$Unique_ID{bob01225} $Pretitle{} $Title{Nixon Tapes, The April 18, 1973. (2:50pm - 2:56pm)} $Subtitle{} $Author{Various} $Affiliation{} $Subject{nixon pres peterson right yeah haven't am magruder } $Date{1974} $Log{} Title: Nixon Tapes, The Author: Various Date: 1974 April 18, 1973. (2:50pm - 2:56pm) Telephone conversation: President Nixon and Henry Peterson Operator: Yes, please. Pres. Nixon: Would you get me Assistant Attorney General Petersen, please? Pres. Nixon: Hello. H. Peterson: Hello, Mr. President. Pres. Nixon: Well what's - anything I need to know today? H. Peterson: No sir. There is no significant developments Pres. Nixon: Right. Uh, huh. Alright. H. Peterson: Strachan is coming in. Fred Vinson, former Assistant Attorney General under Johnson, is representing him. Pres. Nixon: Representing who? H. Peterson: Strachan, I think it is, who is going to come in. Pres. Nixon: Strachan? Oh, yeah, yeah. Gordon Strachan. H. Peterson: But there have been no developments. We are still negotiating. We have a problem with the Grand Jury. The only copy of the Grand Jury transcript has been locked up in the prosecutor's office. We have the FBI checking out the reporter on the ground that they have leaked it. Judge called us in about it this morning. Pres. Nixon: Uh, huh. Sirica did. H. Peterson: Yeah. Pres. Nixon: About what? About part of it leaking? H. Peterson: He was concerned about leaking and, of course, Anderson has been printing some of it. We have changed reporters. We haven't even been bringing it over here for security reasons. Pres. Nixon: Yeah. I would hope to keep the Grand Jury from leaking. But - H. Peterson: Well, you know I don't want to go too far on it either, because I don't want to get into a diversionary battle with Anderson. Pres. Nixon: Hell, no. I wouldn't pay that much attention to it. I agree - I agree. What I meant is just do the best to control We are indeed. Pres. Nixon: cause we know that its just wrong. Now we are handling it over here, I trust, aren't we? I just told Ziegler he won't comment on anything because it might effect the rights of either the prosecution or the rights of innocent people or the rights of defendants. H. Peterson: We are not taking any calls from them over here. Pres. Nixon: So that is all we are saying. H. Peterson: You can't talk to them at all. Pres. Nixon: Fine. H. Peterson: I was kind of pleased with the reaction your statement got. Pres. Nixon: I think it was probably the right thing to say. H. Peterson: Yeah. Pres. Nixon: What have you got - you haven't made - you haven't finished the thing with Magruder yet, then, huh? H. Peterson: No, we haven't finished the thing with Magruder. Ah, - Pres. Nixon: Dean the same, huh? H. Peterson: Dean's, well, we have just backed off of him for a while. His lawyers want time to think. Pres. Nixon: I have deliberately, Henry - I left Dean in a position where I said look he was going to be treated like everybody else because it wasn't fair, I mean for him to be at all, you know - what I mean, like when we talked about resignation, etc., since he was making some charges. Well, it isn't that. Since he has at least had some private discussions, but they haven't yet been in the Grand Jury room, so I have to respect those. H. Peterson: I think that is right. Pres. Nixon: So that was your suggestion, at least, that we should not do anything on Dean at this point. H. Peterson: I think that is right. I think you ought to just let him sit. Pres. Nixon: All I have is just information - H. Peterson: That's right. Pres. Nixon: basically from you and from him, but it is information the gravity of which I just can't judge until I see whether it is corroborated. H. Peterson: You have to treat that as private, in any event. Pres. Nixon: Private, don't I? Yeah. And for that reason if I were to move to do it - so I think we are in the right position and, then, fine. Ok - Then I won't expect any more from you today. I won't bother you. H. Peterson: No. I am a little concerned about Senator Ervin's Committee. They have just, under the agreement Kleindienst worked out with Senator Ervin, have called the Bureau and asked to see the interview statements of Magruder, Porter, Sloan and LaRue. Pres. Nixon: Oh, my (expletive removed). H. Peterson: Ah, and I feel like I am sitting on a powder keg there, but I don't feel like I can dare go to Senator Ervin until I get a definite commitment from Magruder. Pres. Nixon: Yeah, yeah. On Magruder, what's waiting besides the Committee with him? Oh, the deal with the DC jail and - H. Peterson: Well that is right and whether or not the Judge is ding to clap him in right away, and whether or not the Committee is going to put pressure on him. Pres. Nixon: In other words, you think you haven't yet tried to talk to Ervin? H. Peterson: No, Sir, and I don't want to until I can tie him down. Pres. Nixon: Til you've got him tied? I get it. H. Peterson: Well, I've got to be able to say that I am coming out with something public in terms of a charge. Pres. Nixon: I see. Right, right. H. Peterson: You know, have a valid basis for asking him to slow it up. Pres. Nixon: Ok. Well, in any event, I am glad you thought the statement went well. I worked on it to be sure that it didn't compromise anybody one way or the other and as you noticed too I put the immunity thing. It leaves the ball in your court, but - H. Peterson: I noticed. Pres. Nixon: But on the other hand, I had to express the view because basically people are going to ask me, what about Mitchell, what about, you know, a lot of people and you know I just can't be in this position. H. Peterson: I agree wholeheartedly. Pres. Nixon: Lower people are different. But you know, upper people, you know, they might think I am protecting (unintelligible) H. Peterson: I agree. Pres. Nixon: Ok. H. Peterson: Alright, Mr. President. Pres. Nixon: Fine.