HALDEMAN: Now, on the investigation, you know the Democratic break-in thing, we're back in the problem area because the FBI is not under control because Gray [Patrick Gray, acting director of the FBI] doesn't exactly know how to control it and they have--their investigation is now leading into some productive areas-- because they've been able to trace the money-- not through the money itself-- but through the bank sources-- the banker. And it goes in some directions we don't want it to go. . . . That the way to handle this now is for us to have Walters [General Vernon Walters, deputy director of the CIA] call Pat Gray and just say, "Stay to hell out of this-- this is ah, business here we don't want you to go any further on it." That's not an unusual development, and ah, that would take care of it. . . .
NIXON: Well, what the hell, did Mitchell [John Mitchell, former attorney general and head of the president's campaign] know about this?
HALDEMAN: I think so. I don't think he knew the details, but I think he knew.
HALDEMAN (about three hours later): Well, it was kind of interesting. Walters made the point and I didn't mention Hunt [E. Howard Hunt, ex-CIA agent and White House consultant who was convicted in the Watergate conspiracy]. I just said that the thing was leading into directions that were going to create potential problems because they were exploring leads that led back into areas that would be harmful to the CIA and harmful to the government. . . .
Recorded presidential conversation submitted by Richard Nixon to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, April 30, 1974.