Watergate: A New History

by Garrett M. Graff

When they brought in Colson to discuss Hunt in depth, Ehrlichman and Colson each seemed to outperform the other about their ignorance of Hunt’s White House work. “He’s not been working for me for months,” Colson said, as nonchalantly as possible; later, as Colson explained that Hunt had a safe in his office that someone should check out, Ehrlichman was shocked: “You mean to tell me he even had an office here?!” The group ultimately decided that Dean should take custody of the safe’s contents. After the meeting broke up, Dean’s secretary handed him a note: “Meeting. 6 p.m. Mitchell’s Watergate Apartment.” It was the first time he’d even been invited to the inner sanctum of “Mr. Mitchell,” and the inclusion made his chest swell; he was on his way to being a trusted insider.