Date: April 27, 1973
Time: 3:48 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with William D. Ruckelshaus.
Ruckelshaus’s job
Watergate
-L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
-Destruction of documents
-President’s relationship
-Work at Justice Department
-Ruckelshaus’s replacement
-Destruction of documents
-Need to investigate
-Ruckelshaus
Ruckelshaus
-Current job
-Assignment at Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Acting director
-President’s conversation with Richard G. Kleindienst
-Nomination for director
-FBI staff changes
-J. Edgar Hoover’s legacy
-Clyde A. Tolson, William C. Sullivan and Cartha D. (“Deke”)
Deloach, W. Mark Felt
-Morale
-Compared with acting director
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
-Current job
-Deputy Director
-Tenure
-Political, judicial options
Watergate
-John N. Mitchell’s indictment
-Attorney general
-Replacement
-Martha (Beall) Mitchell
-Distraction from work
-Grand jury
Ruckelshaus
-Watergate
-Connection, knowledge
-Assignment at FBI
-Ruckelshaus’s background
-Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]
-Nomination for director
-Law enforcement experience
-Compared to Gray
-Congress [?]
-Vance Hartke [?]
-Bob [unintelligible name][?]
-Acting director
-Duration
-FBI study
-Reorganization
-Lines of authority
-Attorney General
-President
-Kleindienst
Watergate
-Gray
-Response to White House requests
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
-Materials turned over to John W. Dean III
Ruckelshaus
-Announcement of appointment
Watergate
-Possible statement
-Gray and raw files
Ruckelshaus
-Assignment at FBI
-Gray’s successor
-Reorganization
-Evaluation of staff members
-Felt
-Possible press conference
-Gray announcement
-Resignation from EPA
-Meeting with John D. Ehrlichman
-Statement
-Standards under Hoover
-Compared with Gray
-President’s search for permanent Director of FBI
-Ruckelshaus’s role
-FBI files
Watergate
-Possible investigations
-President’s instructions
-FBI investigation
-Quality
-John D. Mitchell
Ruckelshaus
-Conversation with Ehrlichman
-Record of service
-14-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
Watergate
-Possible White House staff changes
-Forthcoming grand jury indictments
-Mitchell
Gray
-Announcement of resignation
-President’s return from Mississippi
-Staff at FBI
President’s conversation with Kleindienst
The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:48 pm and
4:10 pm.
[See Conversation No. 906-8A]
[Begin telephone conversation]
[See Conversation No. 45-33]
[End telephone conversation]
Presidential appointment
Kleindienst
-Relationship with Mitchell
Ehrlichman entered at 4:10 pm.
Ruckelshaus
-Acting director
-Transfer
-EPA
-Leave of absense
-Instructions from President
-FBI reorganization
-15-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
-Announcement of appointment
-Kleindienst
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Press conference
-Ziegler
-Location
Watergate
-President’s instructions
-Grand jury
-Ruckelshaus’s relationship with Mitchell
-Henry E. Petersen and Kleindienst
-Ruckelshaus’s service in Justice Department
Ruckelshaus
-Reputation
-Relationship with Mitchell
-Duration of appointment
The President talked with Kleindienst between 4:14 pm and 4:16 pm
[Conversation No. 906-8B]
[Begin telephone conversation]
[See Conversation No. 45-34]
[End telephone conversation]
President’s previous conversation with Kleindienst
-Felt
Felt
-Leaks from FBI
-Washington Post, Time
-Gray
-Position in FBI
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
-Information from Time magazine lawyer
-Instructions for Ruckelshaus
FBI Directorship
-Attorney General’s prerogatives
-President’s telephone call to Hoover
Ruckelshaus’s possible statement to press
-Announcement of appointment
An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 3:48 pm.
Request for meeting with Ziegler
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 4:30 pm.
Ruckelshaus’s statement to press
-Acting director
-Transfer
-Leave of absence
-Resignation
Watergate
-Integrity of FBI
Press relations
-Ruckelshaus’s appointment to FBI
-Acting director
-Attorney General’s appointment
-Press statement phrasing
-Search for permanent director
-Importance of director appointment
-Impact on Gray’s resignation
-Return to EPA
-Press questions
-Ruckelshaus’s potential permanent appointment as director
-Declination
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
-Desire for appointment
-President’s view
Watergate
-President’s instructions to Ruckelshaus
-Possible press statement
-Content and wording
-Ziegler’s view
-Wording regarding investigation questions
Press relations
-Ruckelshaus’s role
-Statement compared to answering questions
-Zielger’s statement
-Attorney General
-Acting Director
-President’s additions
-Leave from EPA
-Duration as Acting Director
-Ruckelshaus’s role
-Location of announcement
-White House compared to EPA
-Environmental reporters
Watergate
-Ruckelshaus’s response to questions
-Possible statement
-Press satisfaction
-Appearing at home
-Jill Ruckelshaus
-Gray
-Possible response to questions
-Resignation
Congratulations
President’s schedule
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)
-Telephone call
Ruckelshaus, Ehrlichman, and Ziegler left a t 4:30 pm.