Naked Nixon story lies’

Press, 2 September 1977, Page 6

Naked Nixon story lies’

NZPA-Reuter Los Angeles H. R. “Bob” Haldeman, once the right-hand man to the former President, Mr Richard Nixon, and now serving a Federal prison term, has flatly denied a report that Mr Nixon once sat naked in his White House office and asked him: “What’s on the agenda?”

A “New York Daily News” columnist, Liz Smith, reported in an article on Wednesday that the incident would be recounted in Haldeman’s forthcoming book to show that Mr Nixon was “flaky" and falling apart in the final days of Watergate. Haldeman placed a call yesterday from the Lompoc Federal Correctional Institution to United Press Inter-; national in Los Angeles and

read a statement to deny the story.

“My forthcoming book, ‘The Ends of Power,’ will as reported tell all — and with gloves off,” he said. “But I do deplore and reject the kind of bathroom journalism that produces totally false stories such as the recent one by columnist Liz Smith claiming to report an incident in my book. “Her story is totally untrue — there will be no such episode in my book because no such event ever took place. I will tell all — but only what happened.” Haldeman, 50, is serving; a term of between 21 years and eight years after his! conviction for conspiracy,[ obstruction of justice, and! perjury in the Watergate in-! vestigation.