2006-03
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EHRLICHMAN, John Daniel(1925 - 1999) was counsel and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under President Richard Nixon and a key figure in the Watergate scandal. He and close friend H. R. Haldeman, were referred to jointly as "The Berlin Wall" by White House staffers for their penchant to isolate Nixon from other advisors and command his attention. Ehrlichman created "The Plumbers", the group at the center of the Watergate scandal, and appointed his assistant Egil Krogh to oversee its covert operations to stop leaks of confidential information in response to the release of The Pentagon Papers in 1971. White House Counsel John Dean cited the "Berlin Wall" of Ehrlichman and Haldeman as one of the reasons for his growing sense of alienation in the White House. This alienation led him to believe he was to become the Watergate scapegoat and then eventually cooperate with Watergate prosecutors. After Dean's testimony before the Senate Watergate Committee Nixon fired Dean and demanded the resignations of both Ehrlichman and Haldeman on April 30,1973. Both men complied. Ehrlichman was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, perjury and other charges in 1975 (along with John N. Mitchell and Haldeman), for which he served 18 months in prison. John Ehrlichman's Watergate Notebook entirely in his hand, is contemporary to the Senate Watergate Committee hearings, and was used by Ehrlichman for reference during his sworn testimony before that Committee, July 24-27, 1973. The three-ring binder contains 88 pages plus dividers. The note pages are filled with dates of meetings and references to the Nixon inner circle personalities such as Dean, Kliendienst, Colson, Mitchell, Krogh, Hunt, Liddy, et al. Interestingly, all references to Nixon use the symbol for "pi." The 16 dividers provide a chronological division of this information starting June 19-28 (1972) through April 17-30 (1973). The break in of the Democratic National Committee occurred June 17, 1972, at the office complex of the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. Behind the first divider (June 19-28) starting only two days after the break in, Ehrlichman writes at the top of the page, "The W/G break-in was a campaign issue from the first." Ehrlichman continues noting 11 meetings with President Nixon within this 10 day period. There are several important references regarding the Nixon meetings; "C(ommitte)R(e-elect)P(resident) money involved," "Hunt WH status, safe," "CIA Mex money," "Defense fund by Fla. Cubans," "Mitchell needs Kalmbach help-." This extensive detail continues throughout the notebook. Here are more excerpts from another period March 20-30(1973); "Dean allegations: 40 conversations w/ the "pi" re W/G, coverup, plumbers, etc.," "Jeb fully involved, don't know about Mitchell, Liddy has told Dean all about his involvement," "JD says CC may have offered clemency to Hunt. ""pi" - we can't promise clemency," "JD listed his concerns: (1) Hunt did EMK, ITT things for CC; (2) Plumbers (Elsberg) broke in psychiatrists, other things," "JD told "pi" of Hunt blackmail," "JD: we could draw the wagons around the WH - leave Mitchell, Macgruder on their own." And still more excerpts, this time from April 17-30; "Taped Colson, Clawson re: Dean charges," "Kleindienst recuses - taped Kalmbach re: fund raising," "Dean - won't be scapegoat," "probers eye H&E - hire atty," "pi" - you're still my counsel," "To Camp David to resign." There are several additional dividers, these with names of Watergate participants, some with more information, others with no information. Under the heading of "Closing," Ehrlichman writes, "Don't abandon the nations govt to the less able, the hacks - It sometimes seems mean, petty - come & do better." "I regret John Dean was fed such softballs by the majority side of the committee." These excerpts are a very small portion of the enormously important Ehrlichman Notebook. John Ehrlichman (2) ALS's, both written to John H. Taylor, Executive Director of the Richard Nixon Library, Yorba Linda, Ca., undated circa 1995. In each letter Ehrlichman discusses details of the planned documentary he is preparing. In part, "When our documentary is complete we will be pleased to make it available to the Nixon Library. We expect that it will contain considerable new material bearing on the Nixon Administration, Watergate and the President himself." This is accompanied by seven pages of "working material" related to the documentary project. The project was completed and released in 1997, "John Ehrlichman: In the Eye of the Storm, hosted by Tom Clancy." Also included are several hundred letters, copies and originals, addressed to Judge John Sirica, urging leniency for Ehrlichman and extolling his virtues. Nothing even close exists in private hands.
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