Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 10 › Conversation 010-120

Nixon phone call with Mitchell on Immigration and Naturalization Service

Thursday, October 7, 1971 · 11:10 AM–11:13 AM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Mitchell, John N.Conversation010-120 on Tape 10 (tape position 03:58:29–04:00:48)StartThursday, October 7, 1971 at 11:10 AMEndThursday, October 7, 1971 at 11:13 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 010-120 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directs Attorney General John Mitchell to purge specific personnel within the Immigration and Naturalization Service, specifically demanding the immediate removal of Rosenberg for unauthorized media appearances and challenging the loyalty of Raymond F. Farrell. Nixon expresses frustration over leaks regarding his San Clemente property and demands stricter bureaucratic discipline to counter political opposition. Furthermore, the President informs Mitchell that he has instructed Treasury Secretary John Connally to initiate income tax investigations against the Chandler family and those targeting Billy Graham.

  • Immigration and Naturalization Service
  • Bureaucratic discipline
  • Political retaliation
  • Internal Revenue Service
  • Raymond F. Farrell
  • Personnel management

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah, yes, sir Oh John I wanted to be sure we covered the fellow out there in the immigration service and this is one where you can set an example for the rest of the bureaucracy because I'm writing Connelly on a couple of Internal revenue people that are kicking Billy Graham around is a kite by the name of Rosenberg He is to be out
He is to be out.
Transfer him to some other place out of Los Angeles.
I don't give a goddamn what the story is.
He went on television.
You put him out for going on television, which is a violation.
The second thing is Farrell, the head of your immigration service here, is an idiot.
He has privately at a cocktail party in the last 24 hours bragged that he was going to get Nixon.
He is to be out.
I want his resignation on my desk by the end of the day.
Is that clear?
I don't agree with that, Mr. President, but if that's the way... Why don't you agree with it, John?
It's a long, long story about how we've used this man all over the place, and I will...
Farrell or Rosenberg?
Farrell.
No, Rosenberg, I have no problem.
Why does Farrell talk this way, then?
I'm not sure that he has, and I would... Because he may be coppering his bets against whatever's going to happen in the future.
No, I wouldn't believe... Well, I'd get him in and ask him.
I'm going to...
I want you to go in, and I say, now, look, fellow, do you drink or something?
I mean, put it right to him.
Now, have you been talking this way?
Because it's all over town.
Now, you know, like his going on with his business that there was an illegal Mexican working on San Clemente.
The poor son of a bitch was brought in by a contractor and worked three hours and left.
That came from the West Coast.
I know, but Farrell confirmed it to the press.
I mean, and did not point out that he worked three hours.
So I really feel you got to, I just want to be, John, there's got to be discipline, but Rosenberg is to go.
He is to go.
Now, that son of a bitch, I don't care.
Take the heat on it.
We're not going to have them.
For them to do this, for them to do this when this woman is coming up is deliberate, done by the times and the rest, and that's the way it's going to be done.
I've already ordered Connolly.
We're going after the Chandlers, everyone individually and collectively, their income tax.
They're starting this week.
Every one of those sons of bitches.
Rosenberg, I have no problem with the Farrell situation.
All right.
I want to... Well, I'll leave it to you.
I'll leave it to you.
But I want you to scare him with an inch of his life.
Don't worry about that.
Okay, John.
Will do.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On October 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 11:10 am to 11:13 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 010-120 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 10-120

Date: October 7, 1971
Time: 11:10 am - 11:13 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John N. Mitchell.

[See Conversation No. 285-16E]

     Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS]
         -Mitchell
               -John B. Connally
                     -Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
                           -William F. (“Billy”) Graham
         -[Forename unknown] Rosenberg
               -President's directive for a vocational change
                     -Log Angeles
         -Raymond F. Farrell
               -President's directive for a vocational change
               -Illegal Mexican briefly at San Clemente

     President's orders
          -Connally
                 -Chandlers
                      -Income tax investigations

     Government personnel
         -Rosenberg
         -Farrell

Also recorded on October 7, 1971

  • 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.
  • 010-118 11:07 AM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 11:07 am to 11:08 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.
  • 010-121 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.
  • 010-123 11:51 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 11:51 am to 11:56 am.

All 106 conversations from October 7, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 010-120, 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/010-120 (accessed October 6, 2026).