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THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON October 20, 1973 Dear Mr. Attorney General: I have your letter of October 20th. My letter to you yesterday, instructing you to direct Mr. Cox to make no further attempts by judicial process to obtain tapes, notes, or memoranda of Presidential conversations, was the end product of very careful consideration by me. My willingness to make available the relevant contents of the tapes, verified by Senator Stennis, was only on condition that this would end all further confront- ations or questions about tapes or other matters relating to Presidential conversations. For that reason, I am unable to modify my instruction of the 19th. In his press conference today Mr. Cox made it apparent that he will not comply with that direction. You, of course, recog- nize very clearly how intolerable a situation it would be if an employee of the Executive Branch were free to defy in this fashion the instructions of the President. Under the circum- stances, I am required to instruct you to discharge Mr. Cox immediately and to return to the Justice Department the functions now being performed by the Watergate Special Prosecution Force. It is my view, with which I hope you will concur, that you will not think the necessity of taking this a ction, on my instructions, undermines in any way your position as Attorney General. Sincerely, Honorable Elliot L. Richardson The Attorney General Justice Department Washington, D.C.