(12 of 21)
APRIL 15,1973,1:12 P.M.
E.O.B. Present: the President and Attorney General Richard Kleindienst (K).
Ushered into the President's hideaway in the Executive Office Building, Kleindienst, who has been up all night being briefed by the Watergate prosecutors, promptly discloses that Nixon's highest advisers are now being tied into the coverup.
K: There is a possible suggestion that Haldeman and Ehrlichman ah, as yet—it looks that way—whether there is legal proof of it so far as that—that they ... well, [had] knowledge in this respect, or knowledge or conduct either before or after the event [the June 17, 1972 break-in at the Watergate]...
P: Both Haldeman and Ehrlichman?
K: Yes ... That is my primary reason for talking to you...
P: Who told you this? Silbert? [Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl J. Silbert, chief prosecutor of Watergate trial].
K: Yeah.
∎
P: I have asked both Haldeman and Ehrlichman.
K: I know you have.
P: And they have given me absolute—you know what I mean ... I don't believe Haldeman or Ehrlichman could ever—you know ...
K: ... It will be circumstantial, an association, an involvement, and it's going to be—
P: Why don't you do something about it?
Kleindienst avoids a direct answer to what many would interpret as a highly improper question. But he does say that the evidence is "going to come out," and might involve charges of obstructing justice. Then Kleindienst warns Nixon that a sheaf of indictments would soon be handed up and that the whole story is "likely to be all over town" in a day or two.
P: Involving Haldeman and Ehrlichman, too?
K: Yeah...
P: Do they tell you flatly Mitchell will be indicted?
K: Yes. They do—so will Dean.
P: Will be indicted?
K: Yeah.
P: What is your recommendation, then?
K: ... It seems to me that so long as I do anything at the Department of Justice I cannot hereafter be with Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell, LaRue. They won't believe that we didn't talk about the Watergate case.
P: Who can you have contacts with? Me?
K: ... I don't know whether I need contact anyone.
Incidentally, there's a—there's a weak possible case on Colson ... He knew about and was involved in a conversation pertaining to money for Liddy's projects . ..
∎
P: They consider there's a weak case on him ...
K: Yes—and a very, very peripheral, weak case —probably not an indictable case with respect to Ehrlichman and Haldeman.
∎
P: You know, it's embarrassing and all the rest, but it'll pass. We've got to—we've got to just ride it through Dick ... Do the best we can. Right?
K: Yes sir.
P: We don't run to the hills on this and so forth.
The main thing is to handle it right.
-P: And naturally because of your association with John Mitchell you would have to disqualify yourself.
K: Mardian, LaRue.
P: Oh—you know them all. Right—right—right. Now the difficulty with the special prosecutor—it gets a guy into the [expletive removed] thing ... It's a