President Nixon directed Deputy Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst to halt the Department of Justice's antitrust proceedings against IT&T. Nixon explicitly ordered that no legal brief be filed in the case and threatened to fire Assistant Attorney General Richard McLaren if he failed to comply with the directive to drop the matter. The conversation reflects Nixon's intense frustration with the Justice Department’s aggressive pursuit of conglomerates and his desire to personally dictate the administration's antitrust strategy.
On April 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Richard G. Kleindienst talked on the telephone from 3:04 pm to 3:09 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 002-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 2-2 Date: April 19, 1971 Time: 3:04 pm - 3:09 pm Location: White House Telephone The President talked with Richard G. Kleindienst. [See Conversation No. 482-17B] [A transcript of the following portion of the conversation was initially prepared for the Watergate Special Prosecution Force [WSPF] and can be found in Record Group [RG] 460. The Nixon Presidential Materials Staff has reviewed the transcript and has made changes as necessary. This transcript has been reviewed under the provisions of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974 [PRMPA]. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.] [End of transcript]
This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.