John Ehrlichman: The 60 Minutes Watergate Interview (1973)

TL;DR

Former White House advisor John Ehrlichman denies knowledge of certain aspects of the Watergate scandal, including the existence of a list of enemies and the activities of G. Gordon Liddy and Howard Hunt.

Transcript

60 minutes rewind before he resigned his post as chief domestic affairs advisor to the president john ehrlichman was closer to the oval office and a more powerful man in the white house hierarchy than anybody but bob holderman john dean the former council to the president says that no one got in to see mr nixon without clearing it through haldeman ... Read More

Key Insights

• 👂 John Ehrlichman denies knowledge or involvement in various aspects of the Watergate scandal, including the existence of enemy lists and the activities of G. Gordon Liddy and Howard Hunt.
• 📝 He claims ignorance regarding certain memos and documents related to political enemies and the wiretapping of newsmen's phones.
• 🧑‍💼 Ehrlichman distances himself from any involvement in the break-in at Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist office and denies knowledge of the contents of Hunt's safe.
• 😑 He emphasizes that he did not engage in shredding documents and expresses a lack of knowledge about the Watergate defense fund and its distribution.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did John Ehrlichman categorize the lists of enemies compiled by White House staff?

Ehrlichman denies knowledge of the existence of such lists and claims that he did not categorize enemies or see any memos related to such activities.

Q: Did Ehrlichman direct or approve the wiretapping of newsmen's phones?

Ehrlichman acknowledges being aware of an attempted wiretapping of a newsmen's phone but denies giving the direct order or approving it. He claims to have known about it through Jack Caulfield but does not recall the details.

Q: Did Ehrlichman order or know about the break-in at Ellsberg's psychiatrist office?

Ehrlichman denies ordering or being aware of the break-in, stating that it was not his responsibility. He claims to have learned about it after the fact and expresses disapproval of the illegal act.

Q: Did Ehrlichman shred documents and instruct others to do so?

Ehrlichman denies being involved in shredding documents and claims that he does not recall giving any instructions to others regarding shredding. He asserts that shredding is not his usual practice.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• John Ehrlichman, former chief domestic affairs advisor to President Nixon, claims ignorance about certain aspects of the Watergate scandal revealed during the Senate hearings.

• Ehrlichman denies knowledge of a list of enemies, the memo on dealing with political enemies, and the wiretapping of newsmen's phones.

• He also denies directing or approving the break-in at Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist office and claims to have no knowledge of the contents of Howard Hunt's safe.