The president had not known about the break-in, but within a few days Nixon
discussed with his top advisers about what to do. The president and his advisers
worried that a full investigation would bring to light illegal actions of the
Plumbers, a group of White House staff members whose job it was to use illegal
actions to help reelect President Nixon. The best course, they decided, was to
cover up the investigation.
On June 23, 1973, Nixon ordered a top official to tell the FBI that the Watergate
situation was connected to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and matters of
national security and that the FBI should drop the investigation.
Nixon also agreed to pay money to the men who were caught to keep them
quiet. The money came from his reelection campaign funds.
These private meetings in the Oval Office, the president's office, were taped by
a recording system. The recorded conversations of the president and his men
would prove crucial as the investigation went on.

Why might the tapes recording Nixon's conversation with his officials be important later?

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