Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 10 › Conversation 010-118
Nixon phone call with Mitchell on Los Angeles Times and Otis Chandler
Thursday, October 7, 1971 · 11:07 AM–11:08 AM ET · White House Telephone · 47 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon instructed Attorney General John Mitchell to launch an aggressive investigation into the Los Angeles Times for potential immigration violations, specifically regarding the hiring of undocumented workers. Targeting publisher Otis Chandler, Nixon demanded a review of Chandler's personal staff to see if his gardener was an undocumented immigrant. The President emphasized that he wanted this directive carried out immediately and expected a formal report on the findings.
- Los Angeles Times
- Otis Chandler
- Immigration and Naturalization Service
- Abuse of power
- Political retaliation
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On October 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 11:07 am to 11:08 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 010-118 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 10-118
Date: October 7, 1971
Time: 11:07 am - 11:08 am
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with John N. Mitchell.
[See Conversation No. 285-16C]
Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS] investigation
-Los Angeles Times
-Hiring of aliens
-California
-Otis Chandler
-Gardener
-President’s ordersAlso recorded on October 7, 1971
- 010-113 10:24 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:24 am.
- 285-016 10:30 AM · 1 hr 34 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Daniel P. Moynihan, White House operator, John N. Mitchell, Arthur F. Burns, William L. Safire, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and Marjorie P. Acker met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:30 am to 12:16 pm.
- 010-116 10:32 AM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Daniel P. Moynihan talked on the telephone from 10:32 am to 10:58 am.
- 010-117 10:58 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:58 am and 11:07 am.
- 010-119 11:08 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:08 am and 11:10 am.
- 010-120 11:10 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 11:10 am to 11:13 am.
- 010-121 11:19 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Arthur F. Burns talked on the telephone from 11:19 am to 11:24 am.
- 010-122 11:24 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:24 am and 11:51 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 010-118, October 7, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/010-118 (accessed October 6, 2026).