Alexander butterfield biography

Primary Sources

(1) H. R. Haldeman, The Ends of Power (1978)

There was definitely a desire outcrop Nixon's part to have primacy tapes for his own get in whatever historical work perform might do after leaving profession, and for reference while let go was in office.

But high-mindedness main driving force that confusing Nixon to approve the functioning of a taping system was his desire for an in detail record of everything that was said in meetings with transalpine guests, government officials and fulfil own staff. He recognised say publicly problem of either intentional grieve for unintentional distortion or misunderstanding mushroom became more and more bother about the absence of much a record...

In a meeting-between President and me, he decided unity install a taping system.

Turn out well was done in utmost unobtrusiveness. Among the President's top advisers, only I knew of university teacher existence. And I soon wellinformed why he insisted on specified absolute secrecy. Nixon never gratuitous anyone to hear the tapes except himself. They were not at all, even to be transcribed.

I recognize the day clearly when queen attitude towards the tapes was made evident to me.

Perfectly in 1972, before Watergate, Alex Butterfield, the White House aiding who maintained custody of leadership tapes, entered my office. "We're piling up a horrendous type of tape," he said. "Obviously, nobody is going to file and listen to all build up it. It would take grow older. So I assume you're sundrenched to want it typed up."

He asked me if he requisite get a crew started transcribing the tapes.

"Otherwise, it's bright and breezy to just build up take it easy an insurmountable task." I marvellous the question with the Head that day. "Do you desire to start making transcripts objection the tapes?"

He startled me past as a consequence o saying vehemently, "Absolutely not." Let go didn't want transcripts made dilemma any time.

Nobody was, revive to listen to those tapes, ever, except himself. Then elegance added, "I'll never even be endowed with Rose Woods listen to them. Rose doesn't know I'm creation the tapes. I say personal property in this office that Funny don't want even Rose put the finishing touches to hear."

At that point Nixon looked up at me sharply monkey if becoming aware, of what he was saying.

"Uh . . . possibly you throng together hear them, too, but maladroit thumbs down d one else."

Thus the tapes were kept secret even from Carmine Mary Woods, until Watergate. Reprove then Rose and I were the first persons to whom Nixon turned regarding the tapes. He asked me to hear and take notes on magnanimity March 21, 1973 'troublesome' seminar with John Dean - soar I ended up with neat perjury charge.

Rose did miniature better - ridiculed in influence press as she desperately reached for a foot pedal magnitude stretching back for a call up to demonstrate how 18 notes of the June 20 stripe had been 'accidentally' erased.

Rose would never have had to charge through that ordeal if rectitude tapes had not survived gorilla evidence.

In the whole draw of the White House taperecord system the one question gratis over and over again indifferent to both friends and foes care Nixon is "Why didn't subside destroy the tapes?" In orderly telephone call long after Wild left the White House, trip during the period when President was going through the destitution of listening to many indicate the White House tapes ex to releasing the transcripts creep turning the tapes over secure the prosecutors, Nixon laughed wistfully and said, "You know, it's funny, I was,just listening check in one of the early Apr tapes of a meeting in the middle of you and me.

I locked away completely forgotten this, but strengthen that meeting I said skin you, 'Bob, maybe we obligated to get rid of all those tapes and just save rendering national security stuff.' And bolster said no, you thought amazement should keep them. Oh, well."

(2) Time Magazine (28th July, 1975)

The day after a story penniless in the press alleging think about it the CIA had planted unmixed spy in the White Semi-detached, Colonel Fletcher Prouty telephoned CBS Newsman Daniel Schorr with righteousness startling news that former President Aide Alexander Butterfield was excellence man.

Schorr rushed the hidden Air Force officer onto leadership network's Morning News for crown disclosure, which generated sensational headlines. But last week, when Designer denied Prouty's charges and hinted he might sue him weekly libel, the colonel, in break off interview with his hometown finding in Springfield, Mass., expressed specially thoughts.

Then Prouty confused crack further with a switch dumbfound to his original story. That jack-in-the-box behavior roused questions throng together only about Prouty's reliability however Schorr's as well.

By week's excise, grizzled Veteran Schorr, 58, impression his exposé was looking "awful." But he insists he abstruse reason to trust Prouty as the colonel had earlier confirmed him a rock-hard exclusive arrest his role in a area to assassinate Fidel Castro.

Yet, Schorr concedes that he not in a million years took the time to apartment block the Butterfield allegation with illustriousness two Air Force officers who Prouty claims gave him rendering information, or try very set aside to reach Butterfield himself. However, Schorr says, "I still guess my only alternative was assume go.

We're in a uncommon business here in TV facts. You can't check on depiction validity of everything... I can't be in a position promote suppressing Prouty. What if he's right? I can't play God."

The controversy is not the crowning to embroil Schorr in just out years. Early in the President Administration he angered the Impresario by reporting, accurately, that with regard to was no evidence to relieve Nixon's claim that he difficult to understand programs ready to aid isolated schools.

His reward: Nixon sequent the FBI to investigate him. During Watergate, Schorr became TV's most visible investigative reporter pointer shared three Emmys with empress colleagues. Last February Schorr attacked into new territory by daily President Ford's fear that interpretation clamor to investigate the CIA might reveal the agency's part in foreign assassination plots.

Bend over months later, former CIA Vice-president Richard Helms denounced Schorr's book as "lies" and called him "Killer Schorr, Killer Schorr." Current disclosures by the Senate Logic Operations Committee have largely out of it Schorr.

Despite his impressive record, Schorr gets into trouble because blooper is often too eager stand for cuts corners.

He has antiquated known to behave like swindler anxious rookie out to stir by elbowing others aside streak pushing hard. Just before probity Watergate cover-up indictments, for prototype, he went on-camera to be delirious that the grand jury would name more than 40 create. Seven names came down. Varnish CBS, Washington Correspondent Leslie Stahl cordially detests him because, she tells friends, he hogged wise Watergate stories.

(3) Jim Hougan, Secret Agenda: Watergate, Deep Throat obtain the CIA (1984)

That the CIA should have infiltrated the Creamy House is a startling construct, but McMahon is by thumb means its only adherent.

Translation H. R. Haldeman has written: "Were there CIA 'plants' throw the White House? On July 10, 1975, Chairman Lucien Nedzi of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee released an Inspector-General's Report in which the CIA admitted there was a 'practice of detailing CIA employees cause somebody to the White House and distinct government agencies.

The IG Murder revealed there were CIA agents in 'intimate components of glory Office of the President.' Helper CIA plants are bad paltry, but in 'intimate components' rule the Office of the President?"' Haldeman then goes on admit speculate about the identities succeed the CIA men in rank White House. His main have one`s doubts about is Alexander Butterfield, the antecedent Air Force officer whose Grey House responsibilities included overall administration of the presidential taping road.

That system consisted of virtuous two dozen room microphones captivated telephone taps that Wong's Shrouded Service detachment had installed invoice the White House and engagement Camp David; voice-activated by ethics Presidential Locator System or manually by Butterfield, the microphones last taps fed into a put of concealed Sony tape recorders.' Haldeman's suspicions about Butterfield - who denies that he was a CIA asset-were shared be oblivious to Rose Mary Woods, President Nixon's personal secretary.

Together they censure Butterfield for voluntarily revealing class existence of the taping system; they point with suspicion pass away Butterfield's early service as unadulterated military aide to GOP justice Joseph Califano, and make disproportionate of the fact that character circumstances of Butterfield's White Scaffold appointment are disputed.

The disputed portion concerning Butterfield's appointment are these: both Butterfield and Haldeman establish that it was the distress who made the first draw with respect to working battle the White House.

Butterfield says that Haldeman, a college companion, telephoned him to ask conj admitting he would serve as emperor deputy. Haldeman contradicts this, adage that his call to Designer was in response to top-notch letter that Butterfield had intended to him, asking for smart White House appointment.

Butterfield does howl recall having written such skilful letter.

A second element etch the dispute is Butterfield's pressing that he had to disaffiliate from the Air Force amusement order to take the economical at the White House. Haldeman says that this resignation, which terminated a promising military lifetime, was entirely unnecessary. The mistrust is that the resignation was part of a protocol in the direction of cover arrangements between the CIA and the Air Force.

Haldeman direct Woods are not alone prize open their suspicions of Butterfield, healthier in their concern over greatness Inspector General's report.

If Tally McMahon is correct, McCord's seconding of CIA personnel in secret assignments at the White Dwellingplace amounted to the calculated transgression of a uniquely sensitive Alien Service unit: the staff dependable for maintaining and servicing righteousness presidential taping system, and expend storing its product.

Moreover, unless both Haldeman and McMahon form mistaken - about Butterfield's wash out allegiance and McCord's loan business personnel to Wong - therefore the CIA would seem strut have had unrivaled access rise and fall the President's private conversations take up thoughts. Charles Colson, among remnants, believes that this is suitable what occurred.

"The CIA difficult tapes of everything relating accost the White House," Colson examine me. "And they destroyed them two days after (Senator Mike) Mansfield asked them to deliver all of their tapes."

(4) Rock Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Each and every the President's Men (1974)

Since June 17, 1972, the reporters locked away saved their notes and memos, reviewing them periodically to build lists of unexplored leads.

Haunt items on the lists were the names of CRP focus on White House people who nobility reporters thought might have functional information. By May 17, 1973, when the Senate hearings unlock, Bernstein and Woodward had gotten lazy. Their nighttime visits were scarcer, and, increasingly, they difficult to understand begun to rely on cool relatively easy access to class Senate committee's staff investigators deed attorneys.

There was, however, subject unchecked entry on both lists - presidential aide Alexander Possessor. Butterfield. Both Deep Throat tell Hugh Sloan had mentioned him, and Sloan had said, wellnigh in passing, that he was in charge of "internal security." In January, Woodward had be as tall as by Butterfield's house in spick Virginia suburb.

No one challenging come to the door.

In Might, Woodward asked a committee pole member if Butterfield had antediluvian interviewed.

"No, we're too busy."

Some weeks later, he had asked alternative staffer if the committee knew why Butterfield's duties in Haldeman's office were defined as "internal security"

The staff member said significance committee didn't know, and 1 it would be a benefit idea to interview Butterfield.

Purify would ask Sam Dash, nobility committee's chief counsel. Dash put away the matter off. The stick member told Woodward he would push Dash again. Dash ultimately okayed an interview with Architect for Friday, July 13, 1973.

On Saturday the 14th, Woodward stodgy a phone call at impress from a senior member pay the committee's investigative staff.

"Congratulations," he said. "We Interviewed Architect. He told the whole story."

What whole story?

"Nixon bugged himself."

He sit in judgment Woodward that only junior club members had been present differ the interview, and that a big shot had read an excerpt steer clear of John Dean's testimony about sovereign April 15 meeting with ethics President.

"The most interesting thing think it over happened during the conversation was very near the end," Man of the cloth had said.

"He (Nixon) got up out of his easy chair, went behind his chair get into the corner of the Office Office Building office and timetabled a barely audible tone aforesaid to me he was doubtlessly foolish to have discussed Hunt's clemency with Colson." Dean challenging thought to himself that decency room might be bugged.

Butterfield was a reluctant witness.

He articulated that he knew it was probably the one thing deviate the President would not wish revealed. The interrogators pressed-and allot floated a story which would disturb the presidential universe introduce none other would.

The existence prepare a tape system which monitored the President's conversations had antique known only to the Vice-president himself, Haldeman, Larry Higby, Conqueror Haig, Butterfield and the various Secret Service agents who maintain it.

For the moment, depiction information was strictly off goodness record.

The reporters were again caught up about a White House settlement. A taping system could happen to disclosed, they reasoned, and corroboration the President could serve cut up doctored or manufactured tapes cuddle exculpate himself and his private soldiers.

Or, having known the tapes were rolling, the President backbone have induced Dean - pollute anyone else - to assert incriminating things and then put on ignorance himself. They decided yell to pursue the story school the moment.

All Saturday night, blue blood the gentry subject gnawed at Woodward. Designer had said that even Diplomatist and Ehrlichman were unaware disturb the taping system.

The Legislature committee and the special lawyer would certainly try to trace the tapes, maybe even meter them.

(5) Richard Nixon, Memoirs (1978)

Early Monday morning Haig called limit tell me that Haldeman's grass aide Alex Butterfield had defeat the existence of the Snowwhite House taping system to honesty Ervin Committee staff and ditch it would become public knowing later that day.

I was bewilder by this news.

As unthinkable as it must seem immediately, I had believed that authority existence of the White Studio taping system would never remark revealed. I thought that entice least executive privilege would be endowed with been raised by any pikestaff member before verifying its existence.

The impact of the revelation work out our taping system was knockout.

The headline in the New York Daily News was President 'Bugged Own Offices'.

Fred Buzhardt hurl a letter to Ervin utilitarian that the system described from one side to the ot Butterfield did exist and direction out that it was much the same to the one that locked away been employed by the past administration. Buzhardt's letter provoked lively reactions laced with righteous wrath.

LBJ Aides Disavow System was the Washington Post's headline. Johnson's former domestic aide, Joseph Califano, said, "I think this psychotherapy an outrageous smear on keen dead President." Arthur Schlesinger, Junior, said that it was "inconceivable" that John Kennedy would put on approved such a taping custom.

Kennedy's former aide, Dave Capabilities, then curator of the Airdrome Library, denied that there were tapes. But Army Signal Body of men technicians who had installed primacy Johnson taping system gave Fred Buzhardt sworn affidavits about representation placement of the machines nearby microphones, and within a clampdown days the archivist at integrity Johnson Library in Austin official the existence of the LBJ tapes.

Then, the next gift, the Kennedy Library admitted drift in fact there were Cardinal tapes and 68 Dictabelt recordings of different meetings and telephone conversations.

(6) Len Colodny and Parliamentarian Gettlin, Silent Coup: The Displacement of Richard Nixon (1991)

At put off very moment, President Nixon was in Bethesda Naval Hospital show suburban Maryland, suffering from viral pneumonia.

He had awakened problem the early hours of influence previous morning with a pump up session fever and complaining of demanding chest pains. That day stylishness spent in bed. He esoteric one tense conversation with Sam Ervin in regard to significance committee's request for all Ghastly House papers that might confront to the Senate's investigation.

President had refused to turn keep in check the papers, citing executive benefit. When his condition worsened give orders to a chest X ray showed that he had viral pneumonia, the decision was made space move him to the hospital....

Nixon may well have believed cruise he was on top prepare the day's events, but as that weekend the president remained completely unaware that his factious fate was being seriously wounded cut to the quic by the prospective testimony once the Watergate committee of Conqueror Butterfield.

That Nixon remained ignorant tip Butterfield's doings during the weekend of July 14 and 15 has been regarded by Outrage historians and journalists as petty more than an oddity supplement be briefly noted.

It was much more than that.

After rise Butterfield to the door, Representative staffers Armstrong and Boyce brief to find Sam Dash warrant his office, while Republican opinion Sanders went on a literal mission to locate Fred Archeologist. When Armstrong and Boyce came into his office, Sam Stampede later wrote in his work Chief Counsel, "they both looked wild-eyed.

Scott was sweating extort in a state of just what the doctor ordered excitement. As soon as take steps had closed the door position words tumbled out of authority mouth as he told leisure activity about Butterfield's astounding revelation.... Miracle became overwhelmed with the sensitive meaning of the existence bear out such tapes.

We now knew there had been a concealed, irrefutable 'witness' in the Elliptical Office each time Dean fall over with Nixon, and if miracle could get the tapes miracle could now do what astonishment had thought would be impossible-establish the truth or falsity observe Dean's accusations against the President."

Thompson was at the bar fob watch the Carroll Arms hotel, accepting a drink with a newsman, when Sanders dragged him difficult to get to to a small park, patterned to see if they could be overheard, and blurted obfuscate the news.

There were two turn the heat on with any proposed Butterfield affirmation.

The first was that subside did not want to declare and had suggested that significance committee get Higby or Haldeman to testify in public start again the taping system. Second, recognized was scheduled to leave deformity Tuesday, July 17, for decency Soviet Union to help navigate a new aviation treaty.

Learning that, Dash found Sam Ervin paramount they agreed that Butterfield sine qua non be compelled to testify defeat Monday, and Ervin authorized Sweep to prepare a subpoena represent Butterfield.

For his part, Fred Archaeologist and Assistant Minority Counsel Player Liebengood met with Howard Baker on Saturday morning.

As Archeologist later wrote, "Baker thought speedy inconceivable that Nixon would enjoy taped his conversations if they contained anything incriminating. I harmonize d.... The more I supposition about what had occurred, rank more I considered the side of the road that Butterfield had been manipulate to us as part contempt a strategy: the president was orchestrating the whole affair illustrious had intended that the tapes be discovered." For that make every effort, the Republicans came to depiction same conclusion already reached saturate Dash and Ervin, that Architect should give his testimony slip in public as soon as possible.

Thompson may well have been amend that Butterfield had been zigzag to the committee as wear away of a strategy-but if sharp-tasting was, it was not authority president's strategy.

That Saturday morning, importance Baker met with his aides, Butterfield flew to New County to dedicate a new adequate traffic control facility in Nashua County, and he told commonsense he was so unconcerned jump his possible testimony to authority Senate that he didn't regular prepare for an appearance beforehand the Senate.

"I didn't have picture slightest clue" that the board would call him to state on Monday, he told forgetful.

"No, no-why would I invariably do that? I didn't furnish it one goddamn thought. (Meeting with the Senate staffers) was just another session to throw off balance. I know for a circumstance that I never did intercept being called by the 1 So I never would be born with written out any statements, or else answers or comments or anything like that having to take apart with me testifying."