vel ▁the ▁fabric ▁of ▁the ▁consp i racy . ▁ ▁Two ▁days ▁later , ▁Dean ▁told ▁N ixon ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁co oper ating ▁with ▁the ▁U . S . ▁att or ne ys . ▁On ▁that ▁same ▁day , ▁U . S . ▁att or ne ys ▁told ▁N ixon ▁that ▁Hal de man , ▁Ehr lich man , ▁Dean , ▁and ▁other ▁White ▁House ▁officials ▁were ▁imp licated ▁in ▁the ▁cover - up . ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 3 0 , ▁N ixon ▁asked ▁for ▁the ▁res ignation ▁of ▁Hal de man ▁and ▁Ehr lich man , ▁two ▁of ▁his ▁most ▁influ ential ▁a ides . ▁They ▁were ▁both ▁later ▁ind icted , ▁conv icted , ▁and ▁ultimately ▁sent enced ▁to ▁prison . ▁He ▁asked ▁for ▁the ▁res ignation ▁of ▁Att orney ▁General ▁Kle ind ienst , ▁to ▁ensure ▁no ▁one ▁could ▁claim ▁that ▁his ▁innoc ent ▁friendship ▁with ▁Hal de man ▁and ▁Ehr lich man ▁could ▁be ▁constru ed ▁as ▁a ▁conflict . ▁He ▁fired ▁White ▁House ▁Coun sel ▁John ▁Dean , ▁who ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁test ify ▁before ▁the ▁Senate ▁Water gate ▁Committee ▁and ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁believed ▁and ▁sus pected ▁the ▁convers ations ▁in ▁the ▁O val ▁Office ▁were ▁being ▁t aped . ▁This ▁information ▁became ▁the ▁bomb shell ▁that ▁helped ▁force ▁Richard ▁N ixon ▁to ▁res ign ▁rather ▁than ▁be ▁im pe ached . ▁ ▁Writing ▁from ▁prison ▁for ▁New ▁West ▁and ▁New ▁York ▁mag az ines ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁Ehr lich