Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 106 › Conversation 106-001

Cole on White House financial records and G. Gordon Liddy

Tuesday, September 5, 1972 · 12:00 AM–8:04 AM ET · Cabinet Room · 2 min

ParticipantsCole, Kenneth R., Jr.; [Unknown person(s)]Conversation106-001 on Tape 106StartTuesday, September 5, 1972 at 12:00 AMEndTuesday, September 5, 1972 at 8:04 AMRecording deviceCabinet RoomSourceNixon Library record for 106-001 ↗

AI Summary

Kenneth R. Cole, Jr. and an unidentified interlocutor discuss concerns regarding the vulnerability of White House financial records to public scrutiny and potential audits. They focus specifically on the controversial travel expenses of G. Gordon Liddy, which were processed through the Domestic Council. The participants conclude that destroying these records would be disastrous and argue instead for the necessity of developing a defensible justification for the existing expenditures.

White House financial records
G. Gordon Liddy
Domestic Council
Public audits
Record destruction
Travel reimbursements

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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We know we're going to get on it.

I don't know what I'm told, John.

Well, I'm sorry to be out of this, but the thing is...

But you're not aware of some things.

I know I'm not aware of some things.

And that's probably fine.

The thing that everybody forgets around here is that our books are open to public discussion.

The White House books are.

I can totally justify it.

The lady took out to California.

I knew nothing about the on-trip to Dallas except the fact that I had a date in place.

And I did know that he went on the domestic counsel.

Well, he went in December and they asked for the second half of fiscal 72, and he went in December and was reimbursed in the second half of fiscal 72, so it shows up.

So, you know, when it came to what do you have as far as travel vouchers are concerned, our books are public.

It looks worse for us to be destroying records and have it come out in some other way than we withheld the information.

I mean, that is insanity.

I agree with that.

I think you have to have a good reason for it.

It's going down there.

And it was quite honestly a load of a joke.

Can you justify that?

Well, I don't know now.

I honestly don't.

NARA Description

On September 5, 1972, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr. and unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 8:04 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 106-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 106-1

Date: Unknown between September 5 and September 7, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:00 am, September 5 and 8:04 am, September 7, 1972
Location: Cabinet Room

Kenneth R. Cole, Jr. met with an unknown man
[Recording begins while the conversation is in progress]

     White House books
          -Possible audit
          -Public scrutiny
          -G[eorge] Gordon Liddy’s travel expenses
               -Domestic Council
               -Reimbursement
          -Possible destruction of records
               -Consequences

Cole and the unknown man left at an unknown time before 8:04 am, September 7, 1972

Also recorded on September 5, 1972

106-002 12:00 AM · 2 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 8:04 am.
106-011 12:00 AM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 8:04 am.

Cite this conversation

Conversation 106-001, September 5, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/106-001 (accessed October 24, 2026).