▁a ide ▁John ▁Ehr lich man ▁told ▁Att orney ▁General ▁Richard ▁Kle ind ienst ▁that ▁nobody ▁in ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁had ▁prior ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁burg l ary . ▁On ▁April ▁ 1 3 , ▁Mag r uder ▁told ▁U . S . ▁att or ne ys ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁per j ured ▁himself ▁during ▁the ▁burg l ars ' ▁trial , ▁and ▁imp licated ▁John ▁Dean ▁and ▁John ▁Mitchell . ▁ ▁John ▁Dean ▁believed ▁that ▁he , ▁Mitchell , ▁Ehr lich man , ▁and ▁Hal de man ▁could ▁go ▁to ▁the ▁pro sec utors , ▁tell ▁the ▁truth , ▁and ▁save ▁the ▁presiden cy . ▁Dean ▁wanted ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁president ▁and ▁have ▁his ▁four ▁closest ▁men ▁take ▁the ▁fall ▁for ▁telling ▁the ▁truth . ▁During ▁the ▁critical ▁meeting ▁between ▁Dean ▁and ▁N ixon ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁Dean ▁was ▁totally ▁una ware ▁of ▁the ▁president ' s ▁depth ▁of ▁knowledge ▁and ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁Water gate ▁cover - up . ▁It ▁was ▁during ▁this ▁meeting ▁that ▁Dean ▁felt ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁being ▁recorded . ▁He ▁wonder ed ▁if ▁this ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁way ▁N ixon ▁was ▁speaking , ▁as ▁if ▁he ▁were ▁trying ▁to ▁prod ▁at ten de es ' ▁re collections ▁of ▁earlier ▁convers ations ▁about ▁fund ra ising . ▁Dean ▁mentioned ▁this ▁observation ▁while ▁test ifying ▁to ▁the ▁Senate ▁Committee ▁on ▁Water gate , ▁expos ing ▁the ▁thread ▁of ▁what ▁were ▁t aped ▁convers ations ▁that ▁would ▁un ra