Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 135 › Conversation 135-004

Nixon, Haldeman & Mitchell on New Jersey and prosecution

Thursday, June 29, 1972 · 12:57 PM–12:59 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Mitchell, John N.Conversation135-004 on Tape 135 (tape position 00:12:20–00:13:42)StartThursday, June 29, 1972 at 12:57 PMEndThursday, June 29, 1972 at 12:59 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 135-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with H.R. Haldeman, who was meeting with John Mitchell, to coordinate the administration's stance on ongoing federal and state prosecutions in New Jersey. They expressed concern that the prosecutors involved were Republicans, lamenting this instance of political "cannibalism" within the party. Nixon ultimately decided to maintain a "no comment" position regarding the pending legal matters during his upcoming press conference.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Hello?
Yes, sir.
Well, any new developments today?
No, just meeting with John Mitchell.
Oh, fine.
You're with him now?
Yeah, uh-huh.
Fine.
Well, I'm going to come back about, be there about 2.30, and then I'll spend the rest of the time in the EOB.
Okay, very good.
And, well, the one thing that I was interested in on that John Mitchell, on this New Jersey thing, is I suppose that the prosecutor's a Republican, isn't he?
Is the New Jersey prosecutor a Republican?
Yeah.
What should we do?
Just no comment?
What should the president do in his press conference?
Just no comment?
Yeah, no comment on a pending matter.
Yeah.
Too bad that they get involved in that.
Yeah.
It is a state prosecution, isn't it?
No, it's federal.
Oh, it's federal.
There's a state prosecution also, apparently, Johnson.
Oh.
State and federal.
They're both Republicans.
They're both Republicans.
Our cannibalism is showing again.
Is that what he said?
Yeah.
I don't know.
Well, anyway.
We hope for the best.
Yeah.
Okay, fine.
I'll call you later, bud.
All right.

NARA Description

On June 29, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:57 pm to 12:59 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 135-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 135-4

Date: June 29, 1972
Time: 12:57-12:59 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table (telephone)

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

[See also Conversation No. 195-8]

     H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman's meeting with John N. Mitchell

     The President's schedule
               -Executive Office Building [EOB]

     New Jersey prosecution
         -Prosecutor's political affiliation

Haldeman conferred with Mitchell at an unknown time.

     New Jersey prosecutor
               -Political affiliation
               -President's possible statement

[End of conference]

     New Jersey prosecution
               -President's comments
               -Prosecutor's political affiliation

     The President's return call

Also recorded on June 29, 1972

  • 195-008 12:57 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 12:57 pm to 12:59 pm.
  • 135-005 12:59 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 1:00 pm.
  • 195-009 12:59 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 1:00 pm.
  • 135-006 1:00 PM · 27 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 1:00 pm to 1:28 pm.
  • 195-010 1:00 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 1:00 pm to 1:28 pm.
  • 135-007 1:28 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:28 pm and 1:33 pm.
  • 195-011 1:28 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:28 pm and 1:33 pm.
  • 195-012 1:28 PM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:28 pm and 1:33 pm.

All 60 conversations from June 29, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 135-004, June 29, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/135-004 (accessed October 12, 2026).