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2825653
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Butterfield Interview Transcript - "Salient" Portions
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2825653
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document
title
Butterfield Interview Transcript - "Salient" Portions
citationUrl
collections
Alexander P. Butterfield Papers
Alexander Butterfield Interview Notes and Transcript
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Governmental investigations
Watergate Affair, 1972-1974
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2825653
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1973-07-31
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7
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1973
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1973-07-01
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7
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1973
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The original documents are located in Box 1, folder "Interview Transcript of "Salient"
Portions" of the Alexander P. Butterfield Papers, 1973 at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential
Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald R. Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
at
the
Gerald
R.
Ford
Presidential
Library
this stenographic notebook the
interview of Alexander Builefield
by Watergate Commutee staff on
Friday, July 13, 1973
At was in this interview that
Mr Butterfield stated that
there is tape in the oval office 11
the accompanying 15pages of
hand- consion notes represent
my veriration pronscription of
the salient portions of this
interview. the transcription
was made the day after
Marismine ABraya
August 25, 1974
CERALE
FORD
ORIGINAL RETIRED TO
SPECIAL DOCUMENTS FILE
there is tape in the oval
office. Its Keps by the Ld &
only 4 Sd men know about 20.
this was pus in about
2½ years ago - as the 18 month
point. the Presidens is very his-
tory oriented about the rule he is
going to play, and is not subtle
about is.
Higby came to me t said
the President wants you to ges to- -
gether w/the SS Y have the Oval
office, Cabines Room of EDB ses up
for taping.
ORIGINAL RETIRED TO
SPECIAL DOCUMENTS FILE
l got the technical security
people - Wong was in charge then
- they did the sureping there
TSD are the type that go to
China. they said OK. & did
is on a weekend when the Presi-
GERALD
dent was our of town.
LIBERA REFORD
there's a locater system
in the White House. Steve Bull
me and Haldeman had locater
lights on our desks. Only activated
by the Sd when the President
was in the Oval office
the taping devise. in
the Oval office is not running
but is triggered when you stars
GERALD
talking
R.
FORD
this is all something
P know the President didn's
want revealed Bus you're
asped me & D full I should
be honest. l was told noone
was to know this
A had a switch pus
on my phone which activated
the Cabines Room where he mes
wy groups of 12 or more
Question
Re- - who Knew of the
taping system?
Only Higby Haldeman
Wong SS - Zoomwo
CERRID
LIBRATY FORD R
GERALD
LIBRARY FORD .4
located under the White House.
GERALD
LISTATE FORD à
Question
Who Knew of the raping system
only Haldeman Highy Wong (SS)
Zumwalt (SS) & the telephone specialist
Question
was Dean
?
l feel certain. Higly in
my own private thoughts.
Question
Who changed the tapes?
the secres service changed
the Hapes @ least once a day.
Question
where is the master units
located?
theyre located under the White Hour House
Tweston
Re - location of recording
devices?
CERALD
HERARY
&
Ford
Presidents telephone in the
Lincoln Room, Oval office, EDB
Inner office, Presidents telephone
in his study 0 Camp David
there is a storage
problem on the vapes
Zumwals takes the rape
off
When Low Sims came
all Wong said was 'f told
him about the thing
LIBRARY FORD
y
Has always
in the
EOB with locks on them that
no one Knows about.
And I told my secretary
mary sidley.
GERALD
LIBRATA FORD
the Cabines Room can be
cut off.
EOB is activated by locater
light
In the Oval office -all
20 takes is sound
In those offices tapes
of the cabines room the sound
is not so good
GERALD
FORD LERARY y
the whole idea was historical
Question
Do you recall any memos
that this was done in the Johnson
Administration?
l have heard that LBJ
had a lot of things recorded -
& the SS indicated that they
played these tape games before
Question
were there transcriptions
ever made of the tapes or did he
ever request a tape ?
no- - not to my Knowledge.
Dean would not know
about is
L
umwals put the tapes
2n the storage area
ALD
LIBRATY FORD
Ruestan
Where are the tapes located
physically?
One place is in the main
corridor back of the stair behind
an iron gate
Question
Bav
Would you say that
this material was being processed
for the Archives?
He said to Holdeman
that the smartest thing to do
is to get 4 or 5 trustworthy
people ( to do nothing but
Transcribe to tapes for the
prchives
they planned for Trudy
Brown to be in charge of this
there is not cus-off.
Question
could it be cris-off in
the oval office.
no.
no the SS activates
S/A
We're getting beyond
vicinity of & conversation
S/A
L
the plan was that is would
be typed?
GERALD
LIBRATE FORD
yes
Zumwals dated the Hapes.
He takes whole thing off at the
end of the day
Question
to your knowledge there
is no manual cutoff
no manual cub off.
in oval office which
is activated when the light is on
reflecting the President's being in
the room.
I have heard them &
there is nothing wrong w/ the
tapes @ all (re oval office etc )
the tapes are very bad
& almoso inaudible in the
Cabines Room
GERALD
FORD
the President never
inquired about the tapes.
Question
Has President ever re -
quested that Sd. not activate
locater light?
no.
the President has had
Cabines meetings of didn't wans
anyone in there And Dwas
sure that he didn't want that
recorded
GERALD
FORD .-
Ao camp David the taping
device is on the phone 0 in the
study called Aspin
the SS was concered
about that because if state
visitors come they stay in
there. they have their own
security guards
It might be taken off
& removed
this information was
not in session w/ Special
Prosecutor
GERALD
LIBRATE FORD
When Haig was appointed
I yold him about that since
he had Haldimans functions
of he said "I know, I
know about that."