ed ▁t apes ▁to ▁the ▁public . ▁ ▁Release ▁of ▁the ▁t apes ▁The ▁t apes ▁revealed ▁several ▁cru cial ▁convers ations ▁that ▁took ▁place ▁between ▁the ▁President ▁and ▁his ▁coun sel , ▁John ▁Dean , ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁In ▁this ▁conversation , ▁Dean ▁summar ized ▁many ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁Water gate ▁case , ▁and ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁subsequent ▁cover - up , ▁describing ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁" can cer ▁on ▁the ▁presiden cy ". ▁The ▁burg l ary ▁team ▁was ▁being ▁paid ▁h ush ▁money ▁for ▁their ▁silence ▁and ▁Dean ▁stated : ▁" That ' s ▁the ▁most ▁troubles ome ▁post - thing , ▁because ▁Bob ▁[ H al de man ] ▁is ▁involved ▁in ▁that ; ▁John ▁[ E hr lich man ] ▁is ▁involved ▁in ▁that ; ▁I ▁am ▁involved ▁in ▁that ; ▁Mitchell ▁is ▁involved ▁in ▁that . ▁And ▁that ' s ▁an ▁obst ruction ▁of ▁justice ." ▁Dean ▁continued , ▁saying ▁that ▁Howard ▁H unt ▁was ▁black mail ing ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁demand ing ▁money ▁immediately . ▁N ixon ▁replied ▁that ▁the ▁money ▁should ▁be ▁paid : ▁"...   ▁just ▁looking ▁at ▁the ▁immediate ▁problem , ▁don ' t ▁you ▁have ▁to ▁have — handle ▁H unt ' s ▁financial ▁situation ▁dam n ▁soon ?   ... ▁you ' ve ▁got ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁cap ▁on ▁the ▁bott le ▁that ▁much , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁have ▁any ▁options ". ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁initial ▁con gression al