Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 35 › Conversation 035-082

Nixon phone call with Colson on Edward Bennett Williams and Watergate

Thursday, January 4, 1973 · 8:53 AM–8:55 AM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation035-082 on Tape 35StartThursday, January 4, 1973 at 8:53 AMEndThursday, January 4, 1973 at 8:55 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 035-082 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss strategy for Colson's upcoming meeting with prominent trial lawyer Edward Bennett Williams. Nixon instructs Colson to flatter Williams by acknowledging his professional reputation before pivoting to confront him about his involvement in the Watergate case, specifically questioning his decision to represent the Democratic National Committee on a personal basis. The pair also coordinate efforts to gauge Williams' true intentions regarding the Watergate investigation and potential hidden motives behind his recent correspondence with the President.

Audio

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NARA Description

On January 4, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:53 am to 8:55 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 035-082 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 35-82

Date: January 4, 1973
Time: 8:53 am - 8:55 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 833-7]

       Colson's forthcoming meeting with Edward Bennett Williams
            -Williams' letter to the President
                   -Tone
                   -Washington Redskins
            -Legal reputation of Williams
                   -The President’s view
                   -Candace W. (“Candy”) Mossler case
            -Watergate
                   -Politics
                   -Conflict of interest in representing clients
                          -Washington Post
                          -Democratic National Committee
                          -Attacks on Presidential associates
                   -Colson’s deposition in trial
                          -Williams’ reaction
                                -Washington Post
            -Williams’ letter to the President
                   -Significance

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).

Yes, sir, Mr. President.
The way I'd handle him, I would start it in, sort of get him off guard, say the President really appreciated his warm letter about, you know, about the Redskins and so forth.
And second, you know, it's rather interesting, you had the President, who's sort of a lot of an expert in this field, you know, three or four years ago when you came on, matters were coming up, and he said he considered it to put you in the top three to four positions
lawyers in the United States, trial lawyers.
That was at the time that they had that, you know, one that was very building up, that guy that had that, that had Andy Mosler.
Oh, yeah.
Anyway, you know, that I had mentioned that.
And they said, no, I want to say, I just want to level with you, however, on another subject.
You know, this Watergate thing, we understand politics and all that sort of thing, but, you know, you're
He's really rather puzzled, not because you took the case, because, for example, you represent the Washington Post, and you know that's an irreconcilable conflict.
There's not a damn thing to be done about that.
But Watergate, I mean, he's rather puzzled that you would take it on a personal basis, not that you represented them.
but on a personal basis, without pay.
Taking the Democratic National Committee's case on a personal basis.
On a personal basis, and made some pretty rough personal attacks on the president's close friend, the close associates.
That he just got to puzzle by.
That was all.
He's not complaining.
He asked for no quarter and gives none.
Just put it that way.
I think that's a very good seed to plant.
He'll get it.
He's a sharp enough guy to get it.
You know, it's a
I'm in a particularly good position to do this because I went over and gave him a deposition in the Watergate matter.
For two and a half hours, he tried to find some hole, and at the end of it, he called me aside and he said, you know, I know you're clean, and he said, now I'm a little embarrassed the way the post has been cutting you up.
So he's, you know, he can be a decent guy, too.
Yeah.
But he knows in Monarchy, so I can...
Anyway, but suck out everything you can as to what the hell he's up to on Monarchy.
Okay.
Yeah, he's... That note has significance.
He's trying to tell us something.
All right.
Good.
I'll do it.
Good.
Thank you, Mr. President.

Also recorded on January 4, 1973

  • 035-080 8:46 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:46 am to 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.
  • 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.
  • 833-009 8:55 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:55 am and 9:03 am.

All 45 conversations from January 4, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 035-082, 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/035-082 (accessed November 2, 2026).