John Dean Interview: Inside the Nixon Administration & Watergate Scandal

John Dean details his time as the White House counsel chair in the Nixon administration, becoming the “desk officer” on Watergate, and having one on one meetings with Richard Nixon. He discusses the Pentagon Papers, being on the wrong side of the law, and Nixon’s resignation.

John Wesley Dean III was born on October 14, 1938 in Akron, Ohio. After graduating from the Staunton Military Academy in Virginia he went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree at The College of Wooster in Ohio in 1961. He then attended Georgetown University Law Center and received his Juris Doctor in 1965. He obtained a junior associate position at the Washington law firm of Welch & Morgan upon his graduation from Georgetown. Dean served as chief minority council for the Judiciary Committee in the United States House of Representatives from 1966 to 1967. He then spent the next two years as Associate Director of the National Commission on Reform of Federal Criminal Laws before working as an Associate Deputy Attorney, General Office of Criminal Justice, and Department of Justice, between 1969 and 1970. On July 9, 1970, Dean became Counsel to President Richard Nixon until April 1973. Dean is known for his role in the cover-up of the Watergate scandal and his subsequent testimony to Congress as a witness. His guilty plea to a single felony in exchange for becoming a key witness for the prosecution ultimately resulted in a reduced sentence. Barred from practicing law due to his conspiracy conviction, Dean worked as an investment banker, lecturer, author, and political commentator.

From the HBO / Kunhardt Film Foundation (KFF) Documentary “The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee,” about one of America's most influential and celebrated newspaper editors, who found himself at the center of many of the 20th Century's most seismic storms, including: World War II, John F. Kennedy, Watergate and the fall of Richard Nixon.

John Dean, White House Counsel, 1970-1973
Interviewed By: John Maggio
Interview Date: February 15, 2017

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:10 Starting in the Nixon Administration
01:53 Wanting to work in the Nixon administration
02:38 First Impressions of Nixon
03:40 Nixon vs. the press
07:01 Advising Nixon on Watergate
07:58 The Pentagon Papers
12:45 The Watergate break-in
15:42 The Watergate scandal
19:52 Unraveling the Watergate web
23:59 The slush fund
25:08 Watergate and The Washington Post
26:42 The Watergate cover-up
30:28 The pre-election coverage of Watergate
32:38 Watergate after the election
35:51 Investigating the White House
38:22 All the President’s Men
39:20 The loss-frame theory
41:47 A cancer on the presidency
45:44 The FBI investigation
47:17 Fact-checking the Post’s coverage
48:57 Gordon Liddy and Howard Hunt’s failed operation
50:06 Nixon’s response to scandal
51:10 Spying on the Post
53:34 Interviewing the grand jury
54:14 The scapegoat
57:31 Surrendering to the legal system
58:15 Defendants and deals
01:01:15 The Watergate story explodes
01:02:54 The Post got it right
01:04:58 Nixon’s Enemies List
01:06:17 Auditing Nixon’s enemies
01:07:19 Nixon’s resignation
01:09:28 Ben Bradlee’s lasting legacy

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[caringfamily]

Well done interview. John Dean's recollection of facts is pretty awesome. Comparing his testimony now to 50 years ago, little, if anything, has changed. Timeless!

[charleswinokoor]

I’ve watched more than a few videos of Dean speaking and testifying about Watergate.
This one is about as good as it gets.
I like the no-audience format with no interviewer asking questions on camera.

[meidassecondsoprano]

Mr. Dean has done an invaluable service to history over the years beginning with his testimony before the Watergate Committee in the House which was amazing in its accuracy once the existence of the tape recordings became known even to him. He has spoken numerous times over the years to members of the Virginia State Bar along side Bob Woodward in Continuing Legal Education Seninars on Legal Ethics that have been excellent.

[mariaandharold]

Back in 1991 when CBS & other media came out with 20th Watergate anniversary documentaries, the general feeling (including myself) for John Dean was far from being positive. But no one could deny that his account of events was impeccable & truthful when the tapes were later released. Now, when I compare how he used his experience for teaching (public, colleagues, youngs budding lawyers with WH ambition, etc) to Gordon Liddy who never expressed a gram of remorse or concern abt the seriousness of what he has done, I can see the difference in moral / ethical fiber btw the 2 individuals. I was astouned to hear in this interview that Liddy was a lawyer, but never saw anything wrong in his spy games. Today, I listen to John Dean who obviously learned from his mistakes & tries to prevent anyone else to make the same mistakes. I truly have a great respect (if not, admiration) for his insight & his courage to share his background.

[davidgoetz]

What a great interview. Dean is so articulate and frank. Riveting.

[jamesdrynan]

The story of how Woodward met Mark Felt and how that relationship fueled the Watergate investigation is fascinating. It's also informative to have the main players being interviewed decades later. Dean was savvy enough to know he would be sacrificed as the scapegoat and testified to prevent that from happening.

[aliciathompson]

I am fascinated with Mr. Dean photographic memory. It’s work well for him. I had the pleasure of watch him speak at the 59th St. Y. I’ve read his books which are so important in history. Thank you Dean for your service.

[loveaodai]

This is totally awesome and I thank all involved especially John Dean for this post. I was in college when this unfolded but honestly speaking I never got into the details back then as it all seemed to bore me at the time. All I remember was the names of the main players being mentioned constantly to the point of irritation. Some years later I came to realize how interesting the entire matter really was including how the pieces of the puzzle were put together. A bit like 9-11… if one comes back to YouTube to search the subject after an absence there will inevitably be some new videos and new insight. And so too with Watergate including this interview. I can see the point of the lower drama in real life compared with the film “All the Presidents Men” but at the same time given the stakes and the level of power of the individuals involved I still think that at least internally there was extreme drama within the minds of the players especially as people began to face realities. I grew up in New York City where I was as the hearings and ultimate ultimate resignation took place. As bad as things were there still seemed to be a logic to the function of the government. While still functioning the American government seems to be now operating without logic having been largely taken over by far out branches of the left and right not to mention the media and its lobby. Now nearly 70 years old and having nothing to do with politics I find myself having having lived half my life in Vietnam where I remain watching the events of America unfold from afar. With the lobby so powerful I doubt that things can be changed and just hope that if the original intentions of the founding fathers comes to cease that the replacement doesn’t forget the older population…

[ckSport]

I watched this interview months ago, now watching again, Thanksgiving 2023.
I really enjoy Mr. Dean's perspectives, particularly, because at his age he is so forthright and honest, even or especially about his own mistakes and shortcomings.
.. Curtis, 57, retired Navy and life long Reagan Republican . (and a proud NEVER Trump person)

[irenegewinner]

Thank you, John, for listening to your better angels.

[ralphschneider]

Mr, Dean has a great memory, enjoy his recollections, I was 17 years old at the time of Watergate hearings. On vacation with my family in Hawaii at the time. Amazing television !

[barney]

When the senate hearings were on, I was visiting a good friend in S.S. Marie. I was always self centered and a loner. My friend wanted to go and engage in activities, tennis, etc, but not me. I was glued to John Dean testifying about all the goings-on in the White House.
Sorry about that John!

[opaulamorgan]

John Dean's memory is remarkable, he also kept notes which included dates of conversations which served him well during the watergate hearings.

[tonil.]

I missed listening to Mr. Dean. I once quoted Dr Samuel Johnson to him, saying “There is no problem the mind of man can create that the mind of man cannot solve.” And surely enough Mr. Dean helped this country with his sage advice. I love him.

[NGC]

My dog ate my homework... The Devil made me do it... And now The Loss-Frame theory.

[mawangdwei]

Why not play the interview straight through without the edits? What are you omitting?

[Henrycrun]

A brilliant man. One of the few who told the truth.

[aliciathompson]

I am looking at the Watergate tapes from first to last. I very much enjoy Mr. Dean photographic memory at work. I saw All the Presidents Mens at the NY Public Library and I was amazed listening Bernstein and Woodward. We have Mr. Dean’s book & Mr. Bernstein and Mr. Woodward’s books. Thank you for sharing because this has been living history. I’ve learned so much.. It’s been an asset since we witnessing the Trump Trails that’s far worse. I thank the Washington Post for their diligence today and giving us a road maps of current events. Fascinating! Thank you.

[cwmiller]

I've always been interested in the history of Watergate. At the time back in the early to mid 70s I was a teenager in Jr High. I can remember vividly the summer of 72 (73?) When the hearings were going on. My older brother was home from College and a bunch of his buddies were all sitting around watching Mr. Dean's testimony and the high drama of it all. I also remember watching Nixons resignations speech. Years later I read All the Presidents Men and saw the movie which is one my all time favorite movies. This is a great interview of Mr. Dean, I really believe he got caught up in the moment and just lost perspective of it all. I couldn't imagine having all that pressure especially at such a relatively young age. It's also amazing to me how keystone cops it all was and how insane Liddy and Hunt and the Plumbers were. Anyhow I think Mr. Dean has paid his debt to society and hopefully he can live out the rest of his years knowing he did his best to clear his name.

[gnffovy]

I think most of the commentors here need to go and read a good book on Watergate ( Watergate A new History) to see how self serving and sanitized Dean's views are. He was knee deep in the cover up and enjoyed the power. He is not as innocent as he portrayed himself. Most of the Watergate prosecutors were shock at how the press turned Dean into a hero. As one prosecutor said :
"You can always depend on John Dean's venality"