Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 17 › Conversation 017-046

Nixon phone call with Hoover on Jimmy Hoffa and Prisoner commutation

Friday, December 24, 1971 · 9:14 PM–9:17 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Hoover, J. EdgarConversation017-046 on Tape 17 (tape position 01:59:11–02:02:45)StartFriday, December 24, 1971 at 9:14 PMEndFriday, December 24, 1971 at 9:17 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 017-046 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417191855 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover exchanged holiday greetings and discussed logistics for upcoming social engagements, including a planned dinner in Florida. The conversation shifted to the President's decision to release Jimmy Hoffa from prison, a move supported by Attorney General John Mitchell. Nixon cited Hoffa's status as a model prisoner and his wife’s illness as primary reasons for the commutation, while also noting his belief that the late Robert F. Kennedy had pursued a personal vendetta against Hoffa.

Audio

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NARA Description

On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover talked on the telephone from 9:14 pm to 9:17 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-046 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 17-46

Date: December 24, 1971
Time: 9:14 pm - 9:17 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with J. Edgar Hoover.

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/21/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[017-046-w001]
[Duration: 2m 3s]

     J. Edgar Hoover’s present to the Nixons
           -Eagle

     The President’s schedule
          -Christmas
               -David and Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Edward and Tricia Nixon Cox
                      -Swimming show

     J. Edgar Hoover’s activities
           -Florida
           -Schedule
           -Dinner
                 -William Rogers, Henry A. Kissinger

               -Clyde Tolson
                    -Health
          -Dinner
               -The President’s house
               -Dress
               -Timing

**********************************************************************

     President schedule in Florida
           -Meeting with Willy Brandt

     James R. “(Jimmy”) Hoffa's release
          -John N. Mitchell
          -Josephine (Polszynak) Hoffa
                -Illness
          -Hoffa
          -Robert F. Kennedy
          -Investigation

**************************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/21/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[017-046-w003]
[Duration: 8s]

     The President’s schedule
          -Upcoming dinner in Florida
               -Timing

**************************************************************************

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

You're at your home right there.

— 2 min 2 s with no transcribed speech —

Because I've got to meet the German the next day and I've got to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
Boy, I tell you, these meetings are hard work.
They're going well, though.
They're going well.
Do you really think so?
Right.
Incidentally, I...
You know, I decided after long deliberation, and John Mitchell recommended that we ought to let Jimmy out.
Well, his wife is terribly sick, you know, and the guy is, he's been a model prisoner, and I thought, what the heck.
Well, that's what John said you thought, and I asked him about things.
I didn't follow it at that time, but I thought that Bobby was on a vendetta against the man.
Yeah.
Well, it wasn't?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well... Bye.
Yeah.
And the same to you.
Bye.

Also recorded on December 24, 1971

  • 017-042 9:04 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 9:04 pm to 9:05 pm.
  • 017-043 9:05 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:05 pm and 9:09 pm.
  • 017-044 9:09 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John A. ("Jack") Mulcahy talked on the telephone from 9:09 pm to 9:10 pm.
  • 017-045 9:10 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:10 pm and 9:14 pm.
  • 017-047 9:17 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:17 pm and 9:19 pm.
  • 017-048 9:19 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, McIntyre Faries, and Geralyne Faries talked on the telephone from 9:19 pm to 9:20 pm.
  • 017-049 9:20 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:20 pm and 9:22 pm.
  • 017-050 9:22 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Donald McI. Kendall talked on the telephone from 9:22 pm to 9:30 pm.

All 74 conversations from December 24, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 017-046, December 24, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417191855). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-046 (accessed November 3, 2026).