John Ehrlichman - Post-political Life

Post-political Life

Following his release from prison, Ehrlichman held a number of jobs, first for a quality control firm, then writer, artist and commentator. Ehrlichman wrote several novels, including The Company, which served as the basis for the 1977 television miniseries Washington: Behind Closed Doors. He served as the executive vice-president of an Atlanta hazardous materials firm. In a 1981 interview, Ehrlichman referred to Nixon as "a very pathetic figure in American history." His experiences in the Nixon administration were published in his 1982 book, Witness To Power. The book portrays Nixon in a very negative light, and is considered to be the culmination of his frustration at not being pardoned by Nixon prior to his own 1974 resignation. Shortly before his death, Ehrlichman teamed with best-selling novelist Tom Clancy to write, produce, and co-host a three-hour Watergate documentary, John Ehrlichman: In the Eye of the Storm. The completed but never broadcasted documentary, along with associated papers and videotape elements (including an interview Ehrlichman did with Bob Woodward as part of the project) are housed at the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, at the University of Georgia in Athens.

Ehrlichman died of complications from diabetes in Atlanta in 1999, after discontinuing dialysis treatments.