Page 5 - Taping System News Today

1973. back then that was alex butterfield, who testified to the existence of nixons secret taping system, blew it wide open. do we have anything approaching that from this witness? >> martha: i would say, john, i agree with what you have been talking about, i would say we had sort of the basic parameters of what happened with regard to this. we heard before that the president wanted to go to the capitol and that there was pushback against that. so what we are getting today are a lot of details a...

Tonights other top headlines: how long the socialite who help jeffrey epstein abuse young girls will face behind bars. plus the rush on the morning after pill after the supreme court abortion ruling. and the new details in the deadly migrant tragedy in texas. ♪ ♪ ♪ this is the "cbs evening news" with norah odonnell, reporting from the nations capital. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> odonnell: good evening, and thank you for joining us on this busy tuesday night. as we detail for you the bombshell testimony...

House aide, appeared out of nowhere in the senate watergate committee hearings to say there was a white house taping system. no one knew anything about the white house tapes. it wasnt previewed to the press. but they wanted to get him out there right away. is it something similar? beats the hell out of me. >> beats the hell out of me too. elliot, the committee has already revealed some very, very compelling evidence and testimony. at this point, could anything really fundamentally change our und...

>> in february of 1971, the president told bob haldeman, his chief of staff that he wanted to install some listening devices around the white house. haldeman said it was up to me to decide who should install these devices. i chose the secret service. >> the system was designed only to tape conversations in which nixon participated. and so when he would enter a room there was a taping system, they would flip the on switch for the system in that room. when he left the room, they would turn it off....

And nixon was fascinated by the memoirs of the people like de gaulle and others, and wanted to show himself as a great world leader. >> the president did tell me at one point, along with haldeman, that no one was to ever learn about this taping system. >> alex butterfield had indeed confirmed my suspicion that i had been recorded. but more than my conversations had been recorded. everybodys conversations had been recorded. i was delighted to learn this information. >> one last question. one ther...

The president? >> i was aware of listening devices, yes, sir. >> when i got the confirmation that there was a taping system, i was elated. they would tell much more than i could even remember about what had happened in those conversations. >> my mind is not a tape recorder. it does recall impressions of conversations very well. >> everybody realized that this was a major breakthrough in the chase. >> what would be the best way to reconstruct those conversations, mr. butterfield, in the president...

Discussions with his advisors and staff. in the execution of his presidential duties. >> this principle of confidentiality of presidential conversations is at stake. in the question of these tapes. i must and i shall oppose any efforts to destroy this principle. >> mix sons taping system was unique. because he had total control over the tapes. theres no way anybody else in the government could get those tapes without going to court and getting an order. >> the president moved to quash the subpoe...

Greatest memoirs of any president in the united states. he was fascinated by memories of people. who others. and wanted to show himself as a great world leader. >> the president did tell me at one point, along with alderman, that no one was to ever learn about this taping system. >> alex had indeed confirmed my suspicion that i had been recorded. but more than my conversations have been recorded, everybodys conversations have been recorded. i was delighted to learn this information. >> one last ...

Installation of listening devices in the oval office of the president? >> i was aware of listening devices. yes, sir. >> when i got the confirmation there was a taping system, i was elated. they would tell much more than i could even remember about what happened in those conversations. >> my mind is not a tape recorder. it does recall impressions of conversations and very well. >> everybody realized that this was a major breakthrough in the chase. >> what would be the best way to reconstruct the...

>> in february of 1971, the president told bob his chief of staff that he wanted to install some listening devices around the white house. he said it was up to me to decide who should install these devices. i chose the secret service. >> the system designed only to take conversations in which nixon participated in. so when he would enter a room where there was a taping system. they flswitch on the on switch. when he left they turn it off. >> the listening devices were to record as much of the ad...