▁proceed ings , ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁known ▁if ▁N ixon ▁had ▁known ▁and ▁approved ▁of ▁the ▁pay ments ▁to ▁the ▁Water gate ▁defend ants ▁earlier ▁than ▁this ▁conversation . ▁N ixon ' s ▁conversation ▁with ▁Hal de man ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁that ▁establish es ▁he ▁did . ▁N ixon ▁said : ▁" Well   ... ▁they ▁have ▁to ▁be ▁paid . ▁That ' s ▁all ▁there ▁is ▁to ▁that . ▁They ▁have ▁to ▁be ▁paid ." ▁During ▁the ▁con gression al ▁debate ▁on ▁im pe achment , ▁some ▁believed ▁that ▁im pe achment ▁required ▁a ▁cr imin ally ▁ind ict able ▁off ense . ▁N ixon ' s ▁agreement ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁black mail ▁pay ments ▁was ▁regarded ▁as ▁an ▁aff irm ative ▁act ▁to ▁ob struct ▁justice . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁investig ators ▁found ▁that ▁an ▁- min ute ▁portion ▁of ▁one ▁recorded ▁t ape ▁had ▁been ▁er ased . ▁Rose ▁Mary ▁Wood s , ▁N ixon ' s ▁long time ▁personal ▁secretary , ▁said ▁she ▁had ▁accident ally ▁er ased ▁the ▁t ape ▁by ▁pushing ▁the ▁wrong ▁ped al ▁on ▁her ▁t ape ▁player ▁when ▁answering ▁the ▁phone . ▁The ▁press ▁ran ▁photos ▁of ▁the ▁set - up , ▁showing ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁unlikely ▁for ▁Wood s ▁to ▁answer ▁the ▁phone ▁while ▁keeping ▁her ▁foot ▁on ▁the ▁ped al . ▁Later ▁for ens ic ▁analysis ▁in ▁ 2 0 0