Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 38 › Conversation 038-087

Ehrlichman phone call on William E. Timmons and Legislative affairs

Tuesday, April 17, 1973 · 3:50 PM–4:35 PM ET · White House Telephone · 48 sec

ParticipantsEhrlichman, John D.; White House operatorConversation038-087 on Tape 38StartTuesday, April 17, 1973 at 3:50 PMEndTuesday, April 17, 1973 at 4:35 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 038-087 ↗

AI Summary

John D. Ehrlichman initiates a request through the White House operator to reach William E. Timmons, then serving as an assistant to the President for legislative affairs. The brief exchange serves as a logistical attempt to establish contact with Timmons to discuss pressing administrative or legislative matters. No substantive policy decisions or developments occur as the connection fails to materialize during this specific call.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

This is John Erlichman for Bill Timmons.
Thank you.
No, I guess not.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On April 17, 1973, John D. Ehrlichman and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:50 pm and 4:35 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-087 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 38-87

Date: April 17, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:50 pm and 4:35 pm
Location: White House Telephone

John D. Ehrlichman talked with the White House operator

[See also Conversation No. 898-23A]

     Telephone call to William E. Timmons

Also recorded on April 17, 1973

  • 898-022 3:49 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Lawrence M. Higby met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:49 pm and 3:50 pm.
  • 898-025 3:49 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:49 pm and 3:50 pm.
  • 038-088 3:50 PM · 1 min — John D. Ehrlichman, unknown person(s), President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and William E. Timmons talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:50 pm and 4:35 pm.
  • 898-023 3:50 PM · 1 hr 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, White House operator, unknown person(s), William E. Timmons, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:50 pm and 4:41 pm.
  • 899-001 3:50 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:50 pm to 4:41 pm.
  • 899-002 4:35 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:35 pm and 4:41 pm.
  • 899-003 4:35 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:35 pm and 4:41 pm.
  • 899-005 4:35 PM · 15 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:35 pm and 4:41 pm.

All 53 conversations from April 17, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 038-087, April 17, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/038-087 (accessed October 12, 2026).