Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 35 › Conversation 035-080

Nixon phone call with Colson on Edward Bennett Williams and Watergate

Thursday, January 4, 1973 · 8:46 AM–8:50 AM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation035-080 on Tape 35StartThursday, January 4, 1973 at 8:46 AMEndThursday, January 4, 1973 at 8:50 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 035-080 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss an upcoming meeting with prominent attorney Edward Bennett Williams, who had recently reached out to the White House following Nixon's public support of the Washington Redskins. Nixon instructs Colson to remain firm regarding the Washington Post’s coverage of the Watergate scandal, while using the meeting to signal that the administration expects Williams to distance himself from the paper's personal attacks on the President. The conversation highlights the administration's desire to leverage political pressure and potential investigations into Williams' tax returns to encourage his cooperation or neutrality.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Good morning, Mr. President.
Regarding your call on Bennett Williams, I thought you should know it's through a very curious route.
Gene Dixon had seen Rose and said that Bennett Williams was writing me a letter, and I got it this morning, just a warm note thanking me for my
Support of the Redskins.
Support of the Redskins and wishing me very warmly a very happy and successful new year and all that sort of thing.
The point of the matter is that whatever, for whatever reason, you know, I mean, he of course can read election returns pretty well.
Damn right.
But my point is, and he also knows he's got clients.
So I think you're having this talk with him fairly soon is important.
I'll sure as hell do it.
Do it, and just for the purpose of listening, being very tough on the post.
Very tough on the Watergate thing.
Just say, you know what I mean, look, we understand all these things, and you know damn well there's a lot of things going on on both sides here, so forth and so on.
Now, why don't we have a little ear of cooperation, because if we're going to play this way, Ed...
you know uh there's nobody that can play it better than the president well that's interesting that uh that note came to you because the uh shows you that he's really playing it hard he called here and i wasn't available i was with you and so he said to my gal that he said i'm sad he said i'd like to see chuck and i'd like to visit with him he said i also want him to be sure
uh to help me get a note to the president so i i'll just say we'll send it over but you see he's and he said and then he called back yesterday he was in new york his office called back and said he'd very much like to come in and visit with me so he's he's uh sucking around very hard the only thing i don't want to do is encourage him at all because
in terms of cooperating with the Post because... No, no, no, not one inch.
There, that's a matter of honor.
But the point, and just that, I think that there are other items that he may be interested in.
Look, after all, he knows we can be after him on his taxes and a hell of a lot of other things.
He has interest in the Redskins and he doesn't want to be an outsider.
With the Post, I just put a cold turkey.
We understand you represent the Post and that you probably aren't very proud of it sometimes.
You know, we all have our clients that are somewhat difficult.
You get my point?
No, I do.
I'd lay it out, but I'd leave it at that.
But on the other hand, I'm thinking of a bigger fish.
I'm thinking of the water gauge.
Oh, yeah, well, in terms of that, I would certainly tell a guy that we could see that he wasn't put on the complete...
I mean, that he was... We don't take it hard.
He can...
Representing the Post doesn't bother me a bit, but when the guy gets into the political thing and gets his personal attacks and all the rest... Takes the lead in an unpaid, in other words, it was a volunteer, gratuitous attempt to embarrass the administration and the president.
Embarrass the president, that's right.
Just say the president has known him for many years, going back to McCarthy days, which is true, he represented McCarthy, had great respect for him, and frankly was...
Rather hurt by the fact that he didn't want to hurt by the water gate, but he just wondered what the hell Williams is up to.
Enormously able lawyer.
He is.
I know he is, but just say that he was rather puzzled.
I said, Williams, I can't believe he'd have any part of such a thing.
He could represent a client.
That's one thing.
But on the other hand, he's not to do other things.
Okay, you see it.
I'll take care of it.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On January 4, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:46 am to 8:50 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 035-080 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 35-80

Date: January 4, 1973
Time: 8:46 am - 8:50 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 833-4]

       Colson’s forthcoming meeting with Edward Bennett Williams
            -Jeanne L. Dixon
                  -Conversation with Rose Mary Woods
                        -Williams’s recent letter to the President
            -Williams’ letter to the President
                  -Tone
                  -Content
                        -The President’s support of the Washington Redskins
                        -Regards for 1973
                  -Motivation
                        -1972 election
                        -Clients
            -Timing
            -Purpose
                  -Listening
            -Washington Post
                                             -79-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 35-80 (cont’d)

            -Watergate
            -Cooperation
            -Williams' letter to the President
                  -Williams’ recent call to Colson
                        -Colson’s schedule
                               -Meeting with the President
                        -Message for Colson’s secretary
                        -[New York]
            -Cooperation with Washington Post
            -Williams’ tax returns
            -Redskins
                  -Washington Post
            -Watergate
            -Washington Post
                  -Representation
                  -Embarrassment of the President
            -The President's relationship with Williams
                  -Counsel for Joseph McCarthy
            -Watergate
            -Williams’ ability as lawyer
            -Williams’ role
                  -Representation

Also recorded on January 4, 1973

  • 833-004 8:46 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:46 am and 8:50 am.
  • 035-081 8:50 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:50 am and 8:53 am.
  • 833-005 8:50 AM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:50 am and 8:53 am.
  • 833-006 8:50 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:50 am and 8:53 am.
  • 035-082 8:53 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:53 am to 8:55 am.
  • 833-007 8:53 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:53 am and 8:55 am.
  • 833-008 8:53 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:53 am and 9:03 am.
  • 035-083 8:55 AM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 am and 9:03 am.

All 47 conversations from January 4, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 035-080, January 4, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/035-080 (accessed October 12, 2026).