Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume II, Organization and Management of U.S. Foreign Policy, 1969–1972

49. Memorandum From the President’s Military Assistant (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)¹

Washington, June 4, 1969.

SUBJECT

• Talking Points for Meeting with J. Edgar Hoover, Wednesday, June 4 at 9:30 a.m.

1. Express your appreciation to Mr. Hoover and Mr. Sullivan for their outstanding support in recent weeks in uncovering security problems within the NSC staff. Inform Mr. Hoover that you have discussed these problems in detail with the President (and with Messrs. Haldeman and Ehrlichman).

2. Tell Mr. Hoover of the action to be taken with respect to Davidson.²

3. Ask Mr. Hoover for his views on how we should proceed with Halperin, who had been involved in indiscretions and who obviously has a reputation for liberal views but who has yet to be firmly linked with a security breach. I think it best that you seek Mr. Hoover’s advice in this instance while avoiding any specific comments pro or con and especially avoiding any opinions on this matter.

4. Request Mr. Hoover’s advice on how to proceed with Sonnenfeldt.

5. Ask Mr. Hoover if he has any additional information or guidance which he feels would be helpful in this very difficult situation. Specifically you might inquire about the requirement for prolonging the taps, making it clear that the President wishes to terminate them as soon as possible. (I think in the case of Halperin and Sonnenfeldt that they should be kept on for at least another two weeks so that a pattern of innocence can be firmly established.)³

1. Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box TS 88, Confirmation Hearings—Wiretaps. Top Secret; Sensitive. Points 1, 3, and 5 of the memorandum are quoted in full in Morris, Haig: The General’s Progress, pp. 159–160.
2. Reference is to Daniel Davidson of the NSC staff, who resigned on May 29.
3. According to informal notes kept by Haldeman, Ehrlichman made the following comments at a meeting with the President on June 16: “re taps—impt. for K. to get the files out of his office[;] thru E & Mitchell find someone to read taps[;] maybe use Huston etc. for this[;] work out a scheme—minimize what done thru Hoover[;] esp. newsman—shld be done by outsider. K. shldn’t be reading these—” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, Staff Member and Office Files, Haldeman Notes, Box 40)