-Wilson’s role
-Outstanding expenses
-Use of funds
-RNC dinner
-Immediate transfer
-CRP lawsuit
-Robert Strauss
-Impact on RNC
-Stans
-Impact on donors
-“Striped suits”
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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
Transfer of funds from CRP to RNC
-Use of funds
-Selective candidates
Candidates
-Press coverage
-Bertie [?] Graham
-Profile
-Louise Hutchinson
-Chicago Tribune
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2011)
-RNC event
-Selection
-House of Representatives
-Henry L. Bellmon
-Conversation with Shirley Bellmon
-John B. Connally
-Switch of party affiliation
RNC
-Fundraising dinner
-Connally’s attendance
-President’s attendance
-Computerized system of supporters
-J. William (“Bill”) Marriot, Jr. [?]
-White House support
-Haig
-Lists
-Release
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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Congressional relations
-Vote on funding US operatives in Southeast Asia
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Support
-William J. (“Jack”) Edwards
-Grudging support
-Trent Lott
-Complaints
-Escalation
-POWs
-Constitutional issues
-Senate’s role
-Supplemental appropriations bill
-Loss of funding
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. September-2011)
-Resubmission of bill
-Defense Department
-John L. McClellan, John C. Stennis
-Support
-Senate compared with House of Representatives
-House of Representatives
-Vote count
-Gerald R. Ford’s estimate
-Democratic support
-Joe D. Wagonner, Jr.’s leadership
-Robert L. F. Sikes, George H. Majon, Samuel S. Stratton
-Caucus
-Quorum
-Carl T. Albert
-Wagonner [?]
Watergate
-Public perception
-Resignations of Ehrlichman and Haldeman
Bush et al. left at 12:03 pm.